Youth Civic Bridge · Student Research

Bellevue School District
Funding Gap Analysis

We analyzed 6 years of public OSPI data to visualize where our school funding comes from and why it falls short.

Team: Sarah K. / David L. / Mina P. / Jason W. — Interlake High School, Bellevue
$760M+
Total Revenue (2024)
20,454
Students Enrolled
4,041
ELL Students
~$40M
SPED Funding Gap
~28%
MSOC Gap
~$12M
Transportation Gap

Why We Made This

School budgets are public data, but most students and parents don't understand how they work. We analyzed 6 years of Washington State OSPI data (2019–2024) to answer five key questions. Hover over the charts below to see the exact numbers.

Step 1

Where Does the Money Come From?

Who funds our schools — and how much depends on local votes?

How to Read This

Each bar shows one year's total revenue. Navy = State, Orange = Local Levies, Blue = Federal. The 2021 federal spike was from COVID relief (ESSER) funds.

So What?

Local levies make up about 20% of total revenue. This funding is decided by voter approval. If a levy fails, 1 out of every 5 dollars disappears.

Step 2

Who Needs More Support?

How fast are high-need student populations growing?

How to Read This

Navy line = ELL (English Language Learners), Orange line = SPED (Special Education) student count (left axis). Blue dashed = FRPL (Free/Reduced Lunch) rate (right axis %).

So What?

Over 6 years, ELL grew +32%, SPED +23%, and FRPL rose from 17.7% to 23.2%. Students needing support keep growing, but funding hasn't kept pace.

Step 3

The Special Education Funding Gap

Who actually pays for special education — and how big is the gap?

How to Read This

Navy = State Apportionment (what the state provides), Orange = Local/Levy-funded Gap (what the district covers). Together they make up total SPED expenditure.

So What?

In 2024, total SPED costs were $78.6M but the state only funded $38.2M. The remaining ~$40M (51%) must be covered by local levies. Without levies, the district cannot support special education students.

Step 4

The MSOC Funding Gap

Does the state cover what it actually costs to run a classroom?

How to Read This

Navy = State MSOC allocation (what the state provides per the funding formula), Orange = Actual district MSOC spending. The gap between the two is what the district must cover locally.

So What?

MSOC (Materials, Supplies & Operating Costs) covers everything from textbooks to heating. The state formula hasn't kept up with inflation — in 2024, BSD spent ~$28M more than the state allocated, forcing the district to redirect levy dollars meant for enrichment programs.

Step 5

The Transportation Funding Gap

How much does it cost to get students to school — and who pays?

How to Read This

Navy = State reimbursement for student transportation, Orange = Local/Levy-funded gap (actual cost minus state reimbursement). Together they equal total transportation expenditure.

So What?

Washington reimburses districts based on an outdated formula that doesn't reflect actual costs. In 2024, BSD spent $27.8M on transportation but received only ~$15.5M from the state — a $12.3M gap (44%) covered by local levies. Rising fuel costs and longer routes to serve growing neighborhoods like Crossroads make this worse every year.

What We Learned

Key Findings

  • ~20% of Bellevue's school budget depends on voter-approved levies
  • High-need students (ELL, SPED, FRPL) grew 20-30% over 6 years
  • Over 50% of SPED costs are covered by levies — a structural shortfall
  • MSOC state funding covers only ~72% of actual classroom supply costs
  • Transportation gap reached ~$12M as the state reimburses less than actual costs
  • Immigrant families make up less than 3% of budget hearing participants

Data & Tools Used

  • OSPI — WA State school financial reports (2019–2024)
  • BSD Enrollment — Student demographic data
  • Claude AI — Budget PDF summarization & analysis
  • Chart.js — Interactive data visualization
  • Python — Data pipeline & cleaning

Civic Action Plan

Action Target Timeline Expected Impact
Present funding gap data brief to BSD School Board during public comment period BSD School Board Spring 2026 Raise awareness of SPED, MSOC, and transportation funding shortfalls; advocate for prioritizing levy funds toward highest-gap areas
Submit written testimony to WA State Legislature supporting HB 1956 (SPED funding reform) and MSOC inflation adjustment WA State Legislature / Education Committee Spring 2026 Support bills to increase state SPED reimbursement rate from ~49% to 75% and tie MSOC allocations to CPI inflation index
Create bilingual (English/Korean/Spanish/Chinese) voter guides explaining school levy impacts on SPED, MSOC, and transportation Immigrant families in BSD Summer 2026 Distribute 1,000+ guides at Crossroads, Newport Hills, and school registration events; increase immigrant family levy voter turnout by 10%
Host "Know Your School Budget" workshops at Crossroads Community Center and local churches Parents & community members Fall 2026 Train 150+ parents to read OSPI data, attend budget hearings, and submit public comments; increase immigrant participation from <3% to 10%
Partner with BSD Transportation Dept. to advocate for updated state reimbursement formula at WSSDA conference WSSDA / State legislators Fall 2026 Push for formula update that accounts for fuel costs, route length, and enrollment growth — could recover ~$5M annually for BSD

Your Vote Shapes Our Schools

School levies are decided by community votes. When you understand the data, you can make better choices.

Check Voter Registration →