OSPI NEWS RELEASE: Superintendent Reykdal’s Statement on Governor Inslee’s Budget Proposal

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 12/13/2023 03:31 PM PST

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Superintendent Reykdal’s Statement on Governor Inslee’s Budget Proposal

Today, Governor Inslee released his proposed 2024 Supplemental Budget. Below is State Superintendent Chris Reykdal’s statement.

OLYMPIA—December 13, 2023—Last year, the Legislature made important progress in key areas to support our public-school students, families, and educators—special education funding, meals, mental and behavioral health, school construction funding—and Governor Inslee’s proposed budget pushes that progress even further.

The Governor proposes strategic investments in many of the most pressing needs identified by school and community leaders, and these investments would make an immediate difference for students should the Legislature carry them forward in the final state budget in March.

In his proposed budget, the Governor advances requests by my office for supports for our students with disabilities. He does this by improving the way the state provides funds for service delivery and by investing in residency programs to target the shortage of qualified special education teachers.

The Governor’s budget also supports our request for a living wage for our 32,000 instructional paraeducators, who are in classrooms every day supporting our students with one-to-one and small group tutoring and other learning and well-being supports.

Further, the Governor recognizes that students can’t learn in buildings that are not healthy, safe, or designed to meet their evolving learning needs. His budget prioritizes school construction, particularly in small and rural areas, and advances our request to support classroom air quality.

Understanding that students can’t learn when they are hungry, the Governor also makes progress on our requests to ensure all students have access to a nutritious breakfast and lunch provided at school each day at no cost to the student or their family.

Finally, the Governor makes substantial investments in mental and behavioral health, including sustaining a regional model with demonstrated effectiveness that our educational service districts are leading in partnership with my office.

I am grateful to the Governor for his leadership and his commitment to ensuring our students and educators have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. He is a critical partner in our advocacy with the Legislature, and his proposed budget makes timely and meaningful progress toward a public K–12 education system that is resourced to meet the needs of each and every student.

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Led by State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, OSPI oversees K-12 public education in Washington state. Our mission is to provide funding, resources, tools, data and technical assistance that enable educators to ensure students succeed in our public schools, are prepared to access post-secondary training and education, and are equipped to thrive in their careers and lives.

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