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Yahoo
02-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Should WA expand ‘cost-effective' program to mitigate youth homelessness?
As youth homelessness has reached record highs in Washington in recent years, a local advocacy group says one pandemic-era program could be the most cost-effective way to mitigate the issue. According to some of the most recent data available from the the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Washington recorded 42,436 homeless students in 2023, more than double the amount the state recorded more than a decade before in 2010. Pierce County school districts represent some of the largest populations of students experiencing housing instability. According to a recent report from the Washington-based homeless advocacy group, NorthStar Advocates, a program known as the Homelessness Prevention and Diversion Fund (HPDF) has helped over 1,700 youth and young-adult households in Washington find and maintain stable housing since being implemented in 2020. In one year spanning 2023 and 2024, 93% of those assisted by the HPDF program maintained housing a year later. HPDF works by making flexible one-time funding available for youth and young adults who are on the brink of becoming homelessness. The funding can be used in a variety of ways, with no one-size-fits-all approach. According to the report from NorthStar Advocates, HPDF was used to provide rental assistance, housing deposits, housing application fees, utility payments and transportation costs. The report noted, in one instance, HPDF was used to assist a mother fleeing a domestic abuser. The mother and her infant were able to leave an unsafe situation by moving quickly to reunite with family out-of-state. The fund's flexibility allowed her to move out in the early morning by covering her taxi and airfare. In 2024, HPDF assisted a young adult whose car was damaged in a flood. She worked a night-shift job and bus lines were not available for her to commute to work. 'After her car was flooded and her insurance wouldn't cover the cost of repairs, she was at risk of losing her job and therefore her housing.' the report noted. 'The HPDF was able to pay for a one-time repair to her car so they could maintain their housing.' NorthStar Advocates say assistance through HPDF not only prevents people from becoming homeless, it also is cheaper than alternative programs that assist the unhoused. In 2024, the average cost per household through HPDF was $2,659 which is lower than the cost of emergency shelter projects, which cost an average of $4,318 per household and less than one third the cost of Rapid Re-housing, which costs an average of $10,114, according to the Washington State Department of Commerce. Young people diverted by the HPDF spent significantly less time experiencing homelessness when compared to other interventions as well. According to data from the Department of Commerce from 2023, processing of HPDF requests took an average of four days, while those in emergency shelters stayed an average of 40 days. Those in rapid re-housing programs stayed in the program an average of 114 days. HPDF diversion funds can be accessed by any homeless service-providing organization in the state. It only requires service providers to attend certification training. As of May 2024, 776 providers were certified to access the fund. Between 2023 and 2024, 62 service providers in Pierce County were trained to use HPDF funds. NorthStar Advocates is calling for the state to increase its HPDF investment and for all 39 counties to use the program to mitigate youth homelessness. When the program was established in 2020, Yakima, Walla Walla, Spokane and Pierce counties were the only participants. At that time, HPDF received $1.5 million b-iannually in public funding. Through legislative advocacy, the HPDF's public funding pool increased to $5 million bi-annually in 2023. Ten counties currently utilize the program. 'HPDF continues to be utilized at high rates, and in many cases, is the only diversion fund specifically for youth and young adults in communities,' NorthStar Advocates stated in their report. 'As such, the HPDF is pivotal for WA's efforts to prevent, reduce, and end [youth and young adult] homelessness.'
Epoch Times
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Trump Administration Investigating Washington State Over Alleged Title IX Violations
Washington state's education department is under investigation for allegedly violating privacy regulations, parents' rights, and Title IX laws established to protect women's equality in scholastic sports, federal officials A Title IX special investigations team comprising Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education employees received reports that the Evergreen State's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction required school districts to allow males to participate in female sports and 'occupy female-only intimate facilities,' an April 30 statement on the U.S. Education Department's website said. The team also accuses the state office of forcing policies that allow schools to hide information about a child's gender identity from his or her parents. Collectively, the state office could be in violation of Title IX, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, and could lose federal funding, the special investigations team announced. 'If true, these are clear violations of parental rights and female equality in athletics, which are protected by federal laws that will be enforced by the Trump Administration,' Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in the statement. This investigation was prompted by pushback from a district that opposed the state's policies, which contradict federal law, the statement said. Related Stories 4/4/2025 3/18/2025 La Center School District informed federal officials earlier this spring that the state office threatened to withhold state funding after the district refused to adopt mandated policies. These included school employee training on eliminating bias in instructional materials related to gender identity and a requirement 'to not proactively share information about any students' gender identity without the student's consent,' which federal officials say violates their parents' rights to inspect their child's school records, the statement said. The Kennewick School Board also filed a federal civil rights complaint against the state, which is requiring the district to allow one of its transgender-identifying male athletes to compete on a girls' team. Meanwhile, a male track star in a rival district who also identifies as transgender is expected to win a second state title later this month in the girls' 400-meter event, said Gabe Galbraith, the school board's president. 'Ninety-eight percent of families and school staff in this community support the board's position on this, but kids are afraid to speak out,' Galbraith told The Epoch Times earlier this month. 'We hope people will speak out. There are probably 15 school districts that would support us in a class action lawsuit. I think, ultimately, this will land with the DOJ.' Chris Reykdal, Washington state superintendent of public instruction, said he will continue to follow his state's laws. 'Transgender and gender-expansive students are not the only students affected by gender and gender stereotypes at school,' Reykdal said in an In March, the Trump administration announced similar investigations into California's and Maine's state education departments, which also have state laws that allow teachers and school staff to withhold information from parents about their children's gender identity. The Department of Justice has also initiated a lawsuit against Maine for allowing male athletes to compete on women's teams.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington needs new voices in the debate over school funding
(Photo by) Fifteen years after Washington established its current K-12 funding formulas, it's clear that our education funding system needs a serious reassessment. State legislators are beginning to recognize this with the introduction of bills like HB 2049, which proposes new revenue streams for education and creates a K-12 Funding Equity Work Group seated at the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. State leaders are using this moment to ask themselves how education funding should be more fairly and effectively allocated. But this will not be the first time the Legislature has asked that question or even created a work group to explore it. In fact, over the past 16 years, seven legislatively directed reports have explored and provided recommendations on various aspects of our K-12 funding system. (2009, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2012, 2019, and 2022). Unfortunately, these past reports have all fallen short in identifying an approach to resourcing schools that is consistent with the range of supports and services schools currently provide to students. Much has changed since our current approach to funding was established in 2010, and especially since the pandemic. There has been a significant shift in the depth and diversity of student needs. Whether it's supporting mental health, addressing food and housing insecurity, or helping families navigate public systems, schools today are doing far more than delivering instruction. Schools have learned that when students' basic needs are met, they can more effectively engage students in learning, so many districts have responded by working beyond their means to meet a growing diversity of student needs. This evolving role for schools has created a misalignment between what schools need to engage students in learning and how the state provides funding to schools. One of the key reasons this misalignment persists is that previous work groups and funding studies have failed to put the voices of historically marginalized communities at the center of their decision-making, especially students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, and those from families navigating systemic barriers. If Washington is serious about creating an education system rooted in equity, that commitment must be reflected not only in our funding formulas but also in how we define the problem and who gets to shape the solutions. Otherwise, we risk continuing the cycle: one where well-intentioned reforms claim equity as a goal but fail to deliver because they were built without the input of those most affected. The lived experience of students and families is not anecdotal; it is expertise. When we not only invite but center that expertise in the decision-making process, we gain a more honest and accurate picture of what schools need. As we look to improve how we resource public K-12 education, we must use every tool available to design an education system that delivers the learning environments, supports, and opportunities all students deserve. If there was ever a moment to assemble a diverse working group focused on reassessing K-12 funding, it is now. We must ask ourselves: how will this be different? How will we ensure that students furthest from educational justice are at the forefront of this process? As funding decisions move forward, these must be the guiding commitments to ensure that real change is achieved.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MLSD, OSPI spar over transgender athletics
Mar. 14—MOSES LAKE — The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction has responded to a letter from the Moses Lake School District Board of Directors that was sent to State Superintendent Chris Reykdal with a copy addressed to Governor Bob Ferguson. The letter from MLSD addresses the issue of transgender athletes in girls sports. Distributing the letter, which Board Chair Kirryn Jensen said was composed by a "concerned citizen" of Moses Lake, was unanimously approved March 5 and signed by all board members. OSPI responded to the district's letter March 6. MLSD letter In the initial letter, the board accused Reykdal of disavowing directives from the United States Department of Education and a Feb. 5 executive order issued by President Donald Trump concerning the participation of transgender individuals in sports. The letter can be read here: "Your actions, Superintendent Chris Reykdal, and words could have dire consequences for all schools in Washington State, and your viewpoints do not reflect the community we serve nor the students we have the honor to serve and protect," reads the MLSD letter. The letter further states that Reykdal's comments risked the well-being of Washington students, and cited a recent executive order from Trump designed to bar those born male from participating in girl's and women's athletics. "In recent years, many educational institutions and athletic associations have allowed men to compete in women's sports," reads the MLSD letter. "This is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports. Moreover, under Title IX of the Education Act of 1972 (TitleIX) educational institutions receiving Federal Funds cannot deny women an equal opportunity to participate in sports. As some Federal courts have recognized 'ignoring fundamental biological truths between the two sexes deprives women and girls of meaningful access to educational facilities.'" The letter emphasized the importance of adhering to federal law, particularly Title IX, which prohibits discrimination based on sex in federally funded education programs and activities. It states the board's commitment to revising athletic eligibility policies to align with federal directives, including prohibiting individuals born biologically male from participating in girls' sports teams. The board's resolutions include updating the student handbook and athletic guidelines to conform to the executive order; reviewing facility usage policies to ensure compliance with federal mandates regarding student privacy and safety and ensuring clear communication with students, staff and families about these changes. In articulating their position, the board quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., stating, "Discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin is illegal and morally reprehensible." The board said the community and Moses Lake School Board believe in King's vision and believe the goal can be achieved if elected leaders would follow "that very simple rule." "As the Board of Directors of the Moses Lake School District, we are committed to adhering to federal law, as per our sworn oath," reads the conclusion of the letter. "We trust that your office will also uphold federal law, without allowing personal biases or differing viewpoints to jeopardize the Moses Lake School District's Federal funding." OSPI response OSPI responded with its own letter dated March 6 from its Equity and Civil Rights Office, addressing concerns about MLSD's new policies. The letter reiterated that the board's intention to limit athletic eligibility based on gender identity contradicted state nondiscrimination laws enshrined in Chapters 28A.640 and 28A.642 of the Revised Code of Washington. The OSPI letter articulated that "Washington nondiscrimination laws already comply with federal civil rights and nondiscrimination statutes," emphasizing that states can offer greater protections for students than federal mandates require. The office expressed concern that the MLSD's proposed actions could expose students, particularly transgender and gender-expansive individuals, to discrimination. OSPI warned that if the board proceeded with its policies that "may be seen as implementing, enforcing, or otherwise giving effect to the Board's letter," it could face corrective action in accordance with state laws. Additionally, OSPI cautioned against any actions that could be interpreted as retaliation toward employees refusing to comply with discriminatory directives. OSPI said if the board or district is unable to "voluntarily resolve these concerns" OSPI may take further action regarding the district's new policies. District response In acknowledgment of the OSPI's letter, Jensen spoke with the Columbia Basin Herald. "Our recent actions as a board were taken in alignment with federal directives and our belief in maintaining fairness and safety in our schools," Jensen said. Jensen said the board is committed to assessing its next steps while prioritizing the community's values and students' well-being. "The Moses Lake School Board of directors is committed to adhering to federal law as per our sworn oath," Jensen said. When contacted, district staff were unaware of any transgender girls participating in girls sports. Neither OSPI nor MLSD addressed the potential for transgender boys playing on boys sports teams. According to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, or WIAA, which organizes competitive play between school districts in the Evergreen State, association members will vote on an amendment to its rules that would only allow participation in girls' sports to biological females.
