From the Superintendent's Desk . . .
January 10, 2012
Good Afternoon,
Yesterday the State Legislature convened in Olympia for a sixty-day session during which decisions will be made concerning school funding for the 2012-13 school year. The projected state deficit for the coming year is approaching $1.5 billion, and it is likely that a portion of this deficit will again be addressed through cuts to funding for K-12 education (this despite the recent Supreme Court ruling). While we do not yet know the severity to which K-12 education will be impacted, there is a possibility that these reductions may cut deep into school district budgets.
Last month, Governor Gregoire unveiled her budget proposal which provides a starting point for the legislative process in Olympia. Her budget includes heavy cuts to K-12 education, which would compel every school district in the state to make budget reductions of a considerable degree. These cuts, combined with the substantial cuts in funding that schools have sustained in recent years, make it difficult to preserve current levels of educational programming for our students.
Obviously, these budget challenges have not been created here in our district. The origin of them is the steady erosion of state funding in recent years that has had a cumulative effect on school budgets with each passing year as additional cuts are passed on to schools by the State Legislature. These sizable cuts in state funding, combined with escalating costs for day to day operations of the school district such as utilities, supplies and materials, contractual obligations, and ever-increasing numbers of unfunded mandates, will challenge our capacity to sustain program for our students and maintain the fiscal stability of our school district.
Finalization of the state’s budget will involve an extensive legislative process in Olympia over the next two months. Will the Supreme Court ruling announced last week influence the legislative process during the upcoming session? Only time will tell.
As the legislative process unfolds during the next 60 days, we intend to closely monitor activities in Olympia to assist us in planning for next year’s budget. The School Board, parent groups, and professional association representatives will be providing input to legislators and the legislative process---strongly urging that education be made a priority and reminding them of their Constitutional obligation to fully fund education, which was reinforced by the Supreme Court just last week.
In the coming weeks and months, we will endeavor to keep you informed as the legislative process evolves and more information comes available. As has been the case in years previous, our school district, along with others throughout the state, may once again face circumstances that will require significant reductions in spending. While budget challenges of this scope are extremely unpleasant and increasingly difficult to resolve, we must remember that our primary purpose is to serve our students to the very best of our ability each and every day.
Thank you for keeping the kids first, as we work through these challenging times.
Best Regards,
Joel
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