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OLYMPIA — The Legislature has passed a sweeping overhaul of Washington state’s K-12 education system, setting up an ambitious 10-year plan to create and bankroll quality schools.
But does that clear the foggy picture for North Olympic Peninsula school boards and educators, who are forming budgets with only speculation about funding from Olympia?
Lawmakers have not set aside money to pay for the new policies, which some officials have predicted could cost the state an additional $2 billion or more over a two-year budget cycle.
The state already spends about $15 billion on K-12 education in each two-year budget cycle — about 40 percent of the state’s general fund — so the basic education finance reform bill could be considered one of the biggest-ticket items on the legislative agenda this year.
Lawmakers have charted a broad road ahead for policymakers, adding classroom hours and changing the way the state doles out money to schools, among other changes.
The state House approved the bill late Monday night on a bipartisan 67-31 vote. It previously cleared the Senate, and Gov. Chris Gregoire is expected to sign the measure into law.
Supporters hailed the bill as a major step for Washington’s children. Several also acknowledged a pending lawsuit, by school districts and education groups, that seeks a court order to require more state education spending.
“The current system, after a generation of cut-and-paste fixes, is imploding,” said Rep. Glenn Anderson, R-Fall City.
The state constitution declares that amply providing for basic education is the state’s paramount duty. But the definition of what constitutes “basic” is left to the Legislature to determine.
The bill approved Monday night represents the first rewrite of the state’s definition of basic education since 1979.
It would be the beginning of some major changes in K-12 education in Washington: A longer school day and the option of more credits for high school students, all-day kindergarten, a new scheme for sending money to schools around the state, and performance standards for teachers.
The state teachers union has opposed the bill. Union officials say the education overhaul is the wrong move at a time when lawmakers are likely to cut heavily from K-12 spending to make up a $9 billion budget deficit — including skipping voter-approved cost-of-living raises for teachers.
Some lawmakers agreed with that point in Monday’s debate. Others said they were disappointed a source of money was not included in the bill.
“I am not willing to remain silent and let our schools do without adequate funding for the next 10 years,” said Rep. Maralyn Chase, D-Shoreline.
The state uses sales, business and property taxes to pay 84.3 percent of what it costs to educate Washington’s 1 million school children. The other 15.7 percent comes from local levies and some federal money, primarily for education of special-needs children.
Most state dollars go to teacher salaries. The state also matches local bond money for school construction.
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Associated Press writer Chris Woodward in Olympia contributed to this report.
