42nd District candidates address struggling local school budgets

Candidates for Washington’s 42nd District of the state Legislature had an opportunity to share their visions for public education funding at a town hall hosted by Fund Schools Now on Oct. 14 at Horizon Middle School in Ferndale. 

The candidates present included Michael Shepard (favors Democratic Party) and Erika Creydt (favors Republican Party), both running for state Senate; Misty Flowers (favors Republican Party) and Rep. Alicia Rule (favors Democratic Party), both running for state representative position one; and Rep. Joe Timmons (favors Democratic Party) and Justin Pike (favors Republican Party), both running for state representative position two. 

Ferndale School District Superintendent Kristi Dominguez opened the town hall and invited students from Blaine High School, Ferndale High School and Mount Baker Senior High School to share how their education has been impacted by funding shortfalls. Among the complaints were dated and inadequate supplies, a lack of funding for school trips, program reductions and teacher and other support staff layoffs. 

Audience members submitted questions beforehand, and candidates were given one minute to answer each. 

Funding gaps, underfunded mandates and making public education a priority

The state’s public education funding comes from formulas determined by the state Legislature, and is then distributed through the state’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. 

For years, districts across the state have struggled with actual operating costs exceeding the amount provided from OSPI. According to Fund Schools Now, the Blaine School District has been underfunded by $22 million since 2021. 

Additionally, more than 100 unfunded or underfunded state mandates have been passed since 2017. 

When asked how they would address the funding gaps despite the state’s budget challenges and ensure that schools have the financial resources to implement mandates, candidates discussed reevaluating current funding models and emphasized that public education is the state’s paramount constitutional duty. 

“I’m just going to be honest with you, we’re going to need all of us here to advocate,” Shepard said. “We need more than just people here telling the folks who are making decisions in Olympia that we want better results, and we want more resources for our schools.” 

Rule, who serves as a member of the state’s House Education Committee, said she is particularly concerned about special education funding and in her time as representative has consistently advocated for more public education funding — something she plans to continue if reelected. 

Creydt said she believes that if state mandates are unfunded, then they should only be recommendations to avoid further financial strain on schools. 

“They’re either that important to tie money to it, or good recommendations,” Creydt said. 

Flowers echoed similar sentiments, saying that mandates are only valuable if they can be implemented, and that she’d want to hear directly from schools and superintendents what they feel are the highest priorities to fund. 

Pike said he felt the state is funding “too many groups doing the exact same thing,” and favored funding one program that would fully cover the cost of education. 

Improving access to student mental health resources

Another concern was how candidates planned to improve staffing and access to critically important student behavioral and health support services. 

Creydt and Rule, who both have backgrounds in mental health, said this is a critical issue and they’ve seen that when students have their basic behavioral and mental health needs met, their learning is considerably impacted. 

Other candidates agreed that schools have been asked to do more with less resources, leading educators and programs to be stretched thin, and discussed the need for communication between government, schools and the community to find solutions. 

Equitable support and revenue sources

Candidates were also asked how they would ensure that funding equitably supports students, regardless of a district’s property wealth, size or location — particularly for Beach Elementary School on Lummi Island and Point Roberts Primary School — and what role other new or existing revenue sources (such as the state’s Millionaires Tax) play in meeting funding requirements. 

“Whether you live in Blaine or Mount Baker or Bellingham or Bellevue, you should have access to a quality education,” Timmons said. 

Other candidates also agreed that students deserve the best from public education, and that policies need to be reworked to benefit all students. 

“It is not an equitable playing field with how our communities pass bonds right now to support schools,” Shepard said. “We need to continue to try and address equality as the key factor in how we deliver education.” 

In terms of other revenue sources, candidates differed on whether they supported the Millionaires Tax, but most felt that reworking other funding sources would be a better solution to guarantee that the money would go towards public education.