Letter to the Editor: Inclusion requires investment - vote Yes for the school levy

To the Editor:

Every classroom in Shoreline has students who learn differently. When they don't get the support they need, it affects everyone: the student struggling to access learning, their classmates, and their overwhelmed teacher.

As a parent of a neurodivergent child, I know what advocacy looks like. It means sitting in IEP meetings, sending follow-up emails, and constantly pushing for services that should already be in place. We become experts in special education law because we have to.

But here's what many people don't realize: special education is legally required but not fully funded by the state. Since 2020, our district has had to find $132 million to cover gaps in essential services. That's money taken from other programs to meet legal obligations for students with disabilities.

The impact is visible everywhere. Teachers are burning out because they're managing larger caseloads without adequate support staff. Students who need intensive services aren't getting them. General education students lose out too when their teachers are stretched thin covering multiple roles.

In my work in neurodiversity research, I see how critical proper support systems are for student success. When schools lack resources, students who learn differently fall further behind, and the achievement gap widens.

This levy provides $7.25 million over two school years to help bridge these funding gaps. It won't solve everything, but it will keep critical staff positions and ensure students with disabilities aren't pushed to the margins.

We talk about inclusion, but inclusion requires investment. It requires adequate staffing, proper training, and sufficient resources. Without this levy, we'll see more service cuts and larger class sizes.

If we want schools that truly serve all learners, we have to fund them appropriately. Our most vulnerable students are counting on us.

I'm voting yes on the levy. I hope you will too.

Jenny Skytta
Shoreline