Randy Bracht / The Center Square
High school students in Washington could get a head start on a running start under a bill passed by the state House Thursday night.
Senate Bill 5670 I will now go to the governor's office for consideration.
If passed, this bipartisan bill would allow high school students who have completed their sophomore year to enroll in the Running Start program during the summer and earn college credit before their junior year.
SB 5670 is sponsored by 12th Legislative District Sen. Brad Hawkins (R-East Wenatchee), who calls the bill a “walking to running start.”
running start is a popular academic program that currently allows 11th and 12th graders to take courses at community colleges, technical schools, and various four-year institutions of higher education. Along the way, you can earn a high school diploma and up to two years of postsecondary credits at the same time, potentially graduating with both a high school diploma and an associate's degree.
Hawkins said his bill would save students money, reduce their chances of debt and move them closer to a four-year degree. The measure was originally introduced during the 2023 legislative session and was amended to allow high school students to earn up to 10 college credits during the summer semester before their junior year.
“Allowing students to start in the summer leading up to their junior year may help them settle into college life,” Hawkins said in the paper. news release Friday. “I call my bill 'Walking Start to Running Start' because sometimes in school and life you need to walk before you can run.”
“This is a great option for everyone, especially middle-class families who don't qualify for state financial aid,” he said.
Running Start students do not pay college tuition, but must pay for textbooks, mandatory fees, and arrange their own transportation. Tuition at higher education institutions is reimbursed by local school districts based on the state's per-pupil basic education rate, with districts contributing 7%. Some higher education institutions that are not community colleges or technical schools may charge students up to 10% of tuition.
Wenatchee Valley College President Famous Harrison and local Running Start students testified in support of the bill before the House Education Committee on February 15th.
SB 5670 is co-sponsored by Hawkins, Republicans Jeff Hawley and Linda Wilson, and Democrats Patty Kuderer, Joe Nguyen, Twina Nobles, Emily Randall, and Rebecca Saldana. did.
The bill was approved by a unanimous vote of 48-0 in the Senate on February 2nd, and unanimously approved by the House of Representatives by a vote of 92-1 this Thursday. During the current session, which is scheduled to end March 7, it will be considered by the Senate's Higher Education and Workforce Committee, Means and Means Committee, and Rules Committee, and the House's Education Committee and Rules Committee. .
