Legislative Priorities

School districts shape their future through active participation in legislative decisions. By joining together, ESD 113 schools strengthen their impact on policies that affect students, staff, and communities.

Each year, we collaborate with districts in our government relations cooperative to establish clear priorities that reflect local needs. We develop compelling messages and materials that help districts tell their stories and advance student-centered solutions.

2025 Platform

Special Education

Washington school districts are legally required to provide services for all students with disabilities, yet current state funding falls severely short of actual costs. Despite recent increases, districts must still use local levy money to cover essential special education services. This gap continues to widen, placing an unfair burden on local communities. The Legislature must increase special education funding multipliers and eliminate the enrollment cap to ensure districts can properly serve their most vulnerable students without depleting local resources.

Pupil Transportation

The state’s current Student Transportation Allocation Reporting System (STARS) consistently fails to provide adequate and predictable funding for school transportation. Its late-year calculations and flawed efficiency ratings actually penalize well-run districts. This broken system leaves districts unable to accurately budget for essential transportation services that get students safely to and from school. A comprehensive overhaul of STARS is needed to create a transparent, reliable funding formula that truly covers actual transportation costs.

Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs

Running a school district requires substantial non-staffing expenses, yet state MSOC funding has fallen dramatically behind real costs. Insurance premiums have doubled, utilities have jumped 40%, and essential expenses like food and fuel continue to increase. These increasing costs are beyond district control, forcing schools to divert local levy dollars meant for educational programs to cover basic operating expenses. The Legislature must adjust MSOC rates to match today's actual costs, ensuring districts can maintain basic operations without depleting resources meant for student learning.