Senate Advances Bill to Extend Levy Cliff to 2019

As its last bill of the March 8 cutoff, the Senate Wednesday night passed an amended bill on the "levy cliff" (ESB 5023), with all members voting in favor; with the exception of Republican Senator Michael Baumgartner of West Spokane. The Senate ran their version of the bill so they could change the title to be about excess levies and not the levy cliff.

The striking amendment offered by Senator Fain:

·        Extends current local levy authority and LEA through January 1, 2019;

·        Requires that all levies collected in calendar year 2018, and thereafter, be deposited into a local revenue sub-fund of the general fund to enable detailed accounting of the amount and the object of expenditures; and

·        Requires that any enrichment levies going to the voters after January 1, 2018 be approved by Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) before being placed on the ballot. Districts planning to go to the voters with an M&O enrichment levy would be required to create a detailed report of the activities to be funded and then submit that report to OSPI for approval. The bill states that enrichment levies beyond the state-provided funding in the omnibus appropriations act for the basic education program components under RCW 28A.150.260 (prototypical schools funding formula) are a permitted use.

WSPTA members are strongly encouraged to listen to the debate, which led to the 48-1 vote. 

It will be critical that school districts, parents, and other education advocates explain the gap story in their school and district, which basically means having a better understanding of what it actually costs to run that school, serve its students, and attract and retain professional educators. 

Members are encouraged to write House and Senate members to express their thanks that a levy extension bill is in play. But messages also should stress that with prohibitions on the use of local levies for activities deemed basic education, the state will have to step up in a really big way. Otherwise, areas that are underfunded now and where local funds are supplementing the most basic of activities - like transportation, nurses, and special education - will fall short in the final education funding solution. 

Prepared by:

Marie Sullivan

WSPTA Legislative Consultant

Senate Passes Paraeducator Bill Today - Update

In a strong bipartisan vote, the Senate today approved a comprehensive para-educator development program. SB 5070 passed on a 37-12 vote and will require standards, professional development, a career ladder, a more accessible path to teacher certification, and training for teachers who supervise para-educators. Support for Standards for Para-educators is a Top 5 Priority Platform issue for Washington State PTA, so we’re excited to see the Senate take this important step forward. 

Author: 

Beth Sigall 

VP Family & Community Engagement

Lake Washington PTSA Council

Side by Side, District by District Charts

The Democrat-controlled House Appropriations Committee plans to vote on a proposed substitute to their education funding bill, HB 1843, out of committee this afternoon. They will face challenges from House Republicans, because there is no funding mechanism tied to it. They will not vote on the Senate bill, SB 5607, so the bill is dead until negotiations begin – which will be behind closed doors.

What that means is that HB 1843 will pass out of committee along party lines. Whether it actually passes the House quickly will be another story, again since there is no associated funding mechanism at this time. But the House Democrats control with 50-48 majority, so it is possible they will send to the Senate (the Senate bill passed the Senate along party lines too). 

House and Senate Republicans have said they won’t begin negotiating on the Democrats’ education funding plans until the Democrats show how they will pay for what they want to authorize. So far, the Democrats don’t appear to have the votes or a cohesive set of bills to pay for their estimated $3+ billion package.

Finally, the House Republicans have a plan, different than the Senate Republican education funding proposal. It is possible we won’t see a bill from House Republicans – more of negotiating principles and elements they support and have the votes for as the negotiations progress. We expect to learn more in the upcoming week on their approach to ample education funding. 

House and Senate bill comparisons

District by district analysis of education funding plans

Prepared by 

Marie Sullivan

WSPTA Legislative Consultant

Email Marie