Advocacy

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Working together, we can make a difference!

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Legislative Advocacy

Shoreline Public Schools is in a budget emergency.
Our district is facing significant budget shortfalls, which will impact students and staff. Shoreline Public Schools are running a deficit – using more money to run our schools than we actually receive in funding. Shoreline Schools remain precariously close to binding conditions. (Binding conditions is essentially bankruptcy for school districts.)

Please read further to learn how we got here and what we can do to take action at the state and local levels. Thank you for getting involved and advocating for our students!

You can find more information on the district budget outlook and planning on the Shoreline Schools budget page.

You can also learn more about Washington State’s school funding issues at Issues at the Core of Washington State’s School Funding Dilemma.

District Budget Deficit: How Did We Get Here?

School funding is complex, but a simplified answer: At the state level Washington restructured school funding for all public schools in 2018 as a result of the McCleary case. The new funding model made all school districts much more dependent on state funds and capped local ability to raise funds through levies. Current state funding does not fully cover school district operating costs, particularly in areas with a high cost-of-living like Shoreline.

In 2020, the COVID crisis also gave schools: 1) new crises and rising costs that sapped reserves, and 2) temporary federal funding that delayed budget cut decisions. This coincided with, and possibly contributed to, declines in student enrollment.

Recent years have also been a period of rapid inflation across the US.

Because Shoreline is already at the max of our cap for our local levy, we can’t raise additional funds locally to make up the shortfall. Thus, we face significant cuts.

Action Steps: What Can We Do?

1. Subscribe to the Shoreline Action Network
   
   Shoreline Action Network’s advocacy alerts make it easy to do legislative advocacy for increased K-12 school funding by Washington state. Shoreline Action Network’s alert emails are typically sent only during the legislative session (Jan.-April). It provides quick, easy ways to communicate with legislators and keep funding public education at the top of their priority list.
   
   

2. Register for Focus Day!
   MLK Day – Jan 19, 2026

   Olympia, WA
   Kids are welcomed!  Bring a sign!
   
   Focus Day is an event organized by the Washington State PTA, where PTA members from all across the state assemble in Olympia at the Capitol and show our support for our schools.  
   
   Focus Day generally includes meetings with legislators and a rally at, or march near, the Capitol building.
   
   In order to be involved in the legislator meetings and be coordinated with the larger Shoreline group, please email: advocacy@mpptsa.org
   
   You can learn more and register directly with the Washington State PTA (WSPTA) here.
   Learn more about the WSPTA’s legislative priorities & advocacy work here.
   
   
   
   
3. Learn more about legislative advocacy from the Shoreline PTA Council’s Advocacy webpage.
   
   
4. If you want to be involved or learn more about legislative advocacy efforts at Meridian Park Elementary, please email our MP PTSA Advocacy Chair, Jill Jackson: advocacy@mpptsa.org