Legislative decisions impact our everyday lives, from the classroom to the boardroom. By working together, the school districts across Capital Region ESD 113 have a stronger voice to influence those decisions. As the old saying goes, "If you're not at the table, you're on the menu."

Each year, we work with our districts to determine legislative priorities and develop messaging. We design materials to support the priorities and make them available for districts to use and share to tell their own story at a local level.

Impact of SEBB-2022 pdf version

ESD113 Legislative Priorities pdf version

2022 Legislative Priorities

Special Education

The Legislature has recently taken incremental steps to improve the state's special education funding gap by increasing support for safety net awards, transition services, professional development, and family liaisons.

RECOMMENDATION: Continue to increase funding to reach the actual cost of special education services currently borne at the local level.

Staff Funding Rations

We expect more from our schools than ever before. The way we staff schools needs to reflect an increased demand for student mental, social, emotional, and behavioral health, as well as safety.

RECOMMENDATION: Phase in updated staffing ratios to achieve more realistic state-funded staffing levels for counselors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, family engagement coordinators, and safety staff.

Capital Facilities

School district bonds require a super-majority vote to pass. And when they do pass, actual construction costs often exceed what schools can propose in their initiatives.

RECOMMENDATION: Allow citizens to approve bonds with a simple majority and update the funding formulas for the Construction Cost Allowance and Student Space Allocation to reflect actual construction costs and educational space needs.

Principal Support

The role of principal is increasingly demanding. Principals need adequate compensation and on-the-job support.

RECOMMENDATION: Update the administrator salary allocation and prepare and support new administrators by increasing funding for administrative internship and mentorship programs.

Phillips Burgess Government Relations, LLC
360-742-3500
724 Columbia St NW, Suite 320
Olympia, WA 98501