For decades, a small portion of state funds provided for K-12 school construction has come from revenue generated by school trust lands, primarily from the sale of timber.
These dollars, regardless of where they are generated, go into the Common School Construction Account. They are then distributed to school districts as part of the School Construction Assistance Program, which provides state funding for school construction when a local school district can offer matching dollars.
To provide local matching dollars, school districts often seek the support of their community and pass a bond, which requires 60 percent voter approval. Many districts across Washington struggle to pass bonds when needed. And for many districts in rural communities, even when voters do approve a local bond measure, the tax base does not generate enough funding to make all the critical improvements their school buildings need.
This is especially problematic for rural communities like those across Southwest Washington because, despite being the largest generator of timber revenues deposited in the Common School Construction Account, the majority of those resources end up benefiting districts in urban areas.
