Student isolation and restraint reform dies in Senate Education — again

Plus more cutoff casualties, a big discrepancy in school construction money and a candidate in the 22nd

Wednesday marked yet another big deadline in Olympia, the cutoff for bills that have passed one chamber to clear policy committees in the other. Here’s a look at some of the stuff that didn’t make it. 

The Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee killed House Bill 1479 which addressed the use of student isolation and restraint in public schools. 

The original version of the bill from Rep. Lisa Callan, D-Issaquah, sought to ban the use of isolation and some types of restraint in public schools. 

Here’s why you should care about this:  Research shows the majority of students who are isolated and restrained, using medication, physical touch, or mechanical restraints, are students with disabilities and/or behavioral health challenges. Elementary-aged students are most likely to experience isolation and restraint in Washington public schools.