Board approves legislative and funding priorities

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Board approves legislative and funding priorities
OSD School Board

The Olympia School Board has unanimously approved a resolution outlining the district's legislative and funding priorities for the 2019 Legislative Session.

The resolution approved on January 22, 2019 states in part that the board is addressing a significant deficit in the Olympia School District that "is caused in great part by inequitable funding mechanisms (Regionalization, Levy) and unfunded mandates (Special Education, Health Care, K-3 class size) that have come out of the state Legislature." To rectify this matter, the board supports necessary legislative action at the state level as follows this session:

 

  • Equitable and Flexible Funding
    Restore Olympia School District’s former levy authority to 28%. Revise the regionalization model and allocate regionalization to Olympia School District.
  • Salary Allocation
    Fully fund the cost of basic education staffing, including full funding for the premium associated with a highly experienced and highly educated teacher workforce. By doing so, the state will fully fund the K-3 class size initiative in Olympia.
  • Special Education
    Fully fund Special Education Services so it is no longer necessary to subsidize services with levy funds.
  • Health Care
    Fully fund the new health care system to cover costs of more employees becoming eligible for full benefits.
  • Physical and Mental Well-Being of Students
    Increase the number of counselors, social workers, psychologists, security staff and nurses that are funded in the state’s basic education prototypical school model to meet the needs of students.

Visit the district budget webpage to read the full board resolution and see related links such as questions and answers about the 2019-20 budget outlook