A Message from Superintendent Greg Baker
Dear students, staff, families and community,
Budget planning is underway for the 2024-25 school year, and we have been working with the assumption that next school year is in many ways a “hold steady” year. Based on what we know of the legislature’s efforts in its session that just ended, that assumption continues to be true.
We are hopeful the state will dedicate more funding to PreK-12 education in coming years, but it does not seem school districts will be receiving significant new funding for 2024-25.
What does “hold steady” mean?
Lawmakers have made some small investments in paraeducator staffing, materials and supplies, transportation and Special Education, but again, not at the rate to maintain or enhance education in our state or district. The funding helps but it isn’t enough to solve budget challenges. The state has also determined staff should receive a cost-of-living increase which is warranted, but unfortunately, the state does not give us funding to fully support that directive.
The legislature is again decreasing dollars to a number of districts, including ours, for “regionalization” to support districts with higher cost of living. They did not update the list of districts that qualify for additional funding who have more experienced staff. Both these decisions meant fewer dollars allocated to our district.
Thanks to those of you who offered feedback and questions about our budget planning. Some asked whether the reductions made last year will be restored or rolled back, and the answer is no – at least not right now.
Many school districts across our state are facing budget cuts similar to what we experienced last spring as we planned our budget for this current school year. I remain optimistic that the mounting pressure on our state legislators may be a good thing for the future, though I wish it didn’t mean painful cutbacks at other districts in the meantime. Additionally, our district, and many others across the state, are projected to see declining enrollment for the next few years due to lower birthrates, which also translates to lower funding from the state.
Some good news
On a more positive note, we aren’t planning to make significant cuts for 2024-25. Our four-year levies passed, which make up almost 25% of our budget, and we are so grateful to our supportive community. We also continue to use grant funding when and where we can to invest in important programs and staff. For example, we just secured a $300,000 grant to develop a school-based student health center, which would be located at Options High School. And our bonds, which can only be used to fund construction, will continue to support the improvement of our facilities.
I want to acknowledge the incredible work happening in our schools on behalf of kids every day. Please reach out if you have any questions or comments about our budget planning.
Greg Baker
Send reply to: greg.baker@bellinghamschools.org