To help you be an informed voter, the Freedom Foundation has identified four questions that can be a barometer to show how candidates would balance the interests of unions with the interests of families and taxpayers.

1) To what extent should levy funds be used to enhance the wages and benefits of those school employees paid by the state?

This question focuses on our finding that the union’s top priority is to divert levy funds from services to compensation despite the harm this practice has on our education system.

Learn more here.

2) What do you think about partial school days or a shortened school year?

This question highlights the alarming trend that workloads may be lightened in union contracts by sending students away.

Learn more here, here, here and here.

3) Should the school board pass a resolution to clearly spell out how levy funds shall be spent before asking the voters to pass a levy? 

This question addresses transparency and promises. Some districts are quite specific about committing the levy funds to clearly identified priorities. Others use vague language like “to the classroom” to cover the fact that it will be used for employee raises. When funds are earmarked in advance, it’s easier for the district to stand firm against union demands for lesser priorities.

Learn more here and here.

4) What’s your top priority for spending any new discretionary funds the state provides in the new budget?

New discretionary funds are coming to school districts. Most of the new funds are for specific purposes like full-day kindergarten, hiring more teachers or specific programs. But the increase in state funds includes some money that will be used for discretionary purposes, and it will free some levy funds for other uses. What services will the community begin to see as these funds are newly available? Or is the district going to simply pay more for the same services using these new dollars?

Learn more here.

See what answers were provided by school board candidates:

School Board Voters Guide

Also included

Do the advocates for monopolies, reduced accountability and larger, more expensive government favor one of the candidates?

The guide also shows:

1. Whether the candidate is endorsed or funded by the Washington Education Association Political Action Committee
2. How much money unions have donated to their campaign according to the Public Disclosure Commission
3. Whether the Progressive Voters’ Guide recommends the candidate
4. The email address provided by the candidate so you can ask them these or other questions.