Bellevue School District
Priorities for the 2027 Legislative Session

The Bellevue School District thanks our legislators for their support and advocacy for our students. We are starting the 2026-27 school year with an almost restored fund balance, in part due to legislative actions in the past two years that have increased funding for our district. At the same time, we want to acknowledge that despite the Legislature’s actions, it has still fallen short of its constitutional obligation to amply fund K-12 education. With an impending state budget shortfall, the state must not lose more ground in the funding of education by balancing its budget on the backs of Washington’s children or by making inequitable cuts that further widen opportunity gaps. Instead, on behalf of our 19,000 students in Bellevue and 1 million students statewide, we implore the 2027 Legislature to fulfill its obligation to amply fund K-12 education. To that end, the following are our district’s key priorities for the 2027 session:

No Cuts to Education Funding in 2027

Despite impending state budget challenges, the 2027 legislature must not allow further cuts to education. Cuts to education look like the following:

·       Unfunded Mandates: Any new state mandate without accompanying funding is a cut to education funding. Mandates like FAFSA/WAFSA completion and the proposed changes to graduation requirements are almost never cost-neutral, and the implementation of unfunded mandates (regardless of merit) result in cuts to educational programs for students.

·       Torts and Liability: The legislature must reform tort and liability laws driving escalating insurance costs and resulting cuts to educational programs.  Insurance is one of school districts’ largest cost inflators. Bottom line: Today's students are paying for costs incurred by adult decisions made years or even decades ago. That is a real challenge because our revenue barely covers what schools and students need today.

·       Local Effort Assistance (LEA): As long as public education is not fully funded by the state, local levies and subsequently LEA are essential. While the 2025 legislature provided increases to the levy lid benefiting districts including Bellevue, an “LEA cliff” looms in 2028 as temporary increases are set to expire.

·       Transitional Kindergarten: Transitional Kindergarten has proven effective, efficient, and equitable. Prevent further cuts, hold or grow slots, and acknowledge that a funding freeze is in effect a cut, given rising costs.

BSD’s Top Funding Priorities – The Big 3 (+1)

Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs (MSOCs)

MSOC funding has not kept pace with inflation, particularly insurance and utilities. The MSOC allocation per student has increased by only 4% per year on average, or $294 per FTE student, over five years, while insurance and utilities grow at double-digit rates. For 2026-27, the District projects an allocation of approximately $30M while budgeting $60M in anticipated expenditures. BSD calls on the 2027 Legislature to increase MSOC funding by at least fully funding insurance and utilities.

Special Education

BSD again urges the 2027 Legislature to fully fund special education services. The additional funding in the 2025–27 Operating Budget helped address our structural deficit, yet BSD still faces a projected special education deficit of over $38 million. This shortfall forces districts like Bellevue to use local levy dollars to cover general fund costs needed to serve students with disabilities. The current model does not adequately reflect student needs or rising special education costs.

Student Transportation

The Bellevue School District urges the 2027 Legislature to restore and fully fund “safety net” transportation funding for students who qualify for McKinney Vento and/or special education transportation. During 2026-27, BSD projects an approximate $2.8M shortfall between state-allocated funding and budgeted expenditures. The district also urges the Legislature to improve STARS for transparency, predictability, and cost alignment and modernize it for today’s routes, requirements, service models, and workforce costs.

Substitute Costs

The state requires districts to provide 10-12 days of sick leave but funds only four days for certificated staff and provides no funding for classified staff absences. BSD has received approximately $500K annually in substitute funding for the past decade, with no inflationary enhancement, while actual costs have grown to approximately $5M. Districts absorb millions in substitute costs each year, pulling resources from classrooms and student learning.

Additional Legislative Priorities

Technology in the Classroom

The BSD Board of Directors supports statewide classroom technology guidance that ensures a productive learning environment that maintains student safety and supports the mental health and well-being of each and every student (recognizing that technology includes the ability to document and interrupt as well as cause harm). 

Learning Assistance Program (LAP)

The State should increase Learning Assistance Program (LAP) funding so early literacy expectations are matched with resources to deliver results. As Washington implements HB 1295, districts need sustained investment for Tier 2 interventions, structured literacy and math professional development, -literacy screening, and coaching within a clear MTSS framework. Additional LAP funding should prioritize schools and districts serving higher concentrations of students experiencing poverty, enabling earlier identification, more consistent response, and accountability for grade-level reading and math.

Early Childhood Education (Preschool)

Expanded access to publicly funded early learning is essential to improve school readiness and reduce academic and social-emotional disparities. BSD supports increased funding and access, especially for low-income families, benefiting children and helping parents pursue employment and education.

Student Well-being and Mental Health

BSD built an innovative school-based mental health framework during the COVID-19 pandemic, but one-time federal ESSER funds have ended, and staffing has been reduced by 68%. BSD calls on the 2027 Legislature to invest in mental health supports, social-emotional learning, and substance abuse prevention to address ongoing student needs.

Graduation Requirements That Reflect a Well-Rounded Education

BSD values a well-rounded education, including the arts, CTE, and global languages. Any changes to graduation requirements should preserve access to a well-rounded education for all students.

Affordable and Workforce Housing

BSD supports legislation that expands affordable housing and enables school districts to partner on workforce housing. Affordable housing helps attract and retain high-quality staff and supports the well-being of employees, students, and families.