A Message from Superintendent Greg Baker

Dear families, students, staff and community,

As we prepare for a long weekend, I wanted to give you an update on our budget development for the 2025-26 school year.  I know that might seem a long way off, but with the difficult funding information I have been sharing this year, we are striving to keep you informed.

Over the past couple of months, a number of developments have occurred at the state level:

• In December, former Governor Jay Inslee presented his budget proposal for 2025-27. It did not include additional funding for PreK-12 education.
• Governor Bob Ferguson was sworn into office Wednesday and has started to share his budget priorities, though not yet a detailed budget. The only additional funding for PreK-12 education that he has articulated is for free or universal meals for all students in the state.
• Governor Ferguson has shared that while he’s asking other state agencies to cut funding, he’s not asking PreK-12 to make cuts. He is advocating the legislature increase the percentage of state funding that goes to education.
• Our school board and Whatcom County superintendents (see letters to the editor here and here) have written to our legislators sharing the imminent challenges and asking for support for our students.
• The state legislative session began this week.  State representatives and senators will consider legislation for the next three months.  At the end of April, they will then vote bills into law, which go to the governor.
• Our state superintendent just gave an update this morning on the state of schools and answered questions. You can watch the video  (it’s just under an hour).  I encourage you to at least watch the first 24 minutes and then his closing statement (at about the 35-minute mark), where he discusses school finance.

I also encourage you to watch the budget update video I sent out in October if you haven’t already.

Over the next few months, we wait to see what steps our elected officials take regarding budget. Until then, we will continue to plan the best we can for next year.  Unless the legislature and governor make significant improvements to how schools are funded in our state, we will see challenging times ahead, including likely cuts to programs and staffing.  Washington state’s paramount duty is to provide ample education for all children (see article ix of the Washington State Constitution). The state Supreme Court with the McCleary decision reiterated that constitutional duty.

In closing, I hope you each have a restful extended weekend as we observe the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and recognize Treaty Day and the signing of the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott, which established sovereignty and fishing, hunting and gathering rights for local and regional tribal nations.

Thank you for all your support of our students and public education.

Greg Baker