Board of Directors Approved Resolution Opposing Initiative 1033

Evergreen Public Schools' Board of Directors held a special meeting Wednesday evening (October 21, 2009) to approve Resolution 5091 which opposes Initiative 1033 (I-1033) which will go before voters on Tuesday, November 3, 2009.

The Board of Directors joined with the Evergreen Education Association (EEA) to oppose I-1033 because it would reduce state revenue by an estimated $5.9 billion by 2015 by locking in budget cuts for years, thereby further eroding K-12 funding in the state of Washington. I-1033would also likely force further cuts to public services resulting in more job losses and a longer delay before the economy improves.

Washington is already 44th in the nation for funding education. A measure similar to I-1033 was just repealed in Colorado after voters watched their school funding drop from tenth in the nation to 49th.

"In a state that has taken a high standard for education, this is contradictory to what we stand for," said Board of Directors president Joan Skelton. Superintendent John Deeder added, "Besides what it would do to education, it would cripple the economy, the city and the state. This is absolutely the wrong thing to do."