CORRESPONDENCE

WSSDA Request for Resolution

From: "Adams, Jonelle (WSSDA)" <J.Adams@wssda.org>
Date: February 22, 2013, 2:38:12 PM PST
To: Jeremy Stuart
Subject: Resolution Urging the Washington State Legislature to Address K-12 Funding

Dear Board of Directors President/District Legislative Representative:

As you know, the Legislature will develop an operating budget for 2013-15. This should include a significant investment in K-12 education funding to respond to the Supreme Court’s decision last year. That decision ruled the state was violating its constitutional obligation to fund public education.

In conversations with legislators, it is clear that some do not feel any pressure to put more funding into the system. Many of you will have heard the mantra of “no new funding without additional educational reforms.”

Immediately following the March 20 revenue forecast, the Senate Majority Coalition will release its budget proposal. The House Democrats are expected to follow shortly after. Republicans have signaled they will offer a counterproposal in the House. In addition, Gov. Jay Inslee has indicated he will offer some priorities, but not a budget proposal.

The current range of additional K-12 money being discussed for this biennium is $450 million (Senate Majority) to $1.4 billion (House and Senate Democrats).

WSSDA has developed a model resolution which we hope your Board of Directors will adopt prior to the March 10-11 Legislative Conference. The resolution is posted on the WSSDA website under WSSDA News and through this direct link.
Our goal is to have a resolution from all 295 school districts. This would bring pressure on the Legislature to follow the Court’s decision and to implement laws it enacted in 2009 and 2010. It would be helpful to have each board and its superintendent bring the resolution to the March 11 meetings with legislators.  If you won’t have a representative in Olympia for Legislative Conference, the resolution could be sent to your legislators.  

This is the time and this is the year to make our voices heard in Olympia. Let policy makers know that school directors and districts across the state expect the 2013-15 biennial budget to contain significant new funding to implement the prototypical schools funding models and state’s redefined program of basic education.

Please contact our government relations director, Marie Sullivan, when your board has adopted this resolution. This will help us track action statewide and support this effort.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Best wishes,

Dr. Jonelle Adams
Executive Director
Washington State School Directors’ Association
P – 360-252-3001
j.adams@wssda.org