School District passes resolution to ask Legislature to support small schools

CALL TO RESOLVE LEVY LID CRISIS

— from Orcas Island School District —

OISD Resolution 2020-01

Calling on Washington State House and Senate to Support Small Schools by Approving a Levy Lid that Allows Necessary Levels of Local Support

WHEREAS, Washington State inadequately funds basic education for small school schools including school nurses, basic utilities like electricity and phone, maintenance and custodial, and support for students with special needs; and,

WHEREAS, Orcas Island School District is distinguished by its OASIS and Montessori Schools, blended classrooms, educational opportunities in nature, guitar and boat building classes, culinary and garden program, music program, and drama; and recognizing that programs such as these are critical components of education for the young families in our intergenerational community; and,

WHEREAS, Orcas Island School District is a small district with an enrollment of 820 students K-12; and,

WHEREAS, there are real economies of scale in education that make educating students in small school districts more expensive and with larger year-by-year variations making management on a per-pupil basis more challenging than in large districts with tens of thousands of students; and,

WHEREAS, Orcas Island School District is the largest employer on the island and a key center of the community; and,

WHEREAS, Orcas Island voters approved by an overwhelming majority of votes (72%), the February 2016 enrichment levy which maintained funding at historic levels of $0.78 per $1000 of assessed value, equivalent to over $2,845 per enrolled student; and,

WHEREAS, the legislature’s imposition of a levy lid of $2,500 per student will lead to a shortfall of over $235,000 per year for Orcas Island School District; and,

WHEREAS, at current rates of expenditure and revenues, Orcas Island School District reserves will drop to 13.1% in the current fiscal year, and are projected to be reduced to 3.61% by 2022-2023 putting our K-12 program at risk; and,

WHEREAS, whereas 50% of all communities in Washington state are served by schools with enrollments of less than 1,000 and therefore suffer from similar funding crises.

LET IT THEREFORE BE RESOLVED THAT, the Orcas Island School Board calls on the Washington State House of Representatives and Senate to quickly arrive at a legislative solution that allows small schools like Orcas Island School District to collect the local voter-approved enrichment funding necessary for such districts to meet their unique small-school needs and remain in service to their students, families, and communities.

ADOPTED by the Board of Directors of the Orcas Island School District No. 137, at a Special Meeting thereof held on Thursday, the 23rd day of January 2020.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS ATTEST:

John Fleming, Member

Ayn Carrillo-Gailey, Member

Linda Sheridan, Member

Diane Boerstler, Member

Greg White, Member