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Superintendent says state budget yields some relief for Bellevue but falls short of special-education needs
Summary
Superintendent Kelly Aramaki told the board that recent state budget actions provide some new funds for Bellevue—including a levy lift and limited special-education increases—but that the district’s special-education deficit and timing of receipts mean continued fiscal constraints.
Superintendent Kelly Aramaki told the Bellevue School District board on May 1 that the recently concluded state legislative session produced a mix of outcomes: some new funding items that could help the district, but amounts and timing that fall short of the district’s needs.
Aramaki said the state’s special-education package included approximately $308 million statewide, whereas the district had advocated for a much larger allocation. “We were asking, as a state, $1 to $2 billion in special education,” Aramaki said, and Bellevue’s projected share will be “a little over $1 million,” compared with an internal special-education budget shortfall the superintendent described as about $35 million.
The superintendent highlighted several legislative items with direct operational effects if the governor signs the budget: a lowered threshold for the safety-net program (which can increase reimbursement for high-cost students), preservation of national-board stipends, an additional $81 million for MSOCs (materials, supplies and operating costs) statewide (with Bellevue’s share cited as far smaller), and a $500-per-student levy lift that will increase the district’s levy capacity beginning next year. Aramaki said the levy lift will translate to roughly $5 million in additional revenue for the next school year (the district will begin collecting in January but does not expect to receive funds until the following April) and about $10 million once fully phased in.
The superintendent also described Senate Bill 5412 (as referenced in the meeting), which he said would allow a district that enters binding conditions to sell property and apply the proceeds as a one-time resource to restore fund balance; Aramaki noted that the measure would help Bellevue in the medium term but could take 12–24 months to produce cash.
Aramaki warned that all of the legislative aid was contingent on the governor signing the budget and that timing meant the district must plan conservatively for the coming school year. “Next year we’re going to have to be frugal,” he told the board, adding that the district will continue planning for a restoration trajectory while asking schools and departments to prioritize essential services.
Ending: The superintendent asked the board and community to track the governor’s actions closely and said district staff would return with updated revenue and restoration plans once the governor’s line-by-line decisions are known.
