The bill creates a new state grant program by adding a section to chapter 28A.175 RCW that establishes a "ninth grade success grant program" administered by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), subject to amounts appropriated. Grants are to begin being awarded in the 2025-26 school year to eligible public schools as defined in RCW 28A.150.010. The program funds creation of ninth grade success teams to identify and support incoming high school students at risk of not graduating. OSPI may adopt rules for the program and may contract with qualified nonprofit organizations experienced in coaching school success teams to provide individualized coaching. Grant-award priorities are schools with low ninth grade on-track scores (as identified through the Washington school improvement framework) and schools with graduation rates below the statewide average; OSPI must attempt geographic distribution. Authorized uses of grant funds include additional compensation or stipends for team members, professional development and training, hiring substitute teachers when team members perform program duties or training, and providing student supports. OSPI must report to the governor and the legislative education committees by June 30, 2026, and annually through 2030, with specified elements: number and location of grants, student demographics disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender and certain student groups, comparisons of each recipient school's ninth grade on-track scores before and after implementation, longitudinal graduation rates if available, and recommendations for statutory or resource changes and scalability. The bill does not specify appropriation amounts, application or selection procedures, grant duration or award amounts, criteria defining "qualified nonprofit," definitions of "ninth grade on-track scores" or details of the Washington school improvement framework, nor how longitudinal graduation data must be collected if unavailable.

If enacted, the bill would create a state-administered grant program starting in the 2025–26 school year that can provide funds to support ninth grade teams at public schools identified as struggling with ninth grade on‑track and graduation outcomes. In practice, selected schools could get money to pay stipends, cover professional development and substitute time while staff do program work, and provide direct student supports, while OSPI could hire nonprofit coaches to help schools implement the teams. The program only operates if the Legislature provides money, and OSPI must report annually through 2030 with school-by-school and student subgroup results and comparisons of on‑track scores and graduation outcomes. The groups most affected are OSPI (which must run the program, possibly contract nonprofits, and produce recurring, detailed reports), eligible public schools with low ninth‑grade or graduation metrics (which may gain new funding for staff time, training, substitutes, and student supports), and nonprofits experienced in school coaching (potential contractors). Because the bill does not set any appropriation amount, application rules, award size or duration, or define contractor qualifications, school districts and OSPI will face uncertainty about how much funding will be available, how many schools will be served, and how to plan staffing, budgets, and data collection to meet the reporting requirements.