As the school year approaches, rural counties and school districts in Washington are grappling with the loss of millions of dollars from the Secure Rural Schools program, which expired at the end of 2023 due to Congress’s failure to renew it.
This program, critical for supporting local roads and schools, has distributed approximately $7 billion to over 700 counties and 4,400 school districts across 40 states since its inception in 2000.
U.S. Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat whose district in southwest Washington relies heavily on this funding, expressed frustration over the uncertainty facing families.
“We just don’t know where things are going to land; it’s very frustrating for me,” she said.
Gluesenkamp Perez co-sponsored a bipartisan bill with representatives from California, Colorado, and Oregon aimed at renewing the Secure Rural Schools program, but the legislation has remained stalled in a House subcommittee since February 23.
Meanwhile, the Senate unanimously passed a companion bill on June 18, but it has been held in the House without a hearing since June 23.
Historically, logging revenue has provided essential funds for counties since 1906, with federal law mandating that counties receive 25% of the average revenue generated by their forests over seven years.
The Secure Rural Schools program was introduced to supplement this funding amid declining timber revenue.
However, since Congress did not authorize the program’s renewal, funding has reverted to the standard timber revenue payments for 2024.
As a result, all but 73 counties nationwide opted for Secure Rural Schools payments before it expired.
The switch to timber revenue payments in 2024 has led to significant funding decreases, with many counties seeing at least $1 million less than the previous year.
In Skamania County, for instance, the funding difference between the previous Secure Rural Schools payment and the 2024 timber revenue payment was a staggering $2.3 million.
Consequently, the county’s largest school district, Stevenson-Carson, has laid off over 20 staff members and closed one of its middle schools.
Ingrid L. Colvard, the district’s superintendent, lamented that students will experience a dramatically different school year due to the loss of valued staff and resources that supported their education and well-being.
Lewis County, also represented in Gluesenkamp Perez’s district, is experiencing similar challenges as a result of the funding cuts.
Last year, Lewis County received $1.8 million in Secure Rural Schools funding, which included $700,000 allocated for the maintenance of 1,200 miles of rural roads.
This year, however, the county has only $276,153 available to distribute between the county government and the school districts, leading to delays and cancellations of road repairs and essential maintenance.
Local officials have emphasized that rural counties are not seeking special treatment, but rather fairness and the necessary tools to serve their communities.
“The Secure Rural Schools program is vital for Lewis County, and Congress must act swiftly to reauthorize and fully fund it,” Lewis County Commissioners Scott Brummer, Lindsey Pollock, and Sean Swope wrote in a letter to House leadership on July 16.
In light of the ongoing budget crisis, Gluesenkamp Perez has sent multiple letters to House Speaker Mike Johnson, urging swift action on the proposed bill.
Her most recent letter was sent on July 23, but as of late last week, she had yet to receive a response.
The congresswoman emphasized that she and her colleagues supporting the bill are exploring “any avenue, any vehicle we can find to move forward with this.”
With the school year just around the corner, rural communities in Washington are left waiting and hoping for a prompt resolution to their funding crisis.
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