OLYMPIA, Wash. — A proposal that would require Washington students to complete financial education instruction to graduate high school cleared the state House last week.
Under House Bill 1915, which representatives passed Thursday, students in the graduating class of 2031 and after must complete the instruction as part of graduation requirements. Schools must begin to provide a half-credit of financial instruction beginning in the 2027-28 school year.
The bill would not change the number of credits needed to graduate, which is 24, and school districts have options as to how they could implement the bill. State Rep. Skylar Rude, the bill lead sponsor, said schools could offer the instruction as part of other curricula, embedded in another class, or as a stand-alone elective class, for example.
“The intent here is to provide the most flexible bill possible while taking that next step for graduation requirement,” Rude, R-Walla Walla, said during a Jan. 15 hearing.
The legislature has taken previous steps to improve financial education for students, creating learning standards in 2015 and providing professional development funding for certificated staff in 2022. However, Rude said while schools are required to offer financial education, students are not required to take it, creating a gap in financial literacy for Washington’s youth.
If the bill passes, school districts would have until Dec. 15, 2025, to submit a plan to the state board of education on how it will implement the requirements.
The state’s financial education public-private partnership, which includes legislators, financial services representatives and teachers, must create a statewide implementation plan by Sept. 30, 2026, which could include recommendations for grant funding and other school resources to implement the bill.