All 147 legislators returned to the Capitol in Olympia on January 9, 2023, to begin a 105-day session, where the main bit of business will be passing two-year spending plans. In announcing his proposed budget, Governor Jay Inslee named affordable housing, homelessness, and behavioral health as top priorities.

For education, Inslee proposed:

• raising the cap on special education, from 13.5% to 15%, for an additional $75 million over two years
• a 6.5% cost of living increase for educators spread out over two fiscal years
• funding for seismic retrofits and energy assessment grants.

The Governor’s proposed budgets are always the starting point for negotiations among legislators. Both the House and Senate budget committees heard public testimony on the pros and cons of the Governor’s budget, and soon the hard work will begin to determine which policies will ultimately be funded in the next state budget.

The 34th legislative district, where Fairmount Park Elementary is located, has welcomed Emily Alvarado as its newly elected House Representative. Her priorities during the campaign included quality affordable housing, healthcare, child care, and public education for all. We expect her to be a staunch advocate for funding and supporting public schools in her district and across the state.

Falcon families can stay connected throughout the legislative session, which is expected to end on April 23rd:

Reach out with any questions to our school PTA’s legislative chair, Joan Miller, at joan.miller6@gmail.com.