Gov. Jay Inslee has signed Rep. Drew Stokesbary’s legislation will provide immediate relief to mostly small or rural school districts, including Carbonado and Dieringer, as they transition to the new K-12 funding model passed in 2017.

Stokesbary’s House Bill 2163 would ensure that districts receive no less than the amount of funding they received in 2017-18. Under the legislation, select districts receive special payments to help “smooth” some of the effects of the new funding model, providing those districts with more stable and predictable funding over the next few years.

“When the Legislature overhauled the K-12 funding model, we knew there would be growing pains. And while some of these pains are a natural symptom of the process, I’ve continued to work closely with our local school districts to understand their unique challenges,” said Stokesbary, R-Auburn. “In talking with administrators, teachers and parents, it became clear that many of the state’s smaller school districts, including the 31st district’s own Carbonado and Dieringer school districts, faced significantly more challenges in adapting to the new funding model, due to factors like their small size, isolated location, lower property tax base, and lack of a high school. My bill provides immediate financial support to the districts struggling the most, including $1.7 million in additional funding for Carbonado and Dieringer in the upcoming school year.”

Stokesbary added, “It is my job to ensure that students across the entire state have an equal opportunity to succeed. I’m proud to have worked with school leaders and legislators on both sides of the aisle to craft a solution that ensures students in school districts like Carbonado and Dieringer are afforded the same opportunities as students in other, larger districts.”

House Bill 2163 has an emergency clause, meaning it is now in effect.