NWESD serving and supporting education in 35 school districts
Northwest Educational Service District 189
ESD funding – what makes Educational Service Districts unique:
how NWESD 189 uses core funding:
Unlike local school districts, which receive the majority of their funding from the state, ESDs are largely self-supporting organizations sustained by competitive grants, cooperatives, and fees for service. “Core” funding – the amount allocated by the state – totals only 2.21% of ESD funding statewide (see reverse page) for fiscal year 2008/09. Core funding is based on the number of school districts and the size of the geographic region served. For NWESD 189, core funding decreased from $587,330 in 2008/09 to $528,726 in 2010/11.
why state core funding is critical: While core funding does not make up a large percentage of ESD funding, it provides a critical component. Indeed, core funding is the foundation on which all ESD service is built. It is the catalyst that turns $1 of funding into $45 of service (reverse page). Core funding ultimately generates revenue and services at no cost to the state. If core funding were reduced, students and taxpayers would suffer – student services would decrease and/or costs to the state would increase.
1601 R Avenue Anacortes, WA 98221
Core funding funds portions of myriad critical functions including: curriculum and instruction, grant development, teacher certification, and school financial services; services that benefit students, staff and schools in all 35 public school districts we serve and support.
history of core funding – a downward spiral: In 1979-80, the core allocation for all ESDs totaled just over $5 million, or 9 percent of total ESD revenue. Today, after three decades of inflation totaling 200.3 percent (1979-2010), the core allocation remains just over $5 million. Had the 1979-80 allocation been adjusted to keep pace with inflation, today’s allocation to the state’s nine ESDs would require more than $15 million.
the ESDs’ request/local districts’ need –maintain current core funding: As team players in a tough economic environment, the ESDs do not seek core funding increases from the state. Rather, to fulfill our commitments and responsibilities to local districts, we simply seek to maintain core funding at the current level.
p. 360.299.4000
f. 360.299.4070
www.nwesd.org