Spokane7
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January 6, 2012 in City
High court demands state education reforms
Mandate for basic education funding unmet, promised changes delayed, ruling says
SEATTLE – The Washington Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the state isn’t meeting its constitutional obligation to amply pay for basic public education, but the justices gave an endorsement to the reform work the Legislature has already started.
The 85-page opinion said that the judiciary would keep an eye on lawmakers to make sure they fully implement education reforms by 2018.
“The court cannot idly stand by as the Legislature makes unfulfilled promises for reform,” Justice Debra Stephens wrote in the majority opinion. She notes that deadlines for reforms keep getting moved back, and if left up to the Legislature the court expects the delays would continue.
Lawmakers, who convene next week for a 60-day session, will also need to focus on what to do about a nearly billion-dollar budget shortfall.
The Supreme Court made a point of saying any future cuts to education must be done for educational reasons, not because there is a fiscal crisis.
Attorney Thomas Ahearne represented the coalition of school districts, parents, teachers and community groups – including Spokane Public Schools and the Spokane Education Association – that sued the state. He said the court made it clear the Legislature has to pay for education first, before any other state program or financial obligation.
“Educators feel affirmed,” Spokane Public Schools Superintendent Nancy Stowell said Thursday. “We’ve been saying for a long time that the state is not fulfilling its obligation to fund basic education.”
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn said, “The ruling confirms what I have been saying for many years: education funding has not been adequate, and further cuts are out of the question.”
But further cuts are scheduled in the supplemental budget Gov. Chris Gregoire has sent to the Legislature. She disagreed with Dorn that her proposed cut in levy equalization money would run afoul of the high court’s ruling.
“The Legislature has never defined levy equalization as basic education,” she said. Districts decide how to spend that money, however, and “they may be using it for what we consider basic education.”
She acknowledged that another proposal of hers, to cut the school year by four days, does amount to a cut in basic education.
To cover her proposed cuts to levy equalization money and the school year, Gregoire wants the Legislature to pass and send to voters a three-year, half-cent sales tax increase.
Legislative leaders said they weren’t sold on that tax proposal yet. Although Democrats said they thought more tax revenues would be needed, Republicans said they wanted government reforms first.
House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis, said the Legislature should stop using key education programs as a “political football” and write the budget by paying for everything that’s in basic education, then dividing what money is left over among other state services and programs.
But Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, said the state can’t just focus on basic education and ignore health, public safety and poverty issues. Without those programs, some children “are not going to get a good education.”
The court’s ruling could ramp up debates over the budget, which already has a gap of about $1.5 billion between projected revenues and scheduled expenses.
Sandpoint High students vandalize school in senior prank 
Notapatriot on January 06 at 4:53 a.m.
I think Miss Stowell has been fully funded.
8ball on January 06 at 4:59 a.m.
The entire U.S. education system is in shambles and should be torn down and rebuilt from top to bottom. The average U.S. high school and college graduate couldn’t tell you the difference between Iraq and iPad.
A recent study examined graduates from prestigious universities like Harvard. At the conclusion of a $200,000 4-year education and despite beneficial technology at their fingertips, students on average had a 3 to 5% gain in acquired knowledge.
WillyPeter on January 06 at 6:46 a.m.
Oh, please…..same ol’, same ‘ol…..”just give us more money and we’ll teach better”
This is part of the continuing scam promoted by the NEA, WEA, SEA, ad infinitum, with off-and-on degrees of success, that has little to do with educating our children. But it does well providing educrats with ridiculously inflated salaries. And esoteric policies and programs that - no matter how many $$$ are provided, the “learning curve” has been trending down… for 40+ years.
Elda Brophy, a former professor of education (and then Dean of Women at GU) once told us, and how could it be forgotten, “There are more changes in the education profession than there are in womens’ fashions!” Yes, you may chuckle here…..:-)
And Lisa Brown? Gimmee-a-break. Lisa’s solution to everything is a neo-lib, “Give everything to everybody.” ….to which her fellow Democrats chorus……..’Amen’
dtmelin on January 06 at 7:21 a.m.
Everyone’s an expert. Go volunteer at your local school. Volunteer in a special education program. Volunteer in a low income neighborhood school.
I’m not saying some money prob isn’t wasted (just like it is in every business & household in America), but to say public education is one giant black hole, sucking up public funds & getting basically no results is so far out there. Just because you went to a school, or just because you have a child who did doesn’t make every hack with a computer some sort of expert on education policy & fiscal management.
DickAdams on January 06 at 8:06 a.m.
Reading the story regarding the Washington Supreme Court accountants who sit on the bench, calculators in hand, it looks to me as if the CPA Judges are poking their noses into the education cash register and they are wondering if they should rob the taxpayers adding more money. But the following quote from the story is the coup de grace where the Supreme Court might address the billion dollar short fall and beat the legislators to it .
“Lawmakers, who convene next week for a 60-day session, will also need to focus on what to do about a nearly billion-dollar budget shortfall.” YIKES!
Next story we Spokanites might read about, is when District 81 and their attorney Roco Treppiedi (who sits on the board), will be filing a lawsuit against the taxpayers for more loot.
dtmelin on January 06 at 8:20 a.m.
WA state:
ranks #10 nationally for combined SAT/ACT scores. Far above average student achievement.
ranks #32 nationally for teacher pay average
ranks #33 in per pupil spending
ranks #5 in highest class sizes.
Edwame on January 06 at 8:50 a.m.
An argument could be made on the definition of basic education. Basic education is paying teachers fairly and having reasonable classroom sizes. Basic education is not opulent buildings and endless construction costs as well as the countless programs that have nothing to do with “basic education”. As with most things that are tax funded, the money is there but it is not budgeted correctly or fairly.
dtmelin on January 06 at 9:43 a.m.
“opulent buildings” are paid for through bonds, which are approved by the the taxpayers. They are not part of what is considered “basic education”, in terms of yearly funding from the state. No matter how “opulent” a buiding seems, and possibly there can be an argument made there, the fact is that these schools that are being upgraded are in most cases outdated…. HVAC, technology infrastructure, and just plain run down from decades and decades of use by teenagers (who are notoriously not that concerned with respect of public property).
to put it simply:
-the state (& federal) funds ‘basic education’: teacher/administrator pay, paraeducators, materials, curriculum, etc.
-local monies (levies) help pay for music, athletics, drama, transporation, utilities, maintenence etc.
the state has continually reduced their % to districts, not adequately covering the cost of what they are responsible for funding….forcing districts to cover for them.