Paraeducators strike in Port Angeles. But can strapped school districts afford to pay them more?

The Port Angeles School District's more than 3,500 students are getting an extended spring break, as schools remained closed this week because of a paraeducator strike.

The strike on Washington's Olympic Peninsula is a sign of the budget challenges many school districts across the state and nation are facing.

Rebecca Winters has been a paraeducator in Port Angeles for 20 years, and has been president of their union for five. She loves her job supporting students with disabilities in the classroom.

But it's not always easy — Winters has been kicked and spit on throughout her career, as she's tried to ensure struggling students are learning.

"A big part of our day is taking on a lot of aggression, a lot of sadness, a lot of anger from students," she said, "and finding creative ways to get them reengaged."

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The pay isn't great, either. On average, Washington paraeducators make between $22 and $27 per hour, according to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Winters says many of her colleagues get second or third jobs to make ends meet, and that's why they're asking for a 3.7% cost-of-living raise.

"That is in place of dinner time with their family, it's during their weekends, so they don't have any breaks and time to rest," she said.

The strike comes as many Washington school districts grapple with budget deficits fueled by enrollment declines and rising costs, while state funding hasn't kept up. In Port Angeles, for example, the district filled a $5 million budget gap last year, and needs to make another $640,000 in reductions this year.

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In a message to families Wednesday, Superintendent Marty Brewer said the district's current proposal includes about $225,000 in salary and benefit increases for this school year and next. He said the state provided only about 10% of that boost.

He said any further raises could mean cuts to sports and music programs, as well as counselor, school nurse, and social worker staffing.

Earlier this year, a coalition of paraeducator unions pushed the Legislature for statewide raises, but they got only a sliver of what they asked for.

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