WEA agrees with much of Supt. Reykdal’s school funding proposal

Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal released a major school funding proposal Oct. 9.

Reykdal’s budget request is student centered and provides a step in the right direction to addressing unmet needs in our schools.

WEA agrees with many of his spending priorities, such as adding nurses and school counselors and providing support for students who need additional assistance or options to succeed in school.

With the significant needs within public schools and our communities, WEA urges Gov. Jay Inslee and the Legislature to consider using more of the resources from the capital gains tax proposed by Reykdal to add counselors and health services in every school.

WEA members also look forward to working with Reykdal, Inslee and Legislature to address the inequities that were created by the new school funding formulas the Legislature adopted. Reykdal proposes giving voters more flexibility to approve local levy funding to meet students’ needs.

The 2019 legislative session begins Jan. 14. The WEA Board of Directors will be adopting a new legislative agenda soon.