Supreme Court hears fair school funding appeal

The Washington state Supreme Court heard a case filed against the state by Federal Way Public Schools last Thursday. The Federal Way school district claims the state's current system for determining school district funding is unfair.
King County Superior Court Judge Michael Heavey granted Federal Way Public School's suit Nov. 2, 2007. In his decision, he described it as temporary until the state Supreme Court ruled on the issue.
As Leavey explained it, school districts receive a certain amount of funding per pupil. The number of students determines the number of staff members allocated in the classified (paraeducators, food service employees, secretaries, bus drivers...), certificated (teachers, counselors) and administrator categories. The three categories each have three funding ranges, which is where the disparity comes from, and the reason why there are 258 different funding levels for the state's 295 school districts, according to the Nov. 2, 2007 opinion.
The ranges are based on the salaries the individual district paid staff during the 1976-77 school year, according to the Federal Way Public Schools Web site.
According to a calculator the Federal Way School District created, it was underpaid by around $6.5 million this school year and the Stanwood-Camano School District was underfunded by about $1.6 million.

Candidate update

In addition to the local positions listed in the last entry, Stanwood-Camano School Board director position 1 is also on the ballot. Patrick Patterson, current school board member, is running unopposed for that seat.

Candidates file for local elections

Quite a few local races are on the ballot this year.
Today is the cutoff for candidates to file for office.
The Snohomish County Council District 1 seat, currently filled by John Koster, is up for election. Koster is running, and he is joined by local resident Ellen Hiatt Watson and Arlington resident Krista Larsen. Both Watson and Larson have indicated a Democratic preference, and Koster has filed as a Republican for the 4-year, partisan office.
For the city of Stanwood, incumbent Conrad Ryer is currently unopposed for city council position 1. Timothy Pearce and Gerald Steik have both thrown their hats in for city council position 2. Incumbent Leonard Kelley is also unapposed for position 7.
Stanwood Mayor Dianne White is running for re-election with Timothy Loney, the current city councilman for position 6, as an opponent. Should Loney be elected, city council would appoint someone to fill his position, and position 6 would be up in the next election.
All of the city offices are nonpartisan and 4-year terms.
With the Stanwood-Camano School District, Roger Myer, current president of the school board, is unopposed for director district 2, a 4-year nonpartisan office.
For North County Fire/EMS Fire District 14, which covers Warm Beach, Stuart Lervick is running unopposed for re-election as district 14 commissioner position 2, a 6-year, nonpartisan office. For fire district 19, which includes Silvana, Kevin Buhr has filed.
The primary will be held Aug. 18, and the general election on Nov. 3.

Record request

As part of "At a loss: A look at the school district's food service program" in the latest issue of the Stanwood/Camano NEWS, I did a series of public record requests directed to area school districts and the state Department of Labor and Industries. This is a copy of the records I received from the Stanwood-Camano School District. To make the pages larger, click on them.

A close-up view of sturgeon

While at Kayak Point County Park this Tuesday, I took this picture of a dead sturgeon found on the beach at low tide. The sturgeon was about three feet long.
Sturgeon arrive in the area late winter or early spring and tend to stay until July, according to Jason Griffith, fisheries biologist with the Stillaguamish Tribe.
In Port Susan, sturgeon feed on ghost shrimp.
Sturgeon can live for up to 100 years and get to be 20 feet long and weigh 1,500 pounds.
When people fish for sturgeon, they have to release both the small and large fish, and can only keep the ones between four and six feet long. The larger sturgeon tend to spawn better.

Only 2 days until Relay for Life

Relay for Life of Stanwood/Camano Island will start 7 p.m., Fri., May 29.
Cancer survivors will take to the Stanwood High School (SHS) track first, led by J.P. Patches and followed by the SHS drum line and the relay teams.
The event benefits the American Cancer Society.
So far, almost 1,100 people involved in 95 different teams have signed up for the relay and about $140,000 has been raised.
Organizers hope for 100 relay teams, $250,000 in donations and 150 survivors taking part in the survivor lap.
There is still time to get involved with the relay. Luminaria, candle-filled bags representing someone who survived, is fighting or died of cancer, can be purchased at the relay at the luminaria tent. People can also sign up to participate at that time.

For more information, go to the Relay for Life of Stanwood-Camano Island’s Web site at . Questions can be directed to Sue Thees at sbthees@wavecable.com.

State Parks sets date to consider Wenberg transfer

The state Parks and Recreation Commission will vote on whether or not to approve the transfer of Wenberg State Park to Snohomish County Fri., June 12.
The public will have a chance to comment at the 9 a.m. meeting, located at 270 9th St NE in East Wenatchee. The commission will accept written comments submitted before 8 a.m., Mon. June 8.
To submit comments, e-mail Nata Hurst at nata.hurst@parks.wa.gov or mail input to
Nata Hurst at Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, P.O. Box 42650, Olympia, WA 98504-2650.