Latest news with #PascoSchoolDistrict
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pasco graduation disrupted by student yelling ‘should have started with English'
A Pasco High School graduate and his family will be meeting with administrators this week after he disrupted the school's commencement ceremony with comments that criticized the principal's use of Spanish. As Bulldogs from the class of 2025 were handed their diplomas Saturday at Edgar Brown Memorial Stadium, one student reportedly spoke into a microphone, 'This is America. You should've started with English.' His comments appeared to be in reference to Principal Veronica Machado's welcome speech, which was given first in Spanish and then in English. The school and broader community have a large Spanish-speaking population. More than 80% of the school's population come from Hispanic and Latino backgrounds, and more than half of Pasco residents overall speak a language other than English at home. The district appears to have edited out the student's comments from the livestream on Sunday, and on Monday took the video down to add edits to clarify students' names. The interruption was caught by audience members and has been shared thousands of times across social media. 'We are disappointed and saddened that a Pasco High School student chose to disrupt the graduation ceremony on Saturday, June 7, 2025, by making a personal statement that does not reflect the values of our school district,' Pasco School District administrators said in a statement. 'Before participating in graduation ceremonies, all students are required to sign an agreement to uphold standards of appropriate conduct. The student's decision to move into the personal space of the name readers and speak over their microphone was a clear departure from that agreement and selfishly took attention away from the achievements of all graduates being celebrated. The district will take steps to prevent disruption of speakers on stage at all future events,' the statement continued. An administrator reportedly addressed the disruption on stage and after the ceremony. The district plans to hold a series of meetings and listening sessions this week with students, staff and families who were impacted. While district and school admin plan to meet with the student and his family, it's unclear if he will face any discipline or repercussions. School Board President Amanda Brown said in a statement on her personal social media account that it's important all students and families know they belong in their schools, that their languages and cultures are valued, and that Pasco continues to strive toward an inclusive environment. 'While every student is entitled to their voice and lived experience, I do not condone the manner or message in which this moment unfolded,' Brown said. 'I believe it is important to reaffirm that Pasco is a diverse and inclusive community, and our schools should reflect and celebrate that diversity. Language is a powerful expression of identity, and the use of Spanish during the ceremony was a meaningful way to honor our bilingual students, families and staff,' she continued. The school district is home to the state's largest dual language program, educating more than 2,000 multi-lingual students with instruction in Spanish and Russian in addition to English. The district says this program promotes bilingualism, biliteracy, socio-economic competency and high academic achievement. About 509 students graduated from Pasco High School over the weekend.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Washington state's school funding crisis is far from over
With the expiration of COVID relief funds, Washington's school districts face a financial cliff that threatens to undermine children's education. The situation has become particularly dire in the Mid-Columbia. The comedown from the sugar high of stimulus money has hit rural districts especially hard. During the pandemic, Kennewick, Pasco and Richland school districts received more than $137 million in one-time COVID relief. They used that money to fund programs like online learning academies and mental health services, knowing full well they'd have to make cuts without continued assistance. The problem isn't unique to this region, but districts in wealthy areas around Seattle can more easily pass levies to supplement inadequate state funding. Their larger property tax bases mean they can keep rates lower, too. Rural school districts must convince reluctant voters to approve higher rates. The Finley School District, for example, needed two tries to pass a recent operations levy and still will have to slash its budget. This creates an inherently inequitable system in which educational opportunities depend on ZIP codes — a situation that violates both the spirit and letter of the state's constitutional obligation to educate kids. Rankings by the State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction found that more than half of Mid-Columbia districts are below the state average for financial health. Pasco, Finley, Kiona-Benton City, Prosser and Richland all scored poorly. Kennewick, Columbia-Burbank and North Franklin fared better. Things could get worse. The Trump administration has threatened to suspend funding for schools that do not conform to White House edicts on race, ethnicity and gender. Washington has staked out positions in support of marginalized groups that run counter to those demands. The state constitution explicitly declares education to be the state's 'paramount duty,' a responsibility the state Supreme Court reinforced in its landmark McCleary decision. Despite state investment, many school districts face widespread cuts that will directly impact student learning because the state's approach to education funding is fundamentally flawed. Washington's school funding as a percentage of the state's general fund peaked in 2019 at more than 50%. Since then, it has fallen to about 43%. Meanwhile, operational costs for districts have skyrocketed, with liability insurance up nearly 50% and utilities increasing more than 30% since 2019. When costs increase and state funding does not keep pace, the effects land hardest on less-wealthy, often rural, districts. It will not be enough for lawmakers to come up with more money. They must find ways to equitably distribute the resources to help school districts that most need it. The Legislature took a step forward this session by passing Senate Bill 5263 to eliminate the special education funding cap, but that measure falls short of addressing the comprehensive funding needs of schools. The House and Senate compromised on approximately $870 million in additional special education funding over the next two budgets — significantly less than the $2 billion initially proposed by the Senate. With the 2025 legislative session over, additional state help will not be immediately forthcoming. Hopefully, lawmakers will listen to local school districts in the months to come and understand that they must do more to address the structural flaws in school funding. Fully funding every Washington school is not merely a policy preference but a moral and legal imperative. The consequences of inaction extend far beyond classroom walls. Inadequate school funding today means a less-prepared workforce tomorrow, reduced economic competitiveness, and greater social costs for our entire state. Washington's economic future depends on ensuring all students receive high-quality education. This isn't a partisan issue. The Legislature must stop applying bandages to a system that requires major surgery. It won't be easy. Lawmakers and the governor are coming off a session in which they had to deal with a revenue shortfall. There wasn't enough money to pay for everything the Legislature wanted. Spending cuts and tax increases ensued. Moving from one crisis through a period of relative calm to the next crisis is not enough. Washington needs a wholesale reconstruction of how it reliably funds schools to ensure that all students, regardless of where they live, receive the high-quality education that is their constitutional right.
