Dr. Linda A. Whitehead
It may be a coincidence that the state Supreme Court heard arguments in the Initiative 732 lawsuit Tuesday, during National Teacher Appreciation Week. That the state Legislature continues to oppose funding reform for K-12 education is no accident.
As someone charged with fixing the financial woes of a public education organization, I can understand why our legislators have ignored the problem. Managing the fiscal ailments in K-12 education does not make you popular. Yet, I can affirm that postponing financial reform will only create more problems.
The lawsuit, originally filed last year, asks the state’s highest court to rule that I-732’s language clearly requires the state to provide cost-of-living increases for all public school employees — not just some.
Like K-12 education funding in general, the state Legislature’s response to I-732 is a patchwork approach that neglects its constitutional funding obligations. Washington’s constitution states: "It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste, or sex."
In the wake of I-732, the Legislature has yet again dodged responsibility. In every other respect the approximately 25,000 people neglected from the cost-of-living increase are Washington state public school employees. Yet the state fails to fully fund those individuals’ salaries.
It’s typical of the state’s funding for K-12 education — a funding system that is broken and fails time and again to adequately fund 21st century schools. No matter what method the state uses to pay for teachers, books and schools, it is always less than what it actually costs. This forces school districts to run and pass local levies to make up for the money the state does not provide.
As Washington enters the second decade of education reform, the state has yet to develop a solution for the greatest obstacle to higher standards and sustained academic achievement — a consistent and dependable funding mechanism.
While the I-732 lawsuit is but one reform, it represents more than $100 million from local school districts’ taxpayers around the state. On behalf of our taxpayers, voters, students and school employees, Marysville School District has joined the lawsuit against the state demanding full funding for Initiative 732 — an important first step in reforming K-12 education funding.
Dr. Linda A. Whitehead is superintendent of the Marysville School District.
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