BUT NO LAYOFFS ARE ANTICIPATED FOR NORTHSHORE FOR NEXT YEAR
The Governor has proposed $2 BILLION in cuts to K-12 and higher education over the next 2 years! That’s on top of the $2 BILLION cut in the last Session, and another $311 million they cut in December. Proposals to cut at these levels are unprecedented, outrageous, and simply wrong. If passed by the Legislature, these cuts would permanently damage our students’ futures---and possibly our own financial futures.
Education has already been cut to the bone---as most of us can see from the large class sizes, insufficient support for our struggling students, bloated workloads, and high insurance costs. Three work days per year for teachers—the Learning Improvement Days-- have already been cut by the State. Since 2009, over 5,000 educator jobs have been cut, resulting in larger class sizes. Our Cost of Living Increases were eliminated for last year and for this year. I-728 class size funds have been eliminated. And the proportion of our medical benefits paid by the State has been declining, sending our out-of-pocket costs through the roof.
Now, the Governor and some Legislators have their sights set on more cuts: Cuts to our pensions; cuts to the remaining K-4 class size enhancements; no Cost-of-Living Allowance and a pay freeze for teachers for 2 years (no step increases, or increases based on education credits for teachers. There is currently no State proposal to stop step increases for classified staff like NESPA); a further reduction in the proportion of our health benefits paid by the State; elimination of the remaining “gifted” education funding; and the elimination of the $5,000 stipend for National Board Certified Teachers.
This Legislative Session has begun, and ends in late April. These budget cuts are likely to be debated for months, with a final decision at the end of the Session.
What’s behind these proposals?
Washington relies primarily on consumer spending for its revenue---the sales tax and the Business and Occupation Tax, based on sales. With the Great Recession continuing, spending is way down, and the State is not collecting the taxes needed to pay for the minimal levels of education and services necessary.
The November election results severely worsened the situation. Our best hope had been that Initiative 1098 would pass; this would have increased revenues by several billion by taxing those currently pay only a small proportion of their income in State and local taxes---the 2% of Washingtonians whose individual income exceeds $200,000, or whose family income exceeds $400,000. Even though it would have reduced taxes for 98% of Washingtonians, it lost by a margin of 2 to 1. Had initiative 1098 passed, cuts such as this would not have been proposed. In fact, I-1098 would have raised exactly the amount of the budget shortfall for the next 2 years.
To make matters worse, Tim Eyman’s Initiative 1053 also passed by a 2 to 1 majority. It requires that the Legislature pass any taxes—or close the billions in tax loopholes—by a 2/3 majority. Unfortunately, 2 out of 3 Legislators do not have the courage nor inclination to do the right thing. And the Republicans want to shrink government (read K-12 education, universities, etc) even further, with even more tax cuts.
LAYOFFS NOT ANTICIPATED FOR NEXT YEAR IN NORTHSHORE
These are proposed cuts; they are not a done deal. It is clear that cuts will be made, but how deep the cuts will go depends on our collective efforts. Northshore is situated better than most school districts---with our increasing levy capacity and our supplemental levy. However, if the State cuts go deep enough, Northshore would need to offset the State cuts with local cuts.
The School Board has begun its budget process. They will be budgeting based on a worst case scenario—the Governor’s budget proposal. Under this scenario, NO LAYOFFS DUE TO BUDGET CUTS ARE PROJECTED for either teachers or classified staff. But if the economy worsens, or Legislators decide to cut education further to save other programs, that could change. (And while overall staffing levels are projected to remain the same, the School Board could—as always—examine a re-prioritization of staffing, and layoff in some job titles while adding to others. There is no greater risk of this, this year, than in any other year, however.)
We can either be spectators to the dismantling of our public education system, our pensions, and health care---or we can fight back. We will be fighting back to minimize the cuts. Please:
Stay in touch with your Building Communicator for further info on what action to take.
Go to OurVoiceWashingtonEA.org now, and weekly, to find out what’s happening AND to communicate with the Governor and your Legislators! Again and again!
