The Washington State Supreme Court has turned up the heat on
legislators to provide local school districts the billions of dollars of
additional K-12 funding that the State’s own studies have confirmed are needed
to cure decades of unconstitutional underfunding – including fully funding
salary increases, materials and operations, transportation and both the
staffing and construction costs for full-day kindergarten and K-3 class size
reductions.
“It is incumbent upon the State to demonstrate, through
immediate, concrete action, that it is making real and measurable progress, not
just promises,” the Order stated. The Court ordered the State to submit a
detailed plan no later than April 30 that includes a year by year phase-in
schedule for fully funding every element of basic education as defined in the McCleary ruling.
The Network for Excellence in Washington Schools – the
428-member coalition of school districts and education organizations that filed
the McCleary suit – lauded the Order
for continuing to hold lawmakers accountable for their constitutional
“paramount duty” to fully and amply fund the K-12 education of all Washington
school children.
