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Bellingham Public Schools will implement a learning assistance program designed to enhance educational opportunities for students enrolled in kindergarten through twelfth grade who are not meeting academic standards by providing supplemental instruction and services to those students. “Students who are not meeting academic standards” means students with the greatest academic deficits in basic skills as identified by statewide, school or district assessments or other performance measures.

Students’ Affected By COVID-19 Pandemic
Until the expiration or termination of Proclamation 20-05 declaring a state of emergency for all counties in Washington due to COVID-19 or until September 1, 2025—whichever is later—the district will budget and expend learning assistance program funds to identify and address the academic and nonacademic needs of students resulting from and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Washington Integrated Student Supports Protocol
The district will budget and expend learning assistance program funds using the framework of the Washington integrated student supports protocol, established under RCW 28A.300.139.

The district may use up to 15 percent of its learning assistance program allocation to deliver academic, nonacademic and social-emotional supports and services to students through partnerships with community-based or other out-of-school organizations in accordance with RCW 28A.300.139.

If the district enters into an agreement with a community partner in accordance with RCW 28A.300.139, the agreement must do the following:

A. Specify that learning assistance program funds may be used only to provide direct supports and services to students.
B. Clearly identify the academic, nonacademic or social-emotional supports and services that will be made available to students by the community partner and how those supports and services align to the needs of the students as identified in the student-level needs assessment required by RCW 28A.300.139; and
C. Identify the in-school supports that will be reinforced by the supports and services provided by the community partner to promote student progress towards meeting academic standards.

Coordination with Other Programs
The district may coordinate federal, state and local programs in order to serve the maximum number of students who are below grade level in basic skills. Students receiving assistance in another special needs program may also be served in the learning assistance program if they meet student eligibility and selection requirements.

Annual Report to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
The district will submit an annual report on September 30 to the OSPI detailing the following:

A. The amount of academic growth gained by students participating in the learning assistance program.
B. The number of students who gain at least one year of academic growth.
C. The specific practices, activities and programs used by each school building that received learning assistance funds.
D. The percentage of learning assistance program funding used to engage community partners, the number of students receiving direct supports and services from those community partners and the types of supports and services that are being provided; and
E. The number of students served by the learning assistance program during the school year who were able to exit the program because student academic growth resulted in meeting the academic standard for grade level.