Oak Harbor Public School teachers are expected to join a growing number of area school districts that have voted to walk out of class for one day.

Teachers want to send a message to state lawmakers, who they say aren’t adequately funding state public schools.

In particular, teachers are concerned lawmakers are shortchanging teacher pay and benefits and pushing to increase class sizes. They also don’t like linking test scores to teacher evaluations, a policy they say isn’t based in research and doesn’t help students or teachers.

Members of the teacher’s union, the Oak Harbor Education Association, were expected to vote Tuesday on whether they should walk out May 1.

The results of the vote came in too late for publication, but association president Kathy Ridle said a preliminary vote last week indicated the union’s membership strongly supports the walk out.

If teachers do approve the walk out, the school district will likely handle it like a snow day and cancel school, said Oak Harbor Public Schools spokeswoman Kellie Tormey. Parents would be informed in advance and need to keep students home.

The day would be made up May 26, a day that was already set aside as an emergency closure make-up day.

On May 1, all evening events and athletic activities will be held as scheduled.

Tormey emphasized this decision comes from teachers, not from the district administration and had no other comment.

Teachers will spend the walk out day writing state lawmakers and picketing to let the community know the reasons for the walk out. They also may send a team of teachers to Olympia to talk with legislators.

“This isn’t about Oak Harbor,” Ridle said. “We’re doing this because we’re unhappy with Olympia and we appreciate the community’s support.”

The teacher’s union wants to cause as little disruption to students and their families, Ridle said. They picked the May 1 date because it gives the district adequate time to alert parents and doesn’t disrupt state standardized tests being administered this week.

Other districts that have voted to walk out include Arlington, Lakewood, Stanwood-Camano, Mount Vernon, Blaine and Sedro-Woolley. Thousands of educators plan to rally on the steps of the state capitol Saturday, a day before the regular legislative session ends, according to a prepared statement from the union.