Private Career School Regulations (WAC 490-105)

New rules have been adopted. Here is a complete and updated version of the private career school regulations.

Here is the history on the 2007/2008 rule revisions

Board action on recommended rule changes

Private Career School Bulletin
Number: 04-07
December 4, 2007

Notice of Public Hearing

The Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (WTECB) will conduct a second public hearing to obtain feedback on proposed revisions to the private vocational school regulations. The draft of the revisions, WAC 490-105 below, is different than the one we published and received comments on in October. It incorporates some of the suggestions we received from licensed schools, former students, and members of our Board during that comment period.

Hearing Date: Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Time: From 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm

Location: Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board
128 - 10th Avenue SW, 6th Floor
Olympia WA 98502

Proposed Revisions

The 2007 Legislature passed a new law, SB 5402, strengthening the Private Vocational School Act. The Workforce Board drafted revisions to its administrative rules (WAC 490-105) to support the new law. What follows is a summary of the substantive changes to those rules. Click here to download the complete text of the WAC.

Part of the WAC revision process calls for public comment. Please submit your comments to Peggy Rudolph at prudolph@wtb.wa.gov . You will also have an opportunity to comment during a public hearing on the proposed new rules. The hearing will be held on January 8, 2008 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, 128 - 10th Avenue SW, 6th Floor, Olympia WA 98502.

The proposed WAC revisions:

I. Define specific standards schools must meet in order to demonstrate financial responsibility, e.g. current assets to current liabilities ratio of at least 1:1; a positive net worth for the school's most recently completed fiscal year; and no operating losses for the past two years.

II. Require accredited schools to submit an audited financial statement with their annual license renewal application (non-accredited schools will continue to submit a financial statement on the form currently being used.)

III. Require all instructors to have at least two years of work experience, postsecondary education, or a combination of the two, in the subject they teach.

IV. Allow the Workforce Board to designate a school at-risk if it fails to meet standards of financial responsibility, generates a number of substantiated student complaints, experiences a precipitous drop in enrollment and/or experiences significant staff turnover.

V. Allow the Workforce Board to place at-risk schools on probation and require them to correct deficiencies within a specified time.

(a) While on probation, the school will be required to submit student directory information on a monthly basis.

(b) If the school is not able to correct identified deficiencies in the specified time, its license will be suspended or revoked.

(c) Schools that have had their licenses suspended or revoked may be identified on the agency's website.

VI. Require schools to ensure students for whom English is a second language have adequate English proficiency to complete training and obtain employment in the field for which they trained.