With more money set to come into the Mercer Island School District from the state’s education budget, which is introducing $1.3 billion into Washington public schools over the next two years, some of the concerns regarding local school funding should seemingly be eased.

But in a discussion with members of the Mercer Island Schools Foundation last Thursday, Mercer Island School Board members alerted that the Legislature’s failure to find a solution regarding local property-tax levies meant the district wasn’t financially “out of the woods” just yet.

“It definitely wouldn’t be fair to assume there’s no gap to bridge this year,” said School Board President Brian Emanuels. “[The Legislature] definitely didn’t provide enough money to fully replace the schools foundation funding, or even close. Maybe within two years, they will have filled that gap and then we can be looking at foundation money for enrichment and enhancement above and beyond basic education. We’re definitely not there for this year, and may not be there next year.”

According to the school district’s guide to the 2015-16 budget, of the district’s $54,391,277 revenue, 57.4 percent, or roughly $32.7 million, will come from the state. Over 25 percent, or nearly $14 million, comes from local levy revenue.

But in 2018, levy limits are expected to drop. Superintendent Dr. Gary Plano said laws passed by the Legislature during the recession allowed local school districts to raise taxes by four percent and raise the levy lid for several years, only for the lid to eventually go back down.

School district CFO/COO Dean Mack estimated a four percent levy drop would equate to a net loss of $1.2 million.

“The clock is ticking,” Emanuels said. “If [the Legislature] doesn’t come up with a solution to increase state funding before that runs out, that would be a huge hit to the district.”

Board member Dave Myerson said the best bet for making up the difference was through the help of the schools foundation.

“I don’t think there is any likelihood of the state prohibiting us from privately raising funds voluntarily, and you are a big, big part of that,” Myerson said. “This is the most efficient way we can fund our schools on Mercer Island. One hundred percent essentially of what we give goes to the schools, and any iteration of what the state does is going to be a far lower number.”

Among initiatives raised that School Board members were looking at for Mercer Island schools were lengthening the elementary school day by 20 minutes to include a world language program, and adding a seventh period at the middle school.

MISF board members also expressed interest in seeing more technology and computer programming courses introduced in curriculums.

Although, Plano noted introducing such new initiatives would be a process, and it would involve working with teachers to make sure everyone was on board.

“Look at Seattle. The teachers are on strike and part of the strike is related to the fact that the superintendent would like to expand the instructional day. What are we trying to do? We’re trying to expand the instructional day. Often, change doesn’t happen from the top down,” Plano said. “It is a journey.”