WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — A townhall has been scheduled for Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at 6pm in the Blaine Performing Arts Center. The topic of discussion, according to organizers, is “to address the pressing issue of inadequate state funding for public education.”
The organizers, identified as a “group of dedicated parents and community members” called Fund Schools Now, say the townhall is an effort to show state legislators, “strong community support to understand that educators, school leaders, parents, and students will not stand by while continued underfunding threatens the future of our schools and programs.” They add, “This is a joint effort between Fund Schools Now and leaders and educators in the Blaine, Ferndale, and Mt. Baker school districts.”
Organizers say Senator Sharon Shewmake, Representative Joe Timmons and Representative Alicia Rule will be attending the townhall event.
Such conversations and spending decisions are expected to be difficult during the 2025 regular session which convenes on January 13, 2025. Outgoing Governor Jay Inslee put all state agencies on notice on November 8, 2024, that spending reductions are needed to balance the 2025 state budget in light of an expected $10 billion deficit.
Washington State Standard reported on November 14, 2024, “Education is the single largest component of the budget and Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal requested an increase of nearly $3 billion for public schools in the next budget. A third of that is to fully fund special education.” The agency has been recently receiving about $30.6 billion annually from the state.
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