Rainy Day Recess

We kick off our series introducing candidates running for the Seattle School Board in 2025. The primary election is in August, and the general election follows in November. In this first episode, we’re joined by Sarah Clark, who was appointed to the board for Director District 2 in April 2024. She is now running to retain her seat for the remaining two years of the term.

- Christie Robertson and Jasmine Pulido

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In this Rainy Day Rundown, we explore key developments in Seattle Public Schools and the role of community engagement in decision-making:

• SPS Racial Equity Departments – We follow up on our breaking news segment from February 28, regarding the removal and return of key web pages raises questions about transparency.
• Board Engagement Meeting on the Budget (Feb 26) – Community members push for a more active role in district decisions.
• 2025-26 Budget Planning – SPS projects staffing while awaiting final state funding decisions.
• Listener Feedback – Former Director Vivian Song provides insight into the budget timeline and process.

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Christie Robertson and Jasmine Pulido

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In this week's episode of Rainy Day Recess, we track the latest developments in the fight for education funding in Washington state—and it's been a rough week.

Two transportation funding bills have officially died, leaving advocates scrambling for a budget proviso to secure critical funding for students with high transportation needs. 

Special education funding also took a major hit, as the House unexpectedly removed a strong special ed bill (HB 1310) from consideration, replacing it with a much weaker alternative (HB 1357). While some provisions from HB 1310 were added to HB 1357, funding levels were dramatically reduced. Meanwhile, the Senate’s special education bill (SB 5263) still includes key provisions, like removal of the cap and inclusionary practices funding, and is now a top priority for advocacy.

MSOC (Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs) funding also suffered a devastating blow. A House amendment gutted the proposed funding increase (HB 1338), reducing it from 20% to a meager 0.3%, prompting frustration from advocates and lawmakers alike. The Senate MSOC bill (SB 5192) remains in play with a 6% increase—far from ideal but significantly better than the House version.

We discuss how legislative leadership controls the next steps for the Big 3 bills – getting through Rules committee and making it to a vote on the Floor. The House of Origin cutoff looms on Wednesday, March 12.

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• Megan Larkin and Christie Robertson

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--- WE ARE TRACKING UPDATES TO THIS STORY IN OUR SHOW NOTES ---

Two major departments dedicated to racial equity have disappeared from the SPS website —Department of Racial Equity Advancement (DREA) and African American Male Achievement (AAMA).

Note: This is a developing story 

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In week 7 of our Big 3 Briefing series, we provide updates on the legislative process for the Big 3 education funding priorities: special education, pupil transportation, and materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC).

All of the Big 3 bills survived the policy cutoff, and some of them look on track to make it through the fiscal cutoff this Friday - the MSOC and special education bills are all scheduled for executive sessions on Thursday, February 27. However, transportation funding increases are at risk, as key bills have not yet been scheduled as of yet.

We break down how fiscal committees work, including how legislators may attempt to dial down funding levels or make other changes through the amendment and substitution process in the executive session. 

We highlight concerns about special education funding, particularly the risk of reduced excess cost multipliers and the possible removal of funding for OSPI’s inclusionary work.

With a February 28 deadline approaching for fiscal committees, we encourage listeners to contact legislators—especially those on the Senate Ways & Means or House Appropriations Committees—to protect critical funding. 

Looking ahead, we preview the next hurdles: Rules Committee screenings and floor debates, leading up to the March 12 cutoff for bills to pass their house of origin.

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Rainy Day Rundown is your update on the latest happenings related to Seattle Public Schools. In this episode, we examine what systemic neglect looks like:

🔹 Restraint & Isolation – For the third year in a row, testimony reveals heartbreaking stories of students being restrained, isolated, and ignored by lawmakers.

🔹 Students Caught in the Crossfire – A shooting at the Bridges and Interagency School leaves vulnerable students in harm’s way, while district leaders remain silent.

🔹 February 12 School Board Meeting: The School Board votes on the superintendent’s contract (again), hears a detailed analysis of the enrollment study done by Strategies360, and has an emotional discussion on the future of the Highly Capable Cohort. 

🔹 Listener Feedback & Community Notes: We share what our listener community is talking about, including how executive orders on the federal level are being addressed on the state and district level, and option school waitlists.

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In Week 6 of the 2025 Washington State legislative session, we delve into the status of the Big 3 funding priorities for public education: special education, pupil transportation, and MSOC (materials, supplies, and operating costs). With the first policy cutoff approaching on February 21st, any bill not passed out of its policy committee by then will be considered dead for the year—though exceptions exist.

Megan Larkin shares insights on how to advocate for the Big 3 bills, emphasizing the importance of contacting key legislators and maintaining pressure to get bills scheduled for executive action. 

We also recap Focus Day, where education advocates gathered in Olympia, demonstrating strong support for the Big 3 priorities. With legislative deadlines looming, staying engaged remains critical to securing full funding for public education.

Stay tuned as we continue this journey through the fiscal cutoff and beyond.

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We are now in Week 5 of the 2025 Washington State legislative session, continuing our deep dive into the Big 3 priorities—transportation, special education, and MSOC (materials, supplies, and operating costs). Megan Larkin guides us through the latest updates, legislative deadlines, and advocacy actions needed to push these crucial bills forward.

This week’s theme: “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” With many bills still making their way through the process, now is the time to stay engaged and keep the pressure on lawmakers to ensure full funding for public education.

Send us a voice memo with your impact stories at [email protected].

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Each person’s opinions are their own. 

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Rainy Day Rundown is your weekly update on the latest happenings related to Seattle Public Schools. 

In this episode:

1. Special School Board Meeting: The School Board listens to public testimony on the proposed Goals and Guardrails  before discussing, amending, and adopting the new Goals and Guardrails for 2025-2030.
2. National Assessment of Educational Progress : We mention the recently released  results of national test scores from the Department of Education. 
3. Community Notes: We share what our community is talking about including the controversial school levy on the next ballot and our experiences at the Billion Dollar Bake Sale. 

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It’s week 4 of the 2025 legislative session in Washington State. Megan Larkin is helping us follow the education bills related to the Big 3 priorities embraced by major education advocacy organizations across Washington. 

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TRANSPORTATION BILLS:

• SB 5187 - Wellman
• HB 1579 - Nance 

MSOC (Materials, Supplies, Operating Costs) BILLS:

• SB 5192 - Nobles
• HB 1338 - Berg

SPECIAL EDUCATION BILLS:

• SB 5263 - Pedersen/Braun
• HB 1310 - Pollet

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Rainy Day Recess music by Lester Mayo, logo by Cheryl Jenrow.