• OSPI
  • Report to the Community
  • Resources
Making School Finance Data Work for Everyone
Smiling schoolchildren next to a school bus

 

When districts need to understand their financial health but can’t afford expensive data visualization tools, they’re at a disadvantage, and have typically only had two options: They could pay significant fees to software companies for visualization tools, or they could work with data in formats that were difficult to analyze.

Joli Valentino, PSESD’s executive director of business and operations, envisioned a fiscal dashboard that would serve all districts. Under her leadership and the direction of Justin Lanting, director of school finance, a team spanning four educational service districts — PSESD, ESD 113, ESD 114, and ESD 171 — built a free, interactive fiscal dashboard using data from OSPI.

“Our region includes some of the largest school districts in the state, but also many smaller districts that face steeper barriers to accessing such tools,” Lanting says. “This tool is designed to provide clear, actionable insights so every district, regardless of size, can make informed financial decisions.”

Assistant Fiscal Officer Stephen Lord led the visualization work, creating a tool that pulls together fund balances, financial health indicators, revenue and expenditure reports, staffing charts, and enrollment data by fiscal year and program type, all organized by National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) object codes.

Because district financial data is already public record, the dashboard makes that information easier to see and understand — giving every district, regardless of size or budget, the tools to make informed decisions about their fiscal future.

The dashboard turns complex financial data into clear, visual information, giving districts the confidence to make strategic decisions — whether planning for growth or advocating for resources — and to demonstrate to their communities how they’re using public funds responsibly.

PSESD News Banner

Archive

Smiling schoolchildren next to a school bus

When districts need to understand their financial health but can’t afford expensive data visualization tools, they’re at a disadvantage. Joli Valentino, PSESD’s executive director of business and operations, envisioned a fiscal dashboard that would serve all districts. Under her leadership and the direction of Justin Lanting, director of school finance, a team spanning four educational service districts — PSESD, ESD 113, ESD 114, and ESD 171 — built a free, interactive fiscal dashboard using data from OSPI.

Read More about Making School Finance Data Work for Everyone
A smiling woman holds flowers in the middle of three people posing for an award photo.

Puyallup School District has announced their 2026 Celebrating Excellence Award recipients.

Now in its fourth year, the Celebrating Excellence awards program honors and recognizes staff, volunteers, and community partners for their outstanding work and unwavering commitment to excellence in supporting the success of students and schools within the Puyallup School District. This annual program serves as a testament to the remarkable dedication and contributions of those who go above and beyond in fostering a thriving educational community.

Read More about Puyallup School District Announces the 2026 Celebrating Excellence Award Recipients
An image of the Washington State Superintendent's Award for Educational Excellence

This week, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) announced something new: the inaugural State Superintendent's Award for Educational Excellence. Forty-six school districts across Washington are being recognized — and 16 of them are right here in the PSESD region, serving students in King and Pierce counties and on Bainbridge Island.

Read More about 16 of Our Region's School Districts Just Earned a Statewide Honor
Seattle Public Schools logo

Deadline alert!

The School Counselor of the Year program honors the best of the best in Seattle Public Schools—counselors who are providing excellent service for their elementary, middle, or high school community! And today is the final day to receive nominations to recognize school counselors for their unique and integral roles in their schools.

Read More about Last Day to Nominate a School Counselor for Top Honors at Seattle Public Schools!
A young black girl works on a math equation on a white board.

Math helps in developing logical reasoning, analytical thinking, and effective problem-solving, and it's also essential for managing personal finances, cooking, and navigating. In addition, math skills are part of a vital foundation for those pursuing work in science, technology, engineering, business, and more.

The Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD) offers regional math coordinators who operate as a statewide system to improve math instruction and increase student achievement through coordinated professional learning and customized district support.

Read More about Helping Teachers and Districts Support Student Learning in Math
A chart demonstrating Washington's goals to reduce chronic absenteeism each year.

Last month, Washington state joined a nationwide effort led by Attendance Works to change what attendance means in our schools. It's not about tracking who shows up—it's about recognizing that when students are in class, they're connected to teachers, peers, and the support systems that help them to thrive.

The National Chronic Absence Challenge set an ambitious goal: to cut chronic absenteeism in half over five years. For Washington, that means reducing chronic absence from 27% to 14% by 2029. Our school districts across PSESD are stepping up to meet this challenge.

Read More about Getting Students in the Door: Why Washington's New Attendance Challenge Matters
A young girl shares her scientific project in class.

Today, according to statistics from UNESCO, women continue to represent less than one third of the world's researchers.

Taking place each year on February 11, the International Day for Women and Girls in Science is working to change that, and the day helps to showcase existing good practices and solutions for building more inclusive Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) ecosystems. 

Read More about Celebrating The International Day for Women and Girls in Science