Guest Column
October 1, 2008
By Administrator
So many things are right about Issaquah schools: bright children, supportive families, inspiring teachers and strong administrators. We know that we are above average, and we have the Washington Assessment of Student Learning scores to prove it. We continue to have some of the highest scores in the state of Washington.
Yet, in reality, we are stretched thin financially and our children are being short-changed. I know this because I have been in Issaquah for nearly 30 years, and have served as a teacher, a principal, the executive director of high schools and middle schools, and currently as the president of Issaquah Schools Foundation.
High scores tell us some things, but not everything. While Issaquah schools deliver quality education, deficient state funding limits educational opportunities for our students. Often, good programs must be sacrificed, and great new initiatives fail to make it past the planning stages.
We are all familiar with the school funding figures. Issaquah is 272nd out of 295 school districts in per-pupil funding in a state that falls 42nd in education support. Our schools receive less state support than our neighbors in Bellevue and Mercer Island. For the 2006-2007 school year, the Bellevue School District received $9,058 per student while Issaquah received just $8,013 per student. If the Issaquah School District were to receive the equivalent per-pupil funding we would yield an additional $16.2 million per year. That’s equal to 215 teaching positions, or even a seventh hour at middle and high schools.
As community members and parents, we must ask ourselves, “What can we do to restore equilibrium?” There are two answers — wait for a legislative fix or empower ourselves to make a change.
My fellow Issaquah Schools Foundation board members and I are dedicated to the latter. Our mission is to raise funds to help all students achieve the promise of their academic potential. Each year, we work in partnership with the Issaquah School District to assess our students’ greatest needs. We then collaborate with the community to generate resources to fund strategic programs and initiatives that will advance academic achievement, support struggling students and promote professional development. In the past 21 years, this has resulted in millions of dollars invested in classroom grants, tutoring and mentoring programs, and nationally recognized staff development programs.
We are pleased with what we’ve accomplished, but acknowledge that there is much more to do. We want our students to have the skills to do well, not only on tests, but also in life.
This year, the foundation met with elementary, middle and high school principals and posed the question, “What do you need to prepare our students to thrive in today’s global society?” Their responses are charting our fundraising goals. We want to raise $1 million this year to provide funding for after-school courses, such as foreign language and music for elementary students; for expanded Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate course offerings to challenge students in a wealth of subjects; and for hiring incentives to attract the best possible candidates in difficult-to-staff areas, such as science, technology, engineering, math and foreign language.
We are determined to pursue all avenues to ensure that our students receive the best possible education. Your support will bring our plans to fruition. Last year, 2,400 donors helped the foundation raise nearly $715,000. Imagine what we could raise if 5,000 or 10,000 community members joined our cause?
Help us discover the possibilities and create the realities. Become a VOICE mentor; attend our Nourish Every Mind luncheon Oct. 16; visit us online — www.issaquahschoolsfoundation.org — and make a donation to bridge the funding gap.
You have the power to improve the education of all Issaquah School District students.
Reach Issaquah Schools Foundation Board President Eve Martine at 416-2045 or info@issaquahschoolsfoundation.org.
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