Washington parents launch a 'Billion Dollar Bake Sale' for K-12 funding

SEATTLE — How many gluten-free snickerdoodles, mocha chocolate chip cookies and whole wheat loaves would it take to raise $4 billion?

"I have no idea," 11-year-old Palawan Rito said as she surveyed the desserts on Saturday at a Billion Dollar Bake Sale event in South Seattle. The campaign is aimed at the state's K-12 funding issues, while lobbying lawmakers for $4 billion more annually for schools.

Education will be a key issue in this year's legislative session, which begins Monday. Advocates argue that the state has not fulfilled its constitutional duty to "amply" fund K-12 schools, which has forced districts to rely on local levies to close the gap. The groups want to increase funding in three areas: special education, transportation and a category called materials, supplies and operations.

While many lawmakers have publicly said they favor boosting K-12 spending, it's unclear how much more districts will get. The state also has an estimated $12 billion budget deficit. Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson has said that he wants to increase education funding but is not in favor of a wealth tax to generate revenue.

The coalition behind The Billion Dollar Bake Sale isn't really banking on selling cookies, cakes and pastries to solve the problem.

"Families can't bake-sale their way to closing a $4 billion gap in education funding," said Alex Wakeman Rouse, the co-chair of All Together for Seattle Schools, one of the five organizations behind the campaign. The statewide teachers union, the Washington Education Association, is also supporting the initiative.

"It's a catchy way to draw folks' attention to this issue and the solutions," Rouse continued. "There are so many districts across the state that have been grappling with budget cuts and increasing student costs that many think it's their school districts, the school boards or local decision-makers are to blame."

In reality, Rouse said, what the state provides has not kept up with inflation or the cost of a 21st century education.

Advocates say parents are in a unique position to share firsthand perspectives with lawmakers about the impact of current and future funding.

"Parents directly see the impacts of schools on their kids," said Larry Delaney, president of the Washington Education Association. "They hear the stories of buildings that have buckets collecting water because there are leaks in the roofs. They see the impact when music programs and the arts are cut because they are looked at as extras."

"They are also voters," he added. "The people who are making these decisions are elected officials. And that makes a difference."

The group borrowed the concept from a similar campaign in Michigan last year. It's also making it easier to contact lawmakers, with ready-made postcards and letters, which are also posted on its website. The coalition is also planning a Jan. 30 advocacy day in Olympia, hoping students will attend.

Megan Fisher, the co-advocacy chair at Gatewood Elementary School's parent-teacher association in West Seattle, said some of the school's fifth graders are expected to make the trip. Other Seattle schools may also join.

"I hope that they learn that their voice matters — (and) the importance of speaking up for their needs and the needs of the community," Fisher said.

On Saturday, parents, students and teachers set up five "bake sale" sites at five locations in Southeast Seattle, including at a Marination restaurant and the Columbia City Farmers Market.

Ariel Mieling, whose children attend Dearborn Park International Elementary School in Beacon Hill, approached shoppers on their way to the market.

"Have you heard of The Billion Dollar Bake Sale?" she asked, before giving a summary of the state's K-12 funding issues and how communities can play a role.

While many were receptive to the messages, not everyone was signed up. An elderly couple did not think the issue was solvable, said Sarah Kimmerle, whose children attend Graham Hill Elementary. Others filled out the postcards with handwritten notes and drawings for lawmakers.

"Every child deserves a chance to unlock their true potential," one person wrote. "Fund the Southend," another wrote. "I want to learn with my friends," another wrote.

Kimmerle fears that without more state funding, the district might again consider closing schools.

"There is no way to solve this with what the governor is putting forward," she said. "They won't be able to solve or improve anything. It's not a solvable problem, without taxing the superwealthy. It's a numbers problem."

Megan Lim, whose children attend Dearborn Park, is worried that forcing schools to rely on local levies to fund programs will exacerbate inequities. Her children are in the Mandarin immersion program, and the salaries of the instructional aides are paid through levy funds, she said.

But she's aware the state faces a deficit.

"I look at it as an investment," she said. "If you invest in children early, that allows you to provide the tools they need to be successful later on down the line."

The group has garnered support outside of Seattle, with backing from parents in the Yelm and Bellingham school districts. Some of those parents have fought school closures and have seen their district cut programs and staff.

Tightened budgets have put "the burden on parents, who are already dealing with so much now to try to fix this problem or enable them by saying, 'Cut this, keep that, close this school, keep that school open,' " said Ben Higgins, an Olympia parent. "That shouldn't be on us. It shouldn't be on the school district, because it's a failure on the level above them."