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Mukilteo district asks Legislature to fund full cost of special education, materials and required staff leave
Summary
District leaders told the Mukilteo School Board their top 2025 legislative priorities are funding the full cost of special education services, increasing state support for materials and operating costs, and covering required staff leave and substitute costs, citing multi‑year shortfalls that the district covered with local levy funds.
Mukilteo School District leaders presented the districts three top legislative priorities for 2025 at the Dec. 10 board meeting, urging state action to address large, ongoing funding gaps for special education, materials and operating costs, and required staff leave.
A district presenter described special education funding as the largest dollar pressure: the district currently funds about 25% of state and federally required special‑services costs through local levy, and has paid roughly $12 million locally in the most recent year to cover those services. The presenter said the district has absorbed approximately $45.5 million (presenters figure) over the last five years for mandated services that were not fully funded by the state.
The second priority targets materials, supplies and operating costs, which the district says have not kept pace with inflation. The presenter cited a cumulative shortfall of approximately $6.9 million over five years and noted specific cost pressures including an increase in liability insurance of about $1 million year‑over‑year.
The third priority asks the legislature to fund the full cost of required staff leave, including substitutes and leave payouts. The district described the current funding model as providing four substitute days per classroom teacher at $151.86 per day; presenters noted that funding has not meaningfully changed in more than a decade and that districts receive no substitute funding for many classified and administrative staff. The presenter said unfunded mandates and required leave obligations have contributed to local budget reductions totaling about $31 million over a two‑year cycle.
Board members discussed outreach to Olympia and urged targeted asks to lawmakers rather than a general request for more funding. The district noted it will share the legislative priorities with state legislators and advocacy associations.
