Olympia School District budget survey to gather input for priorities, trade-offs 

The Olympia School District sent out the 2026-27 Budget Priorities Survey to collect input on what programs and services the community would like to maintain, and areas where reductions are more tolerable amid existing budget woes.

The anonymous five-part survey takes about five minutes to complete, and will be open until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 3.  

“The Olympia School District is facing financial constraints that require continued reductions to the district budget,” the survey states. 

The first part of the survey asks about the needed values that guide decision-making during budget reductions. 

Choices include instructional materials, student safety, student support, staff positions, class sizes, academic and extracurricular opportunities, professional development, long-term financial sustainability, and equity across schools and student groups. 

The second part of the survey focuses on which areas community members put the highest priority on protecting.  

Choices include core classroom teachers/class size, special education, mental health, student safety, career and technical education, advanced coursework, choice and options, athletics, visual arts, music and performing arts, support staff, support for poverty-stricken schools, and instructional materials. 

The third section of the survey delves into a “trade-off thinking” or what is “more tolerable” to implement when trade-offs are required. 

Trade-off options include consolidating programs with lower participation, increasing class sizes slightly, reducing school or district support staff and administration, delaying curriculum purchases, reducing extracurriculars, and adjusting schedules or service levels. 

The fourth part of the survey is about what experiences are most important to student success and engagement. 

Part four choices include strong relationships with teachers, access to counselors, a range of course options, various clubs and activities, visual arts, music and performing arts career and college readiness, and safety. 

The fifth part of the survey is an open-ended input portion about suggestions for minimizing the impact of potential reductions and any issues the community wants attention to. 

The district has scheduled listening sessions to share feedback on the budget survey on April 14, from 6-7 p.m., at Washington Middle School Library, and April 16, from 6-7 p.m., at Jefferson Middle School Library. 

School board members will visit secondary schools during lunch periods to engage with students and gather feedback in the days and weeks ahead.