Hillcrest School is aging, you can’t drink the water from its pipes and the parking is almost non-existent.

That all doesn’t really matter because it’s what happens inside the school that counts. That’s why it’s so frustrating that our leaders back in that other Washington can’t get the federal budget right.

Rather than figure out a thoughtful way to trim federal spending, President Barack Obama and our senators and representatives came up with the bright idea to just cut billions in spending, in a process known as sequester.

I’ve been trying to figure out how all these smart people decided to use the word “sequester” to describe what they’re doing. When I hear sequester, I think jury; maybe we need to lock those D.C.-ites in a room, away from the public.

(I did Google sequester: As a noun, it’s a general cut in government spending, so maybe they’re just trying to obscure what they’re doing.)

I am not writing about Washington, D.C., just to whine, but it does feel good.

I am writing about Washington, D.C., because what’s happening there could make it harder for some Renton’s kids to get a good education.

Some of that money locked away in D.C. would go to help pay for education at Hillcrest Early Learning Center. The money is tied to Head Start and the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), both key components of early childhood education, especially for the poor and those with disabilities.

Also at the Hillcrest in the Highlands is the Renton School District’s inclusive preschool, where Sue Schindele is a speech pathologist. She gave me a tour of Hillcrest, part of the Renton Chamber of Commerce Business and Education Exchange.

Over the years, the exchange has offered me a chance to see the wonderful work done in Renton’s schools

I was offered bottled water; staff and students aren’t allowed to drink from the fountains. Hillcrest is an old school, with an almost industrial feel because of a large chimney at its center.

Teachers have given up work space so that their students will have more room to learn. There are aides so no child is left to struggle. A student’s individual needs are carefully assessed and a plan is written to specifically meet those needs.

Classrooms are bright and cheery and geared toward kids with special physical needs. There is plenty of patience and a keen understanding on the part of specialists like Sue and the early learning teachers of what it takes to help the children succeed.

Peek around the edges from in front of that very long school and you’ll see Meadow Crest rising behind, where about 600 kids will move next school year to continue their education in the programs now at Hillcrest.

It would be a shame if Meadow Crest Early Learning Center couldn’t serve as many students as Hillcrest does now because of federal budget cuts. Renton is investing a lot of money in a school that should be fully utilized.

Hillcrest Principal Janice Kelly says her school serves “our neediest kids.” There is a waiting list to get into the programs.

If federal budget cuts stand, Hillcrest may have to limit the number of students in its programs or even ask staff to take furlough days. Those are among a number of options and there are still many discussions ahead about how to deal with the cuts.

Look at the faces of those kids at Hillcrest and you’ll see why it matters what happens thousands of miles away in our nation’s capital.

For sure, Renton is taking care of its own.