Dear HSD Families,
I’m writing to share an update about state reductions to Local Effort Assistance (LEA) and Transition to Kindergarten (TK) funding and what it may mean for our school district. During the 2026 legislative session that just ended a few weeks ago, the state significantly reduced LEA and TK funding for schools across Washington. For the HSD, LEA was reduced by 38% and TK by about 60%.
This is very difficult news, as our current level of state funding already doesn’t fully cover the actual cost of staffing and operating our schools. LEA dollars support student programs and general operations, while TK dollars fund kindergarten readiness classes for 4 year-olds.
Over the past five years, our TK program has become an important and highly effective part of how we support young learners. It helps students build early academic and social skills so that they enter kindergarten ready to succeed. Our TK program has been recognized as a model for other districts, reflecting the care and commitment that our staff has put into the program.
TK is especially important in rural communities like ours, where early learning options are limited. Because this program fills a critical need for our families and schools, we communicated with legislators about the importance of TK in Hockinson. Unfortunately, the outcome fell well short of our expectations.
As we work through what these funding changes will mean at the local level, we will keep a focus on providing our learners with high-quality educational programs and opportunities. That said, there will be reductions to TK as well as other impacts, all of which are still being determined. This work involves careful planning to balance staffing, budget, and student support needs.
I am committed to keeping you informed and either Mrs. Gannon or I will share more details with staff and families in the next few weeks as decisions are finalized.
As I close this message, I want to be sure to thank you for your continued partnership and for the trust you place in our schools in both times of success and difficulty.
Sincerely,
Steve Marshall
Superintendent