Legislative Priorities

Student-centered budget & policy recommendations

Our 2025 legislative priorities focus on ensuring all students have equitable access to continuous learning opportunities, quality programs, and future success.

The 2025 Legislature must:

Fully Fund Special Education Services: Special education services are essential to supporting our most vulnerable students, yet state funding consistently falls short. By removing the enrollment cap and increasing the tiered multiplier, districts can ensure students receive the services they need without shifting the financial burden to local communities.

Address MSOC Underfunding: Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs (MSOCs) are significantly underfunded, with costs rising sharply—liability insurance alone has increased by over 100% in the last five years, and utilities by over 40%. Without adequate funding, districts must use levy dollars intended for other needs to cover these basic costs. Proper funding will allow schools to direct resources where they’re most needed: in the classroom.

Fix Student Transportation Funding: Access to education starts with transportation, but the current funding formula for school transportation underestimates actual costs, forcing districts to fill the gap with local funds. Updating the Student Transportation Allocation Reporting System (STARS) to reflect real costs will ensure all students have reliable transportation to and from school, supporting equity and attendance.

Strengthen Staff Support: Effective education depends on having qualified staff, but current state-funded staffing levels and salary allocations don’t reflect the actual costs of employing the teachers and support staff necessary to serve our students. Updating the prototypical school funding formula will ensure districts can recruit and retain high-quality educators and support staff, directly benefiting student outcomes.

Expand Early Learning Support: High-quality early learning programs are crucial to prepare students for success in school and close achievement gaps by the 3rd grade. Increased state investment, potentially through a cost-sharing model that underwrites 25–50% of the cost of preschool, will ensure more children enter kindergarten ready to thrive and will reduce the long-term need for intervention.