The Special Session is over, and the state House of Representatives and Senate agreed to a compromise budget which cuts $4.3 million from the Issaquah School District’s operations revenue over the next two years. The largest hit areas are salary apportionment and staffing ratios. We can expect to see a 1.9 percent cut in teacher allocations and a 3 percent cut in administrator allocations.
In addition, pension-rate contributions will increase by 2 percent. Fortunately there will be no increase in class-size in the District for K-4 in the 2011-2012 school year as originally believed, and there will be no cuts in the gifted program.
Other good news includes BEST, a beginning teacher mentoring program, received $2 million over the next two years, and the teacher evaluation pilot program will continue to receive funding for its second year. Finally, the House did not pass the Great Schools Bill, which would have required districts facing reductions-in-force to include factors other than seniority when determining layoffs.
For questions or comments please contact Stefanie Beighle at beighle@comcast.net
Download the June PTSA Legislative update. (doc)
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