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Superintendent urges lobbying for funding as district cites multimillion‑dollar unfunded mandates; ESSER used to build Illinois Valley athletic facility
Summary
Superintendent Dave Valenzuela outlined district lobbying priorities ahead of the state legislative session—special‑education funding gaps, high‑cost disability transportation, increased PE requirements, unemployment costs and stipend employer costs—and noted the board’s approval to use ESSER funds to build an athletic facility at Illinois Valley High School.
Superintendent Dave Valenzuela told the Three Rivers School District board the legislature's session begins Jan. 21 and urged collective advocacy through COSA to press for additional state funding to cover several "unfunded mandates." Valenzuela cited specific funding gaps and operational costs the district must currently absorb.
Valenzuela said state special‑education reimbursement formulas assume about 11 percent of a district's students qualify for special education, while the district’s actual proportion is closer to 16 percent, leaving an unfunded gap for staffing and specialized resources. He also described costs tied to medically fragile students requiring specialized buses and aide support, recent changes that make seasonal employees eligible for unemployment, and employer costs tied to mandated special‑education stipends (employer costs of roughly 35–40 percent of salary).
On ESSER funds, Valenzuela thanked the board for approving ESSER dollars to create an athletic building at Illinois Valley High School, noting the project addresses prior inequity and will provide indoor practice space for athletics and activities during wildfire smoke events. He also credited schools' holiday food distributions and community partnerships, saying, "We are feeding Josephine County through the efforts of our schools."
Board members discussed collective advocacy strategies, including attending a legislative reception and coordinating visits to Salem through COSA and OSBA; the superintendent asked directors to consider participating in advocacy trips.
What happens next: District staff said they will pursue coordinated lobbying with COSA during the legislative session and invited board participation in upcoming advocacy events.
