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Student-centered budget & policy recommendations

The 2023 North Thurston Public Schools legislative priorities share a common purpose: ensuring all students have equitable access to continuous learning opportunities, quality programming, and future success.

The 2023 Legislature must:

Commit to student success: Support the Basic Education Compensation Rebase. Starting in 2023, ensure adequate salary allocations through the regular review and rebasing of minimum salaries. 

Support student recovery from the pandemic: Ensure learning recovery, health, and safety for students and staff by advancing mental health supports; increasing access to free and nutritious meals; and funding highly qualified diverse staff to facilitate learning in safe and healthy buildings.   

Fully fund special education services: Remove the 13.5 percent cap on state special education funding and increase the special education tiered multiplier to fully cover the cost of special education services and sustain the state’s investment in inclusionary practices. 

Ensure safe, warm, and dry schools: Allow Washington’s voters the opportunity to approve school district bond issues with a simple majority. Update the funding formulas for Construction Cost Allowance and Student Space Allocation. 

Increase funding for early learning programs: With these programs established, language and math proficiency will increase by third grade. Consider a model to subsidize early education by underwriting 25 percent to 50 percent of the cost of quality care. Support a capital budget request of $6.2 million to plan for construction of a young child and family center in Thurston County. The facility will provide developmentally appropriate early learning activities for youth ages 3-5 and their families, as well as other important resources and services.