Peninsula Daily News news sources
SEATTLE – A King County Superior Court judge has declined to rule on the merits of a lawsuit calling for an overhaul of the way the state pays for education, sending the matter to a trial next June.
Mike Blair, superintendent of the Chimacum School District and the head of Network for Excellence in Washington Schools – the group that filed the lawsuit – said he was disappointed by the judge’s ruling.
“We realize this is a complex case and the standards are pretty high to give summary judgment,” Blair said on Friday.
“I’m disappointed, but I understand the complexity of the case, so we’ll take it from there.”
Judge Paris Kallas on Friday said too many facts were in dispute for her to grant a motion for summary judgment brought by a coalition of teachers, parents, community groups and school districts.
The coalition wants to require the state to calculate exactly how much it costs to provide an adequate education for all pupils, then figure out a way to pay for it.
Even parents in the courtroom noted the contrast between the picture presented by the lawyers representing the group calling itself Network for Excellence in Washington Schools and the state Attorney General’s Office.
Even parents in the courtroom noted the contrast between the picture presented by the lawyers representing Network for Excellence in Washington Schools and the state attorney general’s office.
“I did find it interesting to hear both sides,” said Stephanie McCleary, parent of an 8-year-old and a 13-year-old.
McCleary is a Chimacum School District employee and a named plaintiff in the lawsuit.
“I just hope the court case will benefit my kids when they are in the school system.”
