Do you have friends outside of Seattle who care about funding for public education? Please share the following information and actions they can take to support their schools.
Background:
The budget for 2017-18 school year is upon us and we don’t have the money to pay for the status quo because local levy dollars expire this year. We’re hit hard here in Seattle – but our legislators are already supportive. School districts throughout Washington state face MILLIONS of dollars in cuts next year if we don’t immediately pass SHB 1059 to let them use levies for one more year. The legislature is working on a comprehensive package to fund education in 2018 and beyond, but it won’t happen in time to avoid layoffs for next year! SHB 1059 has already passed in the house with bipartisan support, but is stuck in the Senate Ways and Means committee. We must usher this bill through to protect our kids education for Next Year. Budgets are due now, and schools are scrambling to make up the difference. Please send the information below to your friends and family that may be impacted. Tell them we need SHB 1059 passed NOW – to fund education for next year!
- Auburn $10M Kent $20M Renton $11M loss – Joe Fain:888-786-0598 or Joe.fain@leg.wa.gov
- Highline $14.6M Federal Way $12M Sumner $4.5M – Mark Miloscia: 360-786-7658 Mark.Miloscia@leg.wa.gov
- Lake Washington $8.7M loss, Riverview $2M loss – Dino Rossi: 360-786-7672 Dino.Rossi@leg.wa.gov
- Puyallup $12.6M loss Fife $1.2M loss – Hans Zeiger: 360-786-7648 Hans.Zeiger@leg.wa.gov
- Bethel $11.5M loss Puyallup $12.6M loss Yelm$1.3M – Randi Becker 360-786-7602 Randi.Becker@leg.wa.gov
- Battle Ground $5.8M loss Vancouver $1.2M loss – Ann Rivers 360-786-7634 ann.rivers@leg.wa.gov
- Arlington $3.5M loss Burlington-Edison $2.5M loss – Barbara Bailey 360-786-7618 barbara.bailey@leg.wa.gov
- Pasco $4M loss Walla Walla $1M loss – Maureen Walsh 360 786-7630 maureen.walsh@leg.wa.gov
Want to spread the word and build support for strong school funding?
Please post the data above on your Facebook page and share with your friends and family. Seattle is set to finalize their budget for next year in March – if we don’t have a funding mechanism in place, we will lose librarians, nurses, specialists, teachers, and assistant principals. The broader education funding debate is underway – also on a deadline, also very important – and we’d like to work on that too. However, if SHB 1059 doesn’t pass by the end of March, independent of the bigger picture, we’re left with the broader debate solution on timing that will be too late (and super disruptive) for this next school year’s budgets… and contracts… and cuts.
If you’d like to continue with assisting our effort to fully fund education in Washington for all students, please email: angelacough@gmail.com
Time is of the essence. Thank you!