Washington’s schools need help

In 2012, the Washington Supreme Court issued a decision—the McCleary decision—that mandated the Legislature fix a disparity between schools in relatively affluent areas from those in others. The Legislature enacted a new funding model that tried to fix this problem by increasing state funding overall but limiting how much money schools could raise to pay for things like teacher salaries, insurance, educational materials, and other basics. Districts are limited to using local tax money for things like extracurricular activities and buildings.

The core problem is that the legislature simply didn’t put enough funding in place and now no district has enough money to operate. And the legislature hasn’t increased funding to cover rising costs like insurance or funding special education programs.

As a result, schools have to cut staff—including teachers, essential aides, nurses, and extracurricular activities—to fund things like insurance and other basics.

To find a solution, I’ve met with everyone from parents to union leaders to school board members, and all agree the state simply has to find more money to fund schools. I favor a tax on intangible assets, along with allowing districts more freedom to raise funds if their specific local needs require it.