Legislative Priorities
2025 AESD Legislative Platform
The Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD) Network comprises Washington’s nine Educational Service Districts (ESDs). We provide student and educator services focused on learning. This year, our legislative goal is sustaining the AESD Network’s student support systems.
STUDENT SAFETY & WELL-BEING
Washington’s students continue to struggle with heightened stress levels, anxiety, and social isolation. Too many students are uninsured or underinsured and face barriers to seeking medical help. With licenses to provide mental health therapy, ESDs are uniquely equipped to increase student access to care. State funding goes directly to school-based mental and behavioral health services for students, and critical data support and evaluation.
Resources
- Behavioral Health 1-pager
- 2023/24 AESD Behavioral Health Student Assistance Evaluation
PROPOSED SOLUTIONS:
- RESTORE funding for school-based mental and behavioral health services to approximately 67 school sites, prioritizing those farthest from existing services. The State currently funds only 18 school sites — down from 100 last year.
- REMOVE barriers for ESDs and school districts accessing Medicaid for school-based services. The current system is not structured for school settings or for providing youth and adolescent care. And under the current state Medicaid Plan, child and adolescent therapists aren’t funded for full care.
TOTAL REQUEST: $9.9M in FY 26 and $10.1M in FY 27
STUDENT-CENTERED SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPPORT
While the Legislature has increased basic education funding significantly over the past decade, Special Education; Pupil Transportation; and Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs (MSOC) remain severely underfunded.
Visit www.waschoolfunding.org for more information.
PROPOSED SOLUTION:
- CLOSE the gap between what the state allocates for Special Education; Pupil Transportation; and Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs and what it actually costs school districts to provide those services.
Additional Session Resources
Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP)
League of Education Voters (LEV)
Office of the Governor
Gov. Inslee Proposed 2025-27 Budget
Gov-Elect Fergeson 2025-27 Budget Priorities
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA)
Washington Education Association (WEA)
Washington State Legislature
Washington State PTA (WSPTA)
Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA)
Legislative Contact
Melissa Gombosky
AESD Legislative Liaison
melissagombosky@gmail.com