HB 1910

In Committee

House

Teacher-librarian funding

Increasing funding for teacher-librarians.

Introduced (completed)
2
Committee (current stage)
3
Floor Vote (not started)
4
Opposite Chamber (not started)
5
Governor (not started)
6
Signed (not started)

This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.

How does a bill become law?

Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
Signed: The bill has been signed into law.

Introduced: February 9, 2025

Last Action: January 12, 2026

Status: H Approps

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AI Analysis

This analysis was generated by AI and may contain errors. It is not legal advice. Always refer to the official bill text for authoritative information.

People & CommunitiesPeople-leaningCorporate & Wealthy Interests

This bill updates Washington’s public school funding formula to increase state funding for teacher-librarians by raising their minimum staffing allocation to 1.000 full-time equivalent (FTE) per prototypical school, regardless of grade level. It also strengthens transparency and reporting requirements around how schools use basic education funds.

Updates the prototypical school funding formula to increase the minimum staffing allocation for teacher-librarians from 0.519–0.663 full-time equivalent (FTE) to 1.000 FTE per prototypical school at all levels (elementary, middle, and high).
Requires the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to report per-pupil funding allocations for multiple programs—including teacher-librarian support—on its website and mandates that school districts link to that report on their own sites.
Clarifies that basic education funds may be used flexibly for teacher-librarian roles, which include information literacy, technology, and media support for school library programs.
Maintains transparency and accountability by requiring school districts to use increased allocations to support increased staffing, prevent layoffs, or increase salaries for paraeducators and support staff.
Requires biennial review of the funding formula by the governor and superintendent, with legislative approval needed for changes to take effect.

Who is affected

Public school districts — School districts receive increased state funding specifically to support hiring or retaining teacher-librarians, especially in elementary, middle, and high schools, based on updated staffing formulas.
K–12 students — Students benefit from improved access to library media programs, information literacy, and technology support through dedicated teacher-librarian staff.
Teacher-librarians — Librarians who hold teaching credentials may see increased job security, funding, and recognition as part of the instructional staff under the updated formula.
Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction — The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction must update reporting tools and develop rules to implement the new funding formula and transparency requirements.

Effective: July 1, 2025Fiscal impact: The bill increases state funding for teacher-librarians by updating the prototypical school staffing formula to reflect a higher allocation (from 0.519–0.663 to 1.000 FTE per prototypical school), which will increase overall basic education funding. Exact fiscal impact depends on final legislative appropriation in the omnibus operating appropriations act.

Model: Intel/Qwen3-Coder-Next-int4-AutoRoundGenerated: Mar 19, 2026, 7:25 PM

Pro/Con Analysis

Stronger case for benefits

Potential Benefits (4)

Increases access to trained library professionals for all students in prototypical schools, improving information literacy, technology access, and research support — especially beneficial for students in under-resourced schools where libraries may be staffed by untrained personnel or volunteers.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 1, RCW 28A.150.260(5)(a) (teacher-librarian allocation increased to 1.000 FTE)
Requires the OSPI and school districts to publish transparent, standardized per-pupil funding data — empowering parents, community members, and local oversight bodies to hold districts accountable for how basic education funds are used.
Local GovernmentPeopleRef: Sec. 1, RCW 28A.150.260(2)(b) (mandated transparency reporting on per-pupil allocations)
Formally recognizes teacher-librarians as instructional staff supporting digital equity and media literacy — critical skills for modern education — and ensures their roles are integrated into core curriculum rather than treated as ancillary or extracurricular.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 1, RCW 28A.150.260(5)(a) (clarifies teacher-librarian role includes information literacy, technology, and media support)
Requires OSPI to collect and report how districts use increased funding — creating accountability to ensure the teacher-librarian investment translates into actual staffing improvements rather than being absorbed into general budgets.
Local GovernmentPeopleRef: Sec. 1, RCW 28A.150.260(5)(c) (data collection on use of increased allocations)

Potential Concerns (3)

The bill mandates a uniform 1.000 FTE teacher-librarian allocation across all prototypical school levels (elementary, middle, high), regardless of school size or student population density — potentially overstaffing very small schools and creating inefficiencies in rural or low-enrollment districts that may not need full-time library support.
EducationRef: Sec. 1, RCW 28A.150.260(5)(a) (teacher-librarian allocation increased to 1.000 FTE)
The bill requires districts to use increased teacher-librarian funding to support paraeducators and support staff — but this is a *requirement*, not a funding increase for those roles; districts may divert existing paraeducator funding to meet the teacher-librarian mandate, potentially reducing support staff hours or creating budget strain.
Business & EmploymentRef: Sec. 1, RCW 28A.150.260(5)(b)(iii) (requirement to use increased allocations for paraeducators/support staff)
The bill centralizes control over future funding formula changes in the legislature and governor, reducing local school boards’ flexibility to adapt staffing to community needs — potentially delaying responsive adjustments to local education priorities.
Local GovernmentRef: Sec. 1, RCW 28A.150.260(13)(a) (biennial formula review requiring legislative approval)

Who Is Most Affected

K–12 students, especially in high-poverty or rural districtsPositive Impact
Students in under-resourced schools benefit most — they often lack access to trained library staff; this bill ensures consistent access to information literacy and technology support, improving academic outcomes and digital equity.
Teacher-librarians (certificated library media specialists)Mixed Impact
Teacher-librarians gain formal recognition as instructional staff and increased job security; however, the impact depends on districts actually hiring new staff rather than reassigning existing staff to the role.
Small and rural school districtsMixed Impact
Small and rural districts may face challenges meeting the 1.000 FTE requirement if student populations are too low to justify full-time library staff — potentially forcing inefficient staffing or diverting funds from other priorities.
Public school districtsMixed Impact
Larger districts with existing library programs may see minimal change, while smaller districts may need to hire new staff — overall, the bill increases state funding but may strain local budgets if not fully funded in the omnibus appropriations act.
Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)Mixed Impact
OSPI gains expanded reporting and rulemaking responsibilities, increasing its role in local staffing decisions — a modest expansion of administrative burden but not a significant shift in power.