In the nation, Washington States schools rank a pitiful 42nd in funding for public schools. Within our state, Issaquah School District ranks 268 out of 296 districts, or 30th from the bottom.
Based on 2004-2005 numbers, 296 Districts in State:
| District | Rank | $/Student |
| Seattle | 89 | $9,624 |
| Yakima | 130 | $8,460 |
| Bellevue | 151 | $8,137 |
| Mercer Island | 168 | $8,002 |
| Everett | 184 | $7,844 |
| Lake Washington | 264 | $7,299 |
| Issaquah | 268 | $7,250 |
We received less money from the state for two primary
reasons:
1. Our levy lid is lower
2. Salaries from the state are lower for all ISD employees
Listed below are the levy lid levels for a few area
districts:
Seattle 32.97%
Mercer Island 33.67%
Bellevue 30.66%
Issaquah 24.97%
Lake Washington 24.89%
Everett 24% (receives additional state, fed and
high salaries)
Yakima 24% (but receives additional state and fed
money)
If all districts had the same budget, this would be
the difference in their levy collection (assuming a
budget of $100 million):
Seattle - $32.97 million
Mercer Island - $33.67 million
Bellevue - $30.66 million
Issaquah - $24.97 million
Lake Washington -$24.89 million
Compared to Bellevue School District, our district brings in $6 million less each year. They receive this additional funding based on a legislative decision made over 30 years ago. Imagine what our district could accomplish with this additional funding.
Despite our low levy lid, we rank third in the state in academic achievement, just behind Bellevue and Mercer Island Schools. we are fortunate to have many factors working in our favor including:
The state legislature has long term plans to fix funding. Whether this happens is yet to be seen.
For more detailed information, visit Education Funding.
