The Olympia School Board has unanimously approved a resolution outlining the district's legislative and funding priorities for the 2022 Legislative Session.
The resolution, approved by the board on January 13, 2022, states in part that the Olympia School District will face funding shortfalls in the 2022-23 school year and beyond. “The shortfalls are caused, in part, by long-term structural inequitable funding mechanisms (Regionalization, Staff Mix) and underfunded state or federal requirements (Special Education, Health Care, K-3 Class Size),” the resolution states.
It continues, “These shortfalls are exacerbated by enrollment declines due to the pandemic and non-reimbursable COVID related costs, such as contract tracing, substitute costs for staffing vacancies, and the purchase of health/safety protections (PPE).”
To address these financial realities, the school board supports necessary legislative action at the state level this Legislative session in the following areas:
● Provide funding to stabilize the revenue impacts of the pandemic.
● Provide funding to close the Opportunity Gap and for anti-racist training.
● Provide funding for Special Education.
● Provide state salary allocations for highly qualified staff.
● Provide funding for the physical and mental well-being of students.
● Provide funding for mandated staff health care.
● Provide equitable and flexible funding.
View the full board resolution