The Orcas Island Education Foundation has been in existence for more than 30 years.  Our mission is clear and simple:  “To secure and distribute contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations for the benefit of students in the Orcas Island Public Schools.”  We love what we do, but we would be happy to be out of business. That won’t happen, however, until our Legislature fully funds public education in the state of Washington.

Currently the Washington Legislature is under two mandates to do just that; one mandate is a Supreme Court decision known as “McCleary,” the other calls for smaller classrooms in the voter-passed Initiative 1351. While the Legislature mires itself in partisan brinksmanship, it cannot find the strength of conviction to either increase revenue or make the cuts necessary to fulfill its constitutional mandate to make education the “paramount duty” in the state.

Throughout Washington, teachers in other districts have held rolling walkouts to bring light to this Legislative hubris.  Our local Orcas Education Association has chosen NOT to walk out.  Instead they announced that Sunday, May 17 would be a “Day of Action,” and encourage any interested party to gather at the Orcas ferry landing around 12 p.m., wearing red, “to show our legislature [it] needs to act and take funding education seriously.”

The Orcas Island Education Foundation supports this day of action.

To that end, we hope you will join teachers, administration, staff, parents, students and community members on May 17 in amassing at the ferry landing, wearing red, as a gesture to the Legislature to act on fully funding education.

And until the day comes when we have fully-funded schools, OIEF will continue to fundraise so students may have access to the kind of art, science, math, reading and music experiences that make for a fully-realized education.

Orcas Island Education Foundation Board