Dear ****:

Thank you for attending the town hall meeting on Saturday. Representatives Goodman, Springer and I have never before seen such a turnout.

The comments and attendance made clear that parents are not happy about the potential school closures.

Adequate education funding is key to high quality public schools. Today, in some areas, we are succeeding, and in other areas we are not. As a parent, I know that failure is not an option. I have far too many friends and know too many parents who feel trapped by public schools that are not living up to their expectations.

What do you do when your public schools let you down? Most people do not have the luxury of options!

That is why I came to the Senate. We can do better in public schools. We can invest smarter, and we must deliver better results.

Let me be clear, it is the job of the Northshore school board to make most policy and spending decisions at the local level. The state allocates funds to districts based on factors like student enrollment. It is then primarily the responsibility of the board to spend the money as it sees fit. All districts in the state face similar constraints on both state funding and requirements to actually serve kids. The closure of Woodin Elementary is ultimately a board decision responding to declining enrollment — not a decision or act of the legislature.

Parents at the town hall told me there is a consistently low level of parent participation at school board meetings where the crucial spending decisions are made. The board regularly holds public meetings. These are difficult decisions driven by many factors, and hopefully you get to know and trust your school board members.

The members are: Sue Buske 425-481-1639, Janet Quinn 425-488-6590, Dawn McCravey 425-402-9046, Gene Hawkridge 206-852-1255, and Interim President Cathy Swanson 425-483-1129.

I have friends that have lived through school closures. I know it is hard. I also know you would like the state to come to the rescue. There has been no historical precedent for that. I have asked staff and colleagues what the Legislature can do. They told me there is nothing. It is not my desire, or the desire of any member of the Legislature, to see any school closed, or any hardship incurred by any family.

I did have a provision in a bill I sponsored last year to require the development and implementation of a school district financial health and monitoring system. The rating system would have placed school districts in one of three financial health categories based on the district's ratings on six measures, but the bill did not pass. I continue to look for ways to help districts be more successful and to avert financial crises.

I hope that your level of participation in the public process will not wane, even as your children graduate high school. Hopefully this experience heightens your awareness of the need to be involved and the influence you can make.

Thank you for your time and effort.

Sincerely,

Eric Oemig
Senator

Return to Sen. Oemig's home page