Media coverage about school district budgets across the state and the nation

State's higher-ed system to get $500M budget cut  Seattle Times 3/27/09

Budget cuts could leave school sports programs in a pinch  Seattle Times 2/14/09

North Thurston plans for public input on the budget The Olympian 2/3/09

School districts face budget ax Daily World 2/2/09

Opinion: Proposed revisions may help rejuvenate K-12 system Spokesman-Review 1/28/09

Castle Rock schools plan layoffs, cuts in programs Daily World 1/28/09

Longview, Kelso school officials hoping for the best as major cuts loom Daily World 1/28/09

Lawmakers offer two bills to change school finance Seattle Times 1/27/09

State aid to Maryland schools will fall by $69 million Baltimore Sun 1/27/09

Kelso schools face painful cuts Longview Daily News 1/27/09

Bill targets shorter school weeks in Washington Tri-City Herald 1/27/09

Parents, students, teachers rally to save Seattle schools Seattle Times 1/26/09

Valley legislators propose four-day school week Yakima Herald-Republic 1/26/09

Schools ask state to allow four-day weeks The Columbian 1/26/09

Levies pay for basic education in many districts The Columbian 1/26/09

South Kitsap looks to local levy to stay afloat in budget storm Kitsap Sun 1/24/09

Layoffs loom in Anacortes School District Skagit Valley Herald 1/23/09

Virginia superintendents protest cuts, mandates The Virginian-Pilot 1/22/09

Money for Oregon schools may be cut to balance state budget Seattle P-I 1/21/09

Grand Coulee Dam school board wrestles with cuts to come Grand Coulee Star 1/21/09

Aberdeen schools eye coming budget crunch Daily World 1/21/09

Blog covers Federal Way budget questions Federal Way Mirror 1/21/09

Opinion: Stop planning for prisons and start betting on schools Seattle Times 1/19/09

Education leaders focus on the future Seattle P-I 1/19/09

Federal stimulus package gives schools $142 billion - with strings USA Today 1/19/09

Federal Way schools fight for funding Federal Way Mirror 1/16/09

Parents rally to save beloved Buckley art school Tacoma News Tribune 1/16/09

Opinion: Paramount duty should be just that Seattle P-I 1/16/09

Twin Harbors educators descend on Olympia Daily World 1/15/09

Mount Vernon schools policy ties funding to student achievement Skagit Valley Herald 1/15/09

On top of school closures, layoffs proposed for Seattle schools Seattle P-I 1/15/09

Opinion: State schools need full funding Seattle P-I 1/14/09

Aberdeen schools shut down for Olympia rally Seattle P-I 1/14/09

Cash-strapped Woodland School District seeks savings The Columbian 1/14/09

Reduction in levy equalization debated Tri-City Herald 1/14/09

Longview School District cuts four positions Daily World 1/14/09

State budget cuts to hit Mukilteo schools Mukilteo/Edmonds Beacon 1/14/09

Opinion: Bad times the right times to invest in state's schools Seattle Times 1/13/09

Which Port Townsend elementary school will close? Peninsula Daily News 1/13/09

California governor proposed five fewer school days Los Angeles Times 1/9/09

Budget proposals foretell grim times for Virginia schools Washington Post 1/9/09

Teachers, students may suffer after legislators crunch numbers Everett Herald 12/6/08 

Gregoire looking at massive cuts Seattle Times 11/30/08

Budget cuts hit East Valley School District Spokesman-Review 11/29/08 

Schools feel pinch from economic woes Christian Science Monitor 11/24/08 

School districts caught in a squeeze USA Today 11/12/08 

North Kitsap district enlists public to help identify budget cuts Kitsap Sun 11/7/08 

Shoreline School District finances show progress Shoreline Enterprise 11/5/08 

Seattle School Board approves talks on school closures Seattle Times 10/30/08 

Legislators, school officials warily optimistic about funding Skagit Valley Herald 10/29/08 

Editorial: a strategy for closing schools in Seattle Seattle Times 10/29/08 

School officials to meet, urge legislators to support education Skagit Valley Herald 10/27/08 

Further closures of Seattle schools? Seattle Times 10/27/08 

Anacortes Schools see new round of cuts Skagit Valley Herald 10/25/08

Budget crunch: schools facing more cuts Skagit Valley Herald 10/23/08 

Seattle school closures on the table Seattle P-I 10/22/08 

Area districts' enrollment declining Everett Herald 10/20/08 

Schools seek funding fix The Columbian 10/12/08 

Low enrollment creates $450,000 budget problem Skagit Valley Herald 10/1/08 

School closures recommended by audit; could save $54 million The Seattle Times 10/1/08 

Task force answers questions about basic education funding Sammamish Reporter 9/23/08

Sedro-Woolley Schools looking at $500,000 in cuts Skagit Valley Herald 9/23/08 

Aberdeen High School may face cuts Aberdeen Daily World 9/17/08 

Lower enrollment a $600,000 blow to Wenatchee districts Wenatchee World 9/17/08 

Kelso joins school-funding lawsuit Longview Daily News 9/11/08 

Sedro-Woolley schools looking at tough cost cuts Skagit Valley Herald 9/6/08 

Tumwater passes schools budget The Olympian 8/29/08

Lynden School Board cuts funding for sports, other activities Bellingham Herald 8/28/08

North Kitsap School Board passes budget Kitsap Sun 8/28/08 

Burlington-Edison okays $37.1 million budget Skagit Valley Herald 8/26/08 

State, federal variables at play in Kelso schools budget Longview Daily News 8/26/08 

North Thurston Board passes 08-09 budget The Olympian 8/26/08 

Bethel revises plan to cut bus routes near schools Tacoma News Tribune 8/21/08 

Aberdeen School Board okays budget Aberdeen Daily World 8/20/08 

Yakima School Board approves budget Yakima Herald-Republic 8/19/08 

South Kitsap District to dip into reserves to balance budget Kitsap Sun 8/19/08 

Kelso schools forced to slash special education Longview Daily News 8/16/08 

Central Kitsap District minimizes budget cuts - this year Kitsap Sun 8/14/08 
 
Board near $36.5 million budget Aberdeen Daily World 8/13/08

Levy money, reserves help fill budget gap Wenatchee World 8/13/08 

Staff cuts help Bremerton District stay on budget Kitsap Sun 8/13/08 

Vancouver School Board sets budget, protests The Columbian 8/13/08 

Sedro-Woolley schools pass downsized budget Skagit Valley Herald 8/12/08 

Eastmont schools budget covers rising costs Wenatchee World 8/12/08 

Strapped Longview schools trip staff Longview Daily News 8/12/08 

Slimmed down Camas schools budget approved The Columbian 8/12/08 

$2 million deficit vexes Evergreen The Columbian 7/31/08 

Blaine schools budget includes cuts to staff Bellingham Herald 7/29/08

Kelso schools slash $900,000 from budget Longview Daily News 7/28/08

Meridian adopts balanced budget Bellingham Herald 7/22/08 

Students will pay more to play The Oympian 7/22/08 

Real crisis in education is lack of funding for basic services The Olympian 7/21/08 

Olympia school bus system faces cuts The Olympian 7/21/08 

Camas school workers upset over proposed budget cuts The Columbian 7/20/08 

Shoreline School District budget shows improvement Shoreline Enterprise 7/18/08 

Hoquiam passes  school spending plan Aberdeen Daily World 7/18/08

Sumner school cuts, fees due Tacoma News Tribune 7/18/08 

Tumwater district needs money for fuel, food The Olympian 7/11/08 

Darrington schools wrestle with drastic cuts Everett Herald 7/5/08 

Edmonds to close alternative school to save money Everett Herald 7/3/08 

Burlington-Edison could cut $800,000 from next year's budget Skagit Valley Herald 7/2/08 

Conway schools making budget cuts Skagit Valley Herald 7/2/08 

Weak economy forces schools to re-evaluate next year's budgets Tri-City Herald 6/29/08

Across the U.S., schools face budget crunch Christian Science Monitor 6/27/08 

New fees would double revenue The Olympian 6/27/08 

Budget cuts looming for Mount Vernon School Board Skagit Valley Herald 6/25/08 

Pasco district adopts budget; raises milk, meal prices Tri-City Herald 6/25/08 

Cuts' effects must be noted The Olympian 6/24/08 

Seattle Schools budget would use savings to fund raises, new hires Seattle Times 6/24/08 

State court may hear funding formula challenge this fall Kitsap Sun 6/22/08 

Task force studying state school funding Kitsap Sun 6/22/08 

Reforms needed in school funding Kitsap Sun 6/22/08 

Does state education funding shortchange our children? Kitsap Sun 6/21/08 

School districts facing a study in frustration Yakima Herald-Republic 6/21/08 

Bremerton to raise school lunch prices Kitsap Sun 6/21/08 

Kelso doing a good job navigating difficult budget year Longview Daily News 6/20/08 

South Kitsap budget cuts won't hurt too much - this year, anyway Kitsap Sun 6/19/08 

Kelso board makes second round of budget cuts Longview Daily News 6/18/08 

Middle school sports fees may increase in Olympia The Olympian 6/18/08 

Bremerton presents its budget remedies Kitsap Sun 6/17/08

School cuts, changes on the way in Franklin-Pierce School District Tacoma News Tribune 6/15/08

Constraints make it hard for superintendent to make positive changes Seattle P-I 6/15/08 

Full Funding Coalition presents proposal for basic education funding system WSSDA 6/12/08  

Education funding reforms should begin at the bottom Longview Daily News 6/12/08 

Budget cuts could hit Mt. Vernon school libraries Skagit Valley Herald 6/10/08 

Ideas for state education wouldn't come cheaply Seattle Times 6/10/08

Fuel costs dent area schools' bus budgets Seattle Times 6/7/08 

Olympia district parents speak out against music cuts The Olympian 6/6/08 

Education 2.0: We need a new model for K-12 funding Seattle Times 6/6/08 

Hoquiam School Board approves $720,000 in cuts The Daily World 6/5/08

Ferndale, Lynden students stage walkout over budget cuts Bellingham Herald 6/5/08 

Edmonds schools may face closures The Enterprise 6/4/08

Bremerton Schools: mandates, money go hand in hand Kitsap Sun 6/3/08 

Olympia school chief proposes budget cuts The Olympian 6/3/08

Painful Bethel School District cuts approved Tacoma News Tribune 6/2/08

School budget cuts will make all of us wince Skagit Valley Herald 5/31/08

Bainbridge plans to cut teachers to cover budget gap Kitsap Sun 5/30/08

North Central Washington schools tightening belts for next year Wenatchee World 5/30/08 

Lynden Public Schools face budget crisis Bellingham Herald 5/28/08 

State fails in its duty to fund schools The Columbian 5/25/08
 
Bethel faces tough budget cuts Tacoma News Tribune 5/25/08 

Sedro-Woolley School District tightens belt on funds Skagit Valley Herald 5/24/08

Layoff notices sent to teachers in Edmonds School District The Enterprise 5/23/08 

Public gets a grim peek at North Kitsap schools' budget picture Kitsap Sun 5/22/08 

Unfunded state mandates a backbreaker for schools Bellingham Herald 5/18/08 

State still neglects schools Whidbey News Times 5/17/08 

Cle Elum-Roslyn to cut 4.5 positions The Ellensburg Daily Record 5/15/08 

Fuel prices draining school budgets The Longview Daily News 5/15/08

Mount Baker schools prepare for cutbacks Bellingham Herald 5/15/08 

District cuts 22 jobs Whidbey News Times 5/14/08 

Vancouver joins 14 districts suing state over funding for basic education The Columbian 5/13/08 

School districts scramble to make good on pay raises The Columbian 5/11/08 

Central Valley School District to lose 19 teaching spots Spokesman-Review 5/10/08 

Tacoma discusses $6.6 million budget reduction Tacoma News Tribune 5/10/08 

School districts brace for financial hardships Skagit Valley Herald 5/9/08

Three Whatcom County school boards okay staff, program cuts Bellingham Herald 5/9/08

South Kitsap School District joins those with budget woes Kitsap Sun 5/9/08  

Area school districts take the state to court KOMO-TV 5/8/08 

Teacher raises put pressure on Bethel District Tacoma News Tribune 5/8/08 

15.5 fewer teachers in Aberdeen next year The Daily World 5/7/08 

Vancouver public schools cut 26 positions The Oregonian 5/7/08 

Bethel schools look at cuts to fill shortfall Tacoma News Tribune 5/7/08

Port Angeles schools cut budget Peninsula Daily News 5/6/08 

Olympia cuts draw a crowd The Olympian 5/6/08 

Tough choices ahead for Bremerton schools Bremerton Sun 5/6/08 

Cuts loom for schools across Snohomish County  Everett Herald 5/6/08

Olympia parents look to compromise on budget cuts The Olympian 5/6/08

Hoquiam cuts won't be easy The Daily World 5/4/08

Whatcom County schools tighten belts Bellingham Herald 5/4/08

Unexpected expenses force Bremerton schools to cut back Kitsap Sun 5/3/08

Proposed special ed cuts worry parents The Enterprise Newspapers 5/2/08 

Lacey teachers face layoffs unless levy passes Seattle Times 5/2/08 

Seventy North Thurston teachers face layoffs The Olympian 5/2/08 

Central Valley School District looks to trim budget The Spokesman-Review 5/1/08 

Spokane schools facing budget cut The Spokesman-Review 5/1/08 

Mead schools face cash shortfall The Spokesman-Review 5/1/08 

School district faces tough choices under budget cut KOMO-TV 4/30/08 

North Thurston okays budget cuts The Olympian 4/29/08

Olympia School District weighs numerous spending cuts The Olympian 4/29/08 

White River Schools forced to make cuts Tacoma News Tribune 4/29/08 

Budget challenges Coupeville schools Whidbey News Times 4/25/08

North Kitsap schools face $2.8 million shortfall Kitsap Sun 4/24/08 

A critical juncture for education: can our money match our vision? Seattle Times 4/24/08

Edmonds School District announces $3.2 million in cuts The Enterprise 4/23/08

Puyallup schools look for trims The News Tribune 4/20/08

Blaine schools need to cut budget Bellingham Herald 4/19/08 

Bellevue to cut $5 million Seattle Times 3/19/08  

Aberdeen enrollment dip may force teacher layoffs Aberdeen Daily World 3/6/08  

Putting students first Seattle Times 3/2/08 (2-page pdf download; Adobe Reader required)

Until the state does its 'paramount duty,' we have to do ours Aberdeen Daily World 2/20/08

State should support workers who support our schools Seattle Times 1/29/08

Enrollment drop, inadequate state funding, rising costs impact Northshore Woodinville Weekly 1/21/08

More Central Kitsap school closures 'pretty likely' Central Kitsap Reporter 1/12/08

School districts deserve equal salary money, judge rules Seattle Times 11/3/07

How Does Northshore Compare to Other Districts?

Expenditures by 16 largest school districts in the state of Washington are compared. Compiled in March 2008 by Northshore's Business and Finance Department.
 

Joint Task Force on Basic Education Finance

The Joint Task Force on Basic Education Finance has completed a comprehensive review of the K-12 education finance system, along with a review of the many education studies that have been undertaken since the Basic Education Act was first adopted in 1977.

The Task Force's second phase of work, currently underway, is the development of recommendations to the Legislature. The Task Force hopes to have the final recommendations for the Legislature by the end of 2008.

For more information, visit www.leg.wa.gov/Joint/Committees/BEF/

Unfunded Mandates

Unfunded mandates are services that the Northshore School District is required to provide by the state, federal, or local governments, for which no funding or inadequate funding is provided. The only source of funding to pay for these mandates is local levy dollars. Unfunded Mandates funded by Northshore in 2006-07 amounted to $16,891,000.

Enrollment Projections

Northshore School Enrollment and the Demographic Trends Driving Enrollment a report prepared for the Northshore's Enrollment Demographics Task Force and presented in December 2007. The 12-page report requires Adobe Reader for viewing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Budget Reduction

Budget 

Northshore's 2007-2008 Budget

School Board votes not to close Woodin Elementary
At the March 31 public meeting at Leota Jr. High the School Board voted unanimously not to close Woodin Elementary, and they directed staff to find another way to reduce $700,000 from the 2008-2009 budget. The key factor in the Board's decision was the short timeframe for the work of the Enrollment Demographics Task Force and district staff . "At a future point a school closure may become a reality," said Interim Superintendent Dolores Gibbons. "The problems still exist and we have the responsibility to take act ion for the lon g-term health of the district."

El School Board votó no cerrar la escuela de Woodin
A la reunión pública al 31 de marzo al secundario de Leota, el School Board votó unánimemente no cerrar la escuela de Woodin y el Board dirigió al consejo administrativo del districto escolar  hallar otra manera para reducir $700,000 del presupuesto de 2008 - 2009. El factor mayor en la decisión del School Board fue el tiempo para la Agrupación de Fuerzas Demográficas y el consejo administrativo conducir un análisis completo."A un punto en el futuro, una cerrada escolar puede ser una realidad," dijo la Superintendente Interina, Dolores Gibbons. "El problema todavía existe y tenemos la responsibilidad hacer acción para la salud a largo plazo del distrito escolar."

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Stakeholder Report on 2008 Budget

Results from the five budget focus groups that were conducted Jan. 16-Feb. 7. Adobe Reader required

Over the past six years, Northshore has cut $18.84 million from its general fund budget and eliminated 38 positions within the Central Administrative Office and Support Services. The work of these people supported teachers, principals, and classified staff members in our schools.

For the 2008-2009 school year, another 13 positions within the Central Office/Support Services groups will be eliminated. That is estimated to save $650,000 per year.

When we eliminate these positions, we reduce the support to our school-based staff. We have heard from staff in our schools that these reductions make it harder for them to do their jobs.