Calls to Action You Can Take Now to Support Your Local Schools!
Support San Juan County Schools and join us in raising our voices for education in the upcoming 2025 Washington State Legislative Session.
Background
In 2018 in response to a lawsuit filed against the state, the Washington State Legislature was ordered to fully fund “basic education.” Known as the “McCleary Decision” this mandate changed the formula used to determine state funding for school districts into a one size fits all model. Those changes were detrimental to San Juan County Island Schools.
Your Support
The percentage of our state budget dedicated to funding K-12 education has gone from 52.4% in 2019 to 43.1% in 2024. We are asking for your support and advocacy on three key factors: Increase all San Juan County Schools regionalization rate to 18%, lift the special education funding lid, and increase funding for materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC).
4 Districts, 6 Unions, 3 PTA’s, and County Leadership all agree
Fully Fund Schools NOW!
Increase Our Regionalization Rate from 12% to 18%
The amount of money a district receives for teachers differs greatly based on where you live in the state. Every district has been assigned a regionalization rate based on housing values in their area. Despite posting the second highest median home values in the state, San Juan County School’s funding regionalization is set at just 12%, well below the 18% of other high cost of living districts.
Costs like insurance, utilities, and maintenance-most of which districts have no control over, have risen dramatically in the past five years without a corresponding increase in funding.
Increase Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs (MSOC)
Fully Fund Special Education
Funding for supplemental services to support our highest need students is arbitrarily capped by the state at 16% of district enrollment. This cap means our districts use local levy funds-which are meant to fund “enrichment” to cover the extra expense. Underfunding by the state of MSOC and Special Education has cost our island districts almost $17 million over the past five years.
What Can You Do?
Write, email, and call state legislators. Share our one pager and plan a post card writing party! Together we can make a change!
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Senator Lisa Wellman
Chair Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee
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Senator John Braun
Senate Minority Leader
Send a Postcard
We are asking caring citizens to call, email, and send a postcard to Senator Wellman, Senator Jamie Pederson, and John Braun to request an appeal to the current San Juan County schools regionalization rate. Postcards can be picked up in all schools and district offices. Host a post card writing party!
Sample postcard messaging for teacher:
Dear ____________,
I love my job and my students. I am deeply concerned about how I will continue to live viably on an island with an average housing cost of $930K. Please take water and ferries into account and change our current regionalization rate from 12% to 18%.
Sample postcard messaging for parents & citizens:
Dear ____________,
I live on [insert island here] and support our school district. As our housing costs rise, I am deeply concerned about how our district will continue to fund itself and recruit and retain teachers. Please take water and ferries into account and change our current regionalization rate from 12% to 18%.
What’s at the core of the problem?
Learn better by watching videos? This video does a great job of outlining the issues simply, helping highlight some of the issues our San Juan Islands schools experience as remote and rural or small districts.