Edmonds school board approves potential staff cuts, eyes legislation

EVERETT — The Edmonds school board unanimously approved a reduced educational program for the 2025-26 school year at its meeting Tuesday.

The resolution allows the elimination of up to 12 certificated staff positions. It’s a step in addressing the district’s estimated $8.5 million budget shortfall.

The district anticipates the final number of eliminated positions will be less than 12, said Rob Baumgartner, assistant superintendent of human resources, at Tuesday’s meeting.

The district has yet to finalize numbers for resignations, retirements and leaves of absence for the 2025-26 school year, Baumgartner said. Staff members must be notified of their termination by May 15, according to state law. Because this deadline falls before staffing is finalized, the district may later offer positions to staff members who received termination letters.

“It’s unfortunate that we do have to subject some people to this (reduction in force) process, but it is something that we do go through annually at different scales,” Baumgartner said.

In another step to address the district’s shortfall, the board has been reviewing feedback from its “Balancing Act” survey, which asked community members to balance the budget from a list of potential cuts and new revenue streams. A number of community members spoke out against proposed cuts to the sixth grade music program.

After reviewing the feedback, the district announced April 22 it would make changes to the program. Starting next school year, each sixth grade student will be required to take band or orchestra in place of general music. The change will save the district $260,000 in the first year. By the end of the 2027-28 school year, the district predicts savings will exceed $750,000.

The board will make its final budget decisions, including potential cuts to non-certificated staff, in July.

Those decisions rely on three bills that have made it through the state Legislature and are now awaiting signatures from Gov. Bob Ferguson.

One of the bills would increase funding for special education, providing the district with about $1.85 million. Another would provide funding for materials, supplies and operating costs, totalling about $650,000 for Edmonds School District.

Much of Thursday’s discussion revolved around House Bill 2049, an education levy lid lift bill that would gradually increase the amount of property taxes districts are allowed to collect.

The bill passed the House by a narrow margin of 50-48 and is the most likely of the three bills to receive a veto from the governor, board President Nancy Katims said Tuesday.

Currently, school districts are only allowed to collect $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. If the governor signs the bill, that would gradually increase to $5.035 per $1,000 of assessed property value by 2031.

This would allow the district to collect its full voter authorization, which would increase its levy collections by $6.3 million. If all three bills make it through the governor’s office, the district would bridge its deficit and have about $1.4 million in additional funds without further budget adjustments, Business and Finance Executive Director Lydia Sellie said on Tuesday.

“This isn’t helping us get back the things we’ve cut over the last two years, but it will help us not go deeper into it,” Katims said.

Katims said she plans to send a letter to the governor asking for his support on the bill.

Some board members raised concerns about inequities the bill raises for school funding throughout the state. The version of the bill that passed the Legislature does not include levy equalization assistance, which would ensure districts with less property value could collect more taxes.

“It really helps us, but it’s inequitable,” board member Thom Garrard said. “We have to take care of our district, but we can’t just let that stop at the boundaries of the district. This is a problem for the state.”

The governor has until May 20 to take action on the special education and levy lid lift bills, and until May 18 for the materials, supplies and operating costs bill.

Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.