Bellingham School Board is asking the state to fix K-12 funding as the district anticipates significant budget shortfalls in 2025-26.
The board passed a resolution asking the Legislature to fully fund public education on Thursday, Dec. 12, citing the multi-million-dollar impact of the state’s failure to match inflation-related expenditure increases on the district. The board also intends to send a letter to local legislators, asking the state to address the “flawed” regionalization factor that has negatively impacted the district’s funding in recent years.
“These challenges are not simply numbers on a spreadsheet; they translate to staff who have dedicated their lives to public education and students who come to our schools everyday,” the school board wrote in a letter. “From declining youth mental health to increasing class sizes, we are concerned about the negative impacts on the youngest people in our community.”
Bellingham and districts across the state are asking the state to fully fund three main areas — special education; transportation; and materials, supplies and operating costs.
The school district is underfunded by $7 million for special education, $1.4 million for transportation and $7.3 million for supplies costs — $3 million of that for insurance and utilities costs, which have increased by more than 30% in the last three years, according to Bellingham’s legislative priorities document.
Bellingham has also been significantly impacted by the state’s “regionalization factor” and “experience factor,” put in place after the McCleary decision. The school board is asking for a reevaluation of these funding formulas.
Bellingham’s “regionalization factor,” which intends to provide retention pay for teachers and certificated staff in school districts with high costs of living, is lower than most surrounding districts, despite Bellingham having high housing prices. Bellingham’s factor sits at 6% this year, down from 12% a few years ago — an impact of $5.47 million.
The “experience factor” provides extra state funding to districts that have highly experienced and highly educated teachers. Right now, Bellingham doesn’t qualify for this extra funding, due to the state looking at data from 2017 and 2023. But board members argued in a letter that the state should recalculate this factor every year. If the state used 2024 data, the district would qualify and receive an additional $3.6 million next school year.
The district’s budget challenges are made worse by declining enrollment. Chief Financial Officer Kathryn Weilage said the decrease in Whatcom County’s birth rate correlates to the district’s enrollment decreases. Bellingham has roughly 10,623 full-time equivalents this year, down from 10,996 in 2022-23.
District spokesperson Dana Smith said if there are no major changes to state funding, there will be a “significant impact” on Bellingham’s budget next year. Weilage said it’s “too early to say” what cuts could look like, with the impact dependent the Legislature’s decision. In 2023, the district cut 80 certificated staff due to budget challenges.
Superintendent Greg Baker said at Thursday’s board meeting that the district is looking at ways to reduce costs and increase revenues, including looking for “attrition opportunities,” and incorporating advertising or sponsorship into athletics.
Bellingham School Board’s actions come as districts across the state are pushing local legislators to push for more funding to schools. At a town hall meeting last week, Skagit school district leaders told local legislators they’re being underfunded by millions.
However, the state has a budget crisis of its own: The state is facing a projected $10 to $12 billion budget shortfall.
Charlotte Alden is CDN’s general assignment/enterprise reporter; reach her at charlottealden@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 123.
