BREMERTON—In a show of solidarity, the Bremerton School District Board of Directors sent a letter to state legislature June 19 demanding it fully fund education.

“The board stands in unison with its employees in demanding that the Washington State Legislature fulfills its duty to fully fund public education for students,” the letter read.

Washington educators have been pushing the state to meet the obligations set forth by the McCleary Decision in 2012.

To date, funding for public education has not met McCleary standards. Public schools are receiving about $1,000 less per student than they’re supposed to.

Director Carolynn Perkins said the schools need the money as soon as possible.

“The legislators need to understand how urgent this is and I think if we send this now they may be thinking of pushing it back, pushing it back and they need to hear ‘No, that will not be OK,’” Perkins said.

In a perfect world, Director Scott Rahm would like the district to establish its budget in June, but he doesn’t think that will happen.

“As everybody knows, until (the state establishes a budget), the school districts continue to sit in limbo and try to develop plans without a solid budget ourselves,” Rahm said. “This district should not be in this position to have to go build a budget in August and that’s kind of the direction we’re heading in right now.”

Superintendent Aaron Leavell wrote the letter, basing it largely on one written by the Peninsula School District Board of Directors and their superintendent, Chuck Cuzzetto.

From the letter:

“The Bremerton School District and its staff collaborate with the community to put children first;

“The Washington State Legislature has not fulfilled its obligation to fully fund public education for students in the Bremerton School District, but instead has relied on local levy dollars to pay certificated and classified employee salaries and benefits;

“Washington State educators have not been provided a cost of living adjustment for seven years;

“The Bremerton School District and its Board of Directors has an open and collaborative relationship with its employee groups and the community at large;

“The Bremerton School District Board of Directors hereby makes public its unwavering support of our community, certified and classified staff and the essential role they play in educating the children of Bremerton and the State of Washington;

“The execution of this resolution is conclusive evidence that the board stands in unison with its employees in demanding that the Washington State Legislature fulfills its duty to fully fund public education for students in the Bremerton School District and across the state.”