South Coast Education Service District (ESD) extends its sincere gratitude to Senator Anderson, Senator Brock-Smith, Representative Wright, and Representative Boice for attending the K-12 education-focused legislative forum held on January 6th at South Coast ESD.

During the forum, these elected leaders shared their perspectives on the upcoming legislative session and listened to input from educators representing schools across the region. Discussions centered on critical priorities, including:

School Funding: Ensuring sustainable resources for local districts and encouraging the use of the Education Stability Fund to backfill for reduced state revenues.

Support for Teachers: Addressing challenges in managing complex classroom behaviors.

Special Education Funding: Increasing funding to meet the growing needs of students.

Educators, including teachers, superintendents, board members, and principals, also highlighted success stories in early literacy instruction and emphasized the importance of continuing current initiatives without introducing new unfunded mandates.

Jackie Crook, a long-time career educator, South Coast ESD board member, and the South Coast representative on the Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) Board of Directors, encouraged participants to reach out to her anytime. Jackie reaffirmed her commitment to advancing the needs of South Coast Educators through OSBA's advocacy efforts during the legislative session.

South Coast ESD appreciates the collaboration and engagement of our legislative partners and looks forward to working together to strengthen education for every student in our region.