The Washington State Board of Education

08/31/2026

School buses are back on Washington roads! And that means it's time for a refresher on when to stop. 🚌🛑

During a single day in 2026, Washington school bus drivers reported 960 illegal passes. If that pace continued across the 180-day school year, it would amount to more than 172,000 violations.

With nearly 341,000 Washington students riding the bus each day, knowing the rules matters.

🛑Flashing red lights or stop arm out? STOP.
🛑On a two-lane road, traffic in both directions must stop.
🛑On roads with three or more marked lanes, drivers traveling in the opposite direction generally do not have to stop, but drivers traveling in the same direction as the bus always do.

Illegally passing a stopped school bus carries a mandatory $500 fine.

Check out the graphic for a quick guide and read our full press release here: https://ospi.k12.wa.us/about-ospi/news-center/news-releases/school-buses-are-back-know-when-stop to learn more about school bus safety, Washington's stopping laws, and what drivers should know as students head back to school.

When in doubt, stop!

08/18/2026

The Board has elected its 2026-27 at-large Executive Committee members following a vote at the conclusion of its August meeting.

Two members, Dr. Angela Griffin and Dr. Susana Reyes, were re-elected to the Executive Committee, while member Jen Chong Jewell was newly elected to serve on the committee. At-large members serve one-year terms. They join Board Chair Mary Fertakis and Vice Chair Brooke Brown.

The election also marked the conclusion of Bill Kallappa’s service on the executive committee. Board leadership recognized Bill for his contributions and service, including his previous tenure as Board Chair.

08/07/2026

Many students and teachers across eastern Washington have been impacted by the fires affecting the region, including the loss of creative tools like art supplies and instruments.

The Eastern Washington Arts Recovery Project is helping replace those resources. The project is collecting donations of arts supplies and funds while connecting students and educators with replacement materials. If you're able to help, follow the link for more information.

Thank you to ArtsEd Washington for your leadership in organizing this effort.

https://www.artsedwashington.org/easternwarecovery

💛 In the recent fires, many students and teachers have lost musical instruments, dance shoes, paint palettes, weaving tools, and other creative essentials. At the same time, we’re hearing from many people who want to help.

🎨 So we've assembled an Eastern Washington Arts Recovery Project webpage with simple forms to help with:
-Donating arts supplies or funds
-Requesting replacement arts materials for students and educators

📍 We’re currently focusing on Eastern Washington, with Shadle Park High School (north Spokane) as the dedicated drop‑off and pick‑up point. We’re also in conversation with educators in central Washington to explore additional pick‑up locations as needs emerge.

If you are a student or teacher who lost your beloved arts materials, we hope you’ll let this community help restore some of them for you.

If you have instruments, art supplies, or funds to share, please visit the project page and take a moment to fill out the donation form.

🔗 https://www.artsedwashington.org/easternwarecovery

08/06/2026

The Washington State Board of Education will meet virtually August 12–13 for its regularly scheduled meeting.

Over the two-day meeting, Board members will discuss a range of topics, including FutureReady, the Board’s initiative to update high school graduation requirements; the Board's 2027 Legislative Platform; the 2026 Educational System Health Report; and the Mastery-based Learning Collaborative.

The Board is also expected to vote on several pending business items and will conclude the meeting with the election of new officers.

Members of the public are welcome to attend and provide public comment.

View the full agenda, meeting materials, and information about how to attend: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/ViewMeeting.aspx?S=36030949&MID=1867

07/22/2026

In case you missed it: the Washington State Standard published a highlight of our draft proposal to modernize Washington's high school graduation requirements.

"In the first comprehensive update to graduation requirements in over a decade, the state Board of Education is retooling the current framework with an eye to better prepare students for life after graduation...Washington high school students are required to complete 24 credit hours. That number won’t change, but personalized credit opportunities would be expanded. "

High school students in Washington may soon have more options to connect coursework with their career plans.

07/16/2026

We're excited to share a major milestone for FutureReady!

We have just released our draft proposal for the first comprehensive update to Washington's high school graduation requirements in more than a decade.

This proposal is the result of nearly two years of collaboration with hundreds of students, families, educators, employers, higher education partners, Tribes, and community organizations from across Washington.

While this is an important step, the work isn't finished. Over the coming months, the Board will continue refining the proposal before considering a legislative proposal for the 2027 legislative session and beginning rulemaking for recommendations that fall under the Board's authority.

We'll continue sharing updates as this work moves forward. In the meantime, we invite you to learn more about the proposal and the ideas behind it.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington State Board of Education has released a draft proposal for the first comprehensive update to Washington's high school graduation requirements in more than a decade. The proposal is part of the Board's FutureReady initiative to modernize graduation requirements and b...

07/06/2026

There's still time to register for our FutureReady information sessions!

Join us THIS WEEK for one of two upcoming webinars to learn more about FutureReady and our draft recommendations for updating Washington's high school graduation requirements.

We'll share why this work began, walk through the draft recommendations, and discuss what comes next as the Board prepares a proposal for consideration during the 2027 legislative session.

📅 July 8 | 6:00–7:30 p.m.
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📅 July 9 | 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
5f3f07b8-8e35-472f-bfea-7f060b2acd03@b2fe5ccf-10a5-46fe-ae45-a0267412af7a" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/5f3f07b8-8e35-472f-bfea-7f060b2acd03@b2fe5ccf-10a5-46fe-ae45-a0267412af7a

07/06/2026

Congratulations to the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community on the opening of its new Education Center!

The new facility will provide K–12 educational support, certificate and degree programs, Lushootseed language learning, and environmental health programming for the Swinomish community. This investment will help students build knowledge, strengthen their connection to their culture and community, and prepare them to make a positive impact long after they graduate.

Read more here:

SWINOMISH INDIAN TRIBAL COMMUNITY — A blessing ceremony and open house were held Wednesday to celebrate the opening of the Swinomish Education Center, an education hub for learners from kindergarten

07/02/2026

We want to extend our gratitude to outgoing student board member Abby Wu.

Abby joined the Board last year and quickly established herself as a strong advocate for students across Washington. She played a key role in organizing student listening sessions in eastern Washington and was an active contributor to FutureReady, our initiative to modernize high school graduation requirements.

Abby, a recent graduate of Pullman High School, will attend Johns Hopkins University and plans to pursue a career as a foreign service officer. Join us in wishing Abby the best of luck in the next stage of her education.

06/24/2026

The Board kicked off today's work session on FutureReady with a student fishbowl discussion. We enjoyed getting to hear more student perspectives before the Board jumps into their own discussions. Join us on TVW to listen in!

Thank you Brelsford WSU Visitor Center for hosting us this week.

https://tvw.org/video/washington-state-board-of-education-2026061088/?eventID=2026061088