Dear friends and neighbors, 

It’s officially fall, and I’m back in the classroom teaching special education. As an educator in the Camas School District and a parent, I know how concerned teachers, parents, and students are about the potential impact of district budget shortfalls.  

I’ve spent the summer connecting with my fellow teachers and parents to talk about the challenges facing our education system. I’ve also visited school districts in rural and urban parts of our state and spoken to superintendents about what they need to ensure their students succeed. Our state’s school districts are as diverse as our students, and it’s critical that we meet them where they are. We must ensure we can support every one of our 1.1 million public school students in Washington state.  

While the federal government slashes education funding, we are prioritizing our students, teachers, and schools in Washington. Last session, we passed a budget that invested $1.4 billion over the next four years to boost special education services and help districts cover materials, supplies, and operating costs (commonly referred to as MSOC). We also passed a bill I sponsored extending special education services for students with disabilities until the end of the school year in which they turn 22 years old. As a special education teacher, I know how critical specialized and inclusive learning environments are to students’ lives. 

I’m proud of the work we accomplished this past session, but I know we must do more to meet our duty to fund education. At a time when the Trump administration is cutting funding for education including cuts to special education; our state must step up. We cannot allow schools to close or our students to fall behind academically because we failed to provide the resources our school districts need. That’s why I’m already working with my colleagues to continue our efforts to improve and support education in our state in a fiscally responsible manner.  

It’s an honor to represent you and a privilege to bring our southwest Washington values to Olympia. 

Sincerely, 

Sen. Adrian Cortes