Legislative Priorities

2025 Legislative Priorities

Each year, the Lake Washington School District Board of Directors approves its legislative priorities.

WATCH: Board Legislative Priorities Presentation

Urgent Priorities

Our urgent priorities focus on major needs in basic education. Acting on them would impact every district, helping provide equitable learning opportunities statewide. Education organizations representing schools and parents across Washington are in agreement and will all be advocating for these shared priorities in the 2025 legislative session.

Fully fund special education programs and staffing to align with inclusionary practices

The inclusion of students with varying, and at times, complex learning needs in their neighborhood schools is a key element of a world-class education. LWSD schools, staff, students and families are working to create inclusive schools and classrooms for all students.
Special education is a state and federal requirement and a basic education service—which means it should be fully state-funded—but actual costs to serve students far exceed the amount of money that is provided.
LWSD spends over $84.2 million (14%) of district budget on special education students. State and federal dollars only cover a portion of these costs leaving a $22 million shortfall.

Update the transportation funding formula to provide clarity and predictability for districts

The state does not keep up with increasing costs. The transportation funding formula, known as STARS, uses a regression analysis to calculate costs.
- The formula is not predictable, nor easily understood, and it can’t be replicated.
- It is also inadequate, with gaps between actual costs and the money the state provides to transport students.
In 2023-24, the District applied for $2 million in specialized transportation safety net reimbursement and received only $385,000 of that request.

Adjust materials, supplies and operations (MSOC) funding to keep pace with cost escalation outside of districts’ control

The cost of supplies, materials, textbooks, insurance, utilities and technology are rising much faster than the funding school districts get from the state to pay for these essentials.
- Ex. Just like a homeowner or a business, local school districts must carry insurance. Since 2020, the cost of insurance for Washington's school districts has increased by nearly 60%. For LWSD, liability insurance has increased $5.5 million over the seven years and now represents 1% of the district’s annual budget.
State funding has not kept up. For 2024-25, the legislature provided an additional $28.58 per pupil resulting in approximately $860,000 additional revenue. The same year, insurance costs have increased to $915,000 while utilities have increased to $734,000. These increases do not account for additional materials, textbooks or technology costs.

Basic Education Funding in Washington

The state of Washington is supposed to provide enough funding for a uniform, K-12 education for all children within its borders. Costs and student needs have changed in recent years, and the state’s investment is not keeping up.

Learn more at: www.waschoolfunding.org

Statute Correction

Correct non-voted debt rules to be consistent with other capital funding rules

Correct non-voted debt rules to be consistent with other capital funding rules

When LWSD voters approve a capital levy, the district can sell Limited General Obligation (LGO) bonds in order to complete projects faster.
However, use of LGO bonds is limited to improvements and additions, excluding new construction.
Correcting the statute to allow all voter approved projects to be funded with LGO bonds would:
- Create consistency across funding types
- Allow districts to front-fund capital levy projects more quickly
- Help keep construction costs down and save taxpayer money
- NO COST to the state

SAMPLE STATUTE LANGUAGE

Update RCW 28A.530.080 as follows:

(1) In addition to the authority granted under RCW 28A.530.010, a school district may contract indebtedness for any purpose specified in RCW 28A.530.010 (2), (3), (4), and (5) or for the purpose of purchasing any real or personal property, or property rights, in connection with the exercise of any powers or duties which it is now or hereafter authorized to exercise, and issue bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness therefor without a vote of the qualified electors of the district, subject to the limitations on indebtedness set forth in RCW 39.36.020(3).

Ongoing Priorities

Prioritize Evidence-Based Literacy

Sustainable Transportation and Construction

Expand incentives for districts to accelerate transition of transportation systems and infrastructure to zero-emissions vehicles
- Lake Washington has a fleet of over 130 yellow buses that drive over 1 million miles each year.
- Costs of purchasing electric buses and infrastructure significantly exceeds state depreciation reimbursements. The cost of a single electric bus is almost three times the cost of a diesel bus, and the accompanying charging station and infrastructure is an estimated $100,000 per charger. School districts cannot afford to transition without additional funding from the state.
- LWSD has been awarded Clean School Bus funding to replace four diesel buses, but the awards are insufficient to cover the entire cost of the buses and necessary infrastructure.
Incentivize funding for sustainable design and construction of school buildings that ensure optimal health and productivity for students and staff.
- Funding should be prioritized for sustainable design and construction of school buildings.
- Costs to implement the legislative requirement for Clean Buildings Performance Standards in 2015 were not funded, an estimated $4 million expense for initial compliance.
- The district will be required to reprioritize its 2022 Technology and Capital Facility Levy funds in order to comply with these requirements. This will mean that other life-cycle projects may be delayed.

Digital Equity

Simple Majority for School Bonds

We need a constitutional amendment that authorizes simple majority for school bond passage.
Rapid growth and aging facilities across the state create significant demand for new school facilities with limited ability to raise capital.
In the last 5 years only 24.18% (22 of 91) bond attempts across the state met the 60% super majority requirement.
- Of the bonds that failed to meet 60%, 50 ballot measures reached simple majority and 26 of those had over 55% voter support.
LWSD has attempted five bond measures since 2010, but only one received the 60% approval needed to pass. The other four measures received a range of 52%-57% approval.
Simple majority for school bonds, would bring all school funding measures into alignment.

Enhance Staffing Allocations for Learning and Wellbeing

Continue to increase staffing allocations in the prototypical model to reflect the actual staff required for student learning and student social-emotional health without impacting local levy funds.
- Lake Washington School District hires over 160 certificated and classified staff that the state does not provide for.
Increase funding for necessary substitutes to reflect the actual cost.
- LWSD spends $7 million on substitutes and substitute-related costs each year. The state only funds $900,000 or 13.2% of those costs, leaving a gap of $6.1 million.
- The state formula funds four days for certificated substitutes at $152.86 per day, yet district cost is $222 per day. The formula does not provide any funding for classified substitutes like paraeducators.

No Unfunded Mandates

2025 Legislative Priority Document

First page of the PDF file: LWSD2025LegislativePriorities

Budget planning

Contact Us

Caitlin Cox
Government Relations Liaison
425-936-1432