The prototypical school model includes allocations per annual average full-time equivalent student for maintenance, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC), which are adjusted annually for inflation as specified in the operating budget.
General MSOC amounts are disaggregated by several categories, with the following values in statute:
Of the above MSOC values, $21 must be expended exclusively on MSOC, and not for any other purpose.
Additional MSOC amounts are provided for students in grades 9-12, with the following values in statute:
MSOC amounts for students enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) courses are provided in the operating budget.
General and 9-12 Maintenance, Supplies, and Operating Costs Allocations.? The MSOC allocations provided in the prototypical model are represented as one large sum per full-time equivalent (FTE) student, rather than disaggregated by category. The MSOC allocation amounts are increased by 10 percent, for a total of $1,723.42 per student for general MSOC allocations and $229.37 per student for additional 9-12 grade allocations. The increased allocation amounts are intended to address growing material, supply, and operating costs and may not be expended for any other purpose.?
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For purposes of calculating general and 9-12 grade MSOC allocations:
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Each school district must annually report all MSOC expenditures, disaggregated by the current MSOC allocation categories, to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
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Career and Technical Education Maintenance, Supplies, and Operating Costs Allocations. MSOC amounts for students enrolled in CTE courses must be calculated using the average of the district's prior three school years' total annual average FTE enrollment.
PRO: State funding has not kept up with district expenses. This bill increases MSOC funding to ensure resources are provided. It includes strong accountability provisions and stabilizes fluctuations in enrollment with the three-year rolling average enrollment. There is a growing disparity between state funding and the cost of necessities, far exceeding the inflation rates. Insurance premiums have increased quickly, with reports of premium increases ranging from 85 percent to 168 percent. The compounding effect of funding shortages for special education, transportation, and MSOC has led to one district experiencing a $26 million shortage in the last five years. Bellevue School District has a $9 million MSOC funding gap, Tukwila has experienced an MSOC gap of $8 million in the last five years, and Federal Way has experienced an MSOC gap of $10 million in the last three years. The current gap is $600 per student, and while this bill will not close the gap it will take a step in the right direction. School districts could have used those funds to put mental health therapists in schools or put resources towards student literacy.
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OTHER: The Legislature should consider covering more costs. MSOC funding is allocated on a per-pupil basis but the expenses don't change due to the number of students in the building. These fixed costs need another approach. The state should consider a private insurance pool for school districts.
PRO: Senator T'wina Nobles, Prime Sponsor; Dr. Kelly Aramaki, Superintendent, Bellevue School District; Dr. Concie Pedroza, Superintendent, Tukwila School District; Dr. Ivan Duran, Superintendent, Highline School District; Dr. Brent Jones, Superintendent, Seattle Public Schools; Dr. Shelley Redinger, Richland School District; Traci Pierce, Kennewick School District; Shane Backlund, ESD 105 Schools Coalition; Julie Salvi, Washington Education Association; Mary Templeton, Lake Stevens School District; Heather Tow-Yick, Issaquah School District; Ben Ferney, Cheney Public Schools; Rob Bryant, Federal Way Public Schools.
PRO: Tricia Lubach, Executive Director, Washington State School Directors' Association; Joel Aune, Executive Director, Washington Association of School Administrators; Melissa Stone, Secretary, Washington State PTA; Lindsey Yocum, Lake Washington School District; Tyler Muench, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction; Samantha Fogg, Seattle Council PTSA Co-President; Jim Kowalkowski, Rural Education Center; Krestin Bahr, Superintendent, Peninsula School District; Jeff Chamberlin, Superintendent, University Place School District; Lance Goodpaster, Superintendent, Franklin Pierce School District; DARCY HUFFMAN, Olympia School District Board of Directors; Doug Vanderleest, WA Association of Maintenance and Operation Administrators; Holly Wehner; Charlie Brown, WA Skills Centers Directors; Megan Fisher; Corinne Wolffe; Christine Remedios; Megan Livingston; Lauren Melvin; Teresa Yette; Jessica Woersching ; Jilliana Anderson; Natalie Stanley Westmeyer, 10241 NE Beach Crest Dr; Christina Ulloa Purrelli; Nicole Minoza; Laurie Kline; Sydney Bond; Eliza Henderson; Erin MacDougall; Michael Henderson; Magda Pratt; Shannon Speicher; Brian Hunt, Oak Harbor Public Schools; Nadine Frost; Aaron Blumenthal; Danielle Wallace; Ryan Arnold; Bryan Frost; Gillian Macdonald; Genevieve Caruncho-Simpson; Natalie Phelps; Hannah Wilson; Rivkah Thomson; Sydney Swalberg; Rachel Ferm; Allison Borovsky; Shannon Elliott; Grace Feldman; Kristina Crawford; Wendy COLEBROOK; Kim Colebrook; Caitlin Kogan; Megan Halverson; Blythe Cozart; Anna Britt.