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Legislative Priorities

BISD's Four Wishes

 

A graphic with the text 'BISD's four WISHES' in blue and gold, with four dandelions and seeds blowing in the wind.

It is the paramount duty of Washington state to fully fund basic education for K-12 students. State resources, however, fall drastically short of the actual cost of educating our students. These four items would substantially enhance school funding, allowing Bainbridge Island School District to better meet student needs. BISD urges the 2025 Legislature to make these wishes a reality.

WISH 1: FULLY FUND SPECIAL EDUCATION

Special education services are imperative for our most vulnerable students — not to mention state and federal laws mandate that public schools provide special education services. However, despite acknowledging its utmost importance, the state and federal governments do not provide enough funding for Washington school districts. Instead, the state places a cap on the percentage of students in a district covered by state and federal special education funding. This cap means that some districts with a high percentage of students who qualify for special education have to use local levy funds —which are supposed to fund “enrichment” — to cover the extra expense.

BISD’s wish is to fund special education based on the needs of students, not an arbitrary percentage. In 2023-24, BISD was underfunded for special education by $1.87 million.

WISH 2: INCREASE ALLOCATIONS FOR MATERIALS, SUPPLIES & OPERATIONS

Just like household expenses have skyrocketed, so have school district expenses for materials, supplies & operating costs (MSOC). From utility costs to insurance rates to curriculum supplies, everything is more expensive than it was a few years ago. Yet, the rate given to BISD to cover these expenses has not increased at the same speed. BISD’s wish is for the state to adjust MSOC allocations for inflation. In 2023-24, BISD was underfunded for MSOC by $1.67 million.

WISH 3: PROVIDE MORE TRANSPORTATION FUNDING 

BISD is located in a rural area with windy roads, many hills and few sidewalks. Safely transporting students to and from school is a priority. Did you know BISD drives almost 2,000 miles daily to complete its AM/PM routes? The expense of covering the routes adds up! BISD’s wish is for the state to provide more transportation funding. In 2023-24, BISD was underfunded for transportation by $487,000.

WISH 4: ALLOW SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO COLLECT ADDITIONAL LOCAL LEVEY FUNDING 

The state imposes a levy cap on districts with higher property values (like those on Bainbridge Island). Instead of collecting a rate per thousand dollars of assessed value, BISD collects its Enrichment & Operations Levy based on student enrollment. This limits the amount of funding we can collect compared to other districts and makes budgeting challenging because enrollment is constantly in motion.

BISD’s wish is that the state increases the amount BISD can collect from the local community. Doing so would allow BISD to collect an additional $350,000 in 2025 and an additional $700,000 in 2026.

SCHOOL FUNDING @ BISD

GENERAL FUND

The general fund pays for everything associated with operating schools such as staff salaries, curriculum and materials, activities & athletics, food service & transportation. Across Washington state, similar primary sources provide funding for general funds; however, the percentages obtained by the sources fluctuate district by district. (For example, BISD receives very little Federal funding.)

In 2024-25, revenue for BISD’s general fund was just over $67.7 million and came from the following sources:

A pie chart showing the breakdown of BISD revenue for the 2024-25 school year, with state funding making up the largest portion at 73%.

CAPITAL FUNDS

Capital funds pay for big-ticket items such as new construction and building renovations, major repairs (such as new HVAC systems) and technology equipment & software.

Money for districts’ capital funds is provided by local bonds and capital levies. The state does not provide funding for the maintenance and/or rebuilding of school facilities. The state also does not provide dedicated technology funding. It is up to local communities to provide the funding for these essential items.

 

A BONUS WISH

LOCAL TAXPAYER SUPPORT

BISD is fortunate to be part of a community that values public education. Historically, Bainbridge Island voters have approved school levies and bonds above the state’s required thresholds. However, not all school districts are as fortunate, making them unable to provide adequate facilities. A bonus wish is that the state lowers the required threshold for bond measures from a supermajority (requiring a 60% passage rate) to a simple majority (requiring a 50% +1 passage rate).

Two pie charts show the voter approval required to pass levies (50% + 1) and bonds (60%).