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Shelton leaders and teachers urge voters to back replacement levy as state funding lags
Summary
Superintendent presented slides showing Washington invests less in public education than the national average, citing a $4.17 billion shortfall; Shelton staff and Shelton Education Association president Nick Sanders urged voters to pass a replacement levy that unlocks roughly $3 million in state matching funds.
Superintendent Clinton (identified in the meeting transcript as the superintendent) opened the meeting by highlighting student achievements, then presented state-level funding data that he said show Washington invests a smaller share of its gross state product in public education than the national average. He cited a 2023 shortfall figure of $4,170,000,000 compared with the national average and estimated that if Washington matched the national percentage it would translate to roughly $3,790 per student in Shelton, or about $15,900,000 annually for the district.
The superintendent stressed that the district relies heavily on local levy dollars to fund programs and services, and that Shelton is in the bottom 10% of districts seeking levy revenues this cycle. He told the board the district must continue to build fund balance and that levy revenue is a central part of that plan.
During public comment, Nick Sanders, president of the Shelton Education Association and a teacher at Oakland Bay Junior High, urged the community to support the replacement levy, saying it is "not a new tax" but a continuation of current funding. Sanders said the district receives a state match when the levy passes and estimated that amounts to about $3,000,000 in additional state money for Shelton. "Passing this levy is the only way our district can operate while offering the current programs, activities, and sports," he said, and asked voters to cast a "yes" ballot.
The superintendent said he would post the presentation slides to the district website within 48 hours so residents could review the data. The board did not take a policy vote on funding at the meeting; discussion and requests for clarification focused on making the graphs and data available to the public before the levy election.
Why it matters: The district—s presentation and the teachers' union comment framed the replacement levy as essential to maintaining current services and tapping state matching funds; the data the superintendent described also underline the district—s broader argument that state funding is lower than the national average and increases pressure on local levies.
Next steps: The superintendent said the slides will be posted online; the levy will appear on the ballot in the coming weeks and the board continues outreach and public information efforts.
