WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

E-newsletter: Urgent Action Needed on School Funding

Urgent action needed on school funding!

The House of Representatives voted yesterday on its first bill of the 2017 Legislative session – HB 1059. You may have heard this referred to as the “Levy Cliff” bill. In short, public schools will lose roughly $358 million in funding for the 2017-18 school year unless lawmakers act soon.

In our community, the Lake Washington School District stands to lose $4.3 million, Northshore School District has more than $580,000 at risk and the Riverview School District could lose $1.5 million.

Click here for a more detailed explanation of the levy cliff bill.

It’s time for the Legislature to step up and fully fund education!

Although HB 1059 passed the House with bipartisan support, early indicators suggest that the Senate will not bring the bill up for a vote. If that’s the case, teachers will receive layoff notices in the coming weeks and crowded classrooms will become even larger.

Students deserve stability in their schools. Passing this bill makes sure that school districts aren’t held hostage while the Legislature finds long-term solutions to the school funding problem.

I will urge my Senate colleagues to bring the Levy Cliff bill up for a vote. I encourage you to make your voice heard if you believe lawmakers should prevent the disruption of education for Washington’s 1.1 million kids, and to honor their promises to fully fund our public schools.

All best wishes,

Roger Goodman
Representative, 45th District
Washington State Legislature