By Nancy Katims, Rebecca Miner and Andi Nofziger / For The Herald
Our children are our future. And it is the quality of their education that is the key to our children’s future success.
In a 2025 study of educational attainment by state, Washington is ranked 12th in terms of our population who have earned a college degree. In an accompanying study, we are ranked 40th in terms of K-12 spending as a percentage of taxpayer income. These starkly contrasting rankings appear to say that while we have a highly educated adult population, we are in no way investing in the education of our children at the same level of opportunity as their parents had.
Every elected official in Washington state takes an oath to “support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution and laws of the state of Washington.” The law clearly states that “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.”
But our state legislators are not meeting their constitutional duty. Most districts across the state have been in a budget shortfall for several years. Why? Let’s review some myths and truths about this growing crisis.
Myth: K-12 budget shortfalls are because of declining student enrollment.
Truth: State funding is based on an obsolete funding formula that apportions money to districts based on funding a certain number of personnel for a given number of students (e.g., one nurse per 728 high school students). The staff configurations in the formula are wholly inadequate for today’s needs. As long as these formulas are used, the funding will continue to be inadequate, no matter the number of students in a district.
Myth: K-12 budget shortfalls are due to the ending of the pandemic relief funds.
Truth: In most districts (including the Edmonds School District), the pandemic funds were used for needs specific to the pandemic; technology for remote learning, personal protective equipment, improving HVAC systems, nurses, etc. These costs were temporary and not considered part of our regular budget.
Myth: The McCleary decision solved the budget crisis.
Truth: The McCleary decision was based on 2012 formulas that were out of date when implemented. In addition, the McCleary decision included clauses that created new problems, most notably a cap on how much a community can help their schools through local levies.
And what is the result? In the Edmonds School District for example, we have cut $25 million from our budget over the last two years, and we are looking at having to cut another $7 million to $10 million this year if the Legislature does not act. We truly have nothing left to cut. We have cut staff at all levels, as well as programs and services of all types. Class sizes are too large. We lack funding for enough staff to protect our children from disruptions to their learning. We lack funding for enough staff to provide the supports needed to give every child optimal learning opportunities. And the list continues.
We are not alone. Currently five districts in the state are in “binding conditions” (i.e., bankruptcy), and 18 districts are in “funding warning,” which is one step away from bankruptcy.
How can a highly educated constituency allow this to happen?
Last year many of us publicly expressed huge concerns about the K-12 funding crisis, but state lawmakers barely responded, claiming “competing issues.” Despite a $1 billion state surplus in 2024, the percentage of the state budget going to K-12 education continued to decrease. And now, legislators are lamenting the budget shortfalls being faced across the state.
Clearly the state must find new revenue sources. We frankly do not care where the revenue comes from, but it must come from somewhere. What happened to the lottery revenue that was supposed to go to education? Or the revenue from cannabis sales earmarked for education?
Even the capital gains tax that was marketed as supporting education is solely going to prekindergarten education, and support for building new schools in districts unable to pass bonds. None of it goes to supporting the K-12 education provided within those buildings.
This is what we respectfully ask:
• Provide funding for special education at the level specified in the original version of this year’s Senate Bill 5263.
• Provide funding for materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOCs) at the level specified in the original version of this year’s House Bill 1338.
• Eliminate the cap on local levies so that communities can provide the support they desire for their children (SB 5593 or HB 1356). Even if just for the short term until the state fixes the state funding formulas, lifting the local levy cap costs the state nothing and allows some relief across the state. Additionally, the state could use available funding to supplement those districts whose communities are unable to provide more in local levies.
Yes, there are those “competing issues.” Are any of those issues written into the state constitution as being the paramount duty of the state to fund them? We don’t think so. While we as educators are kind and caring people, we are reaching the limits of our patience as we strive to protect our students from an educational system underfunded to the extent that we cannot ensure a successful future for all.
If at the end of this legislative session it is obvious that the state is continuing to not fulfill its paramount duty to amply fund K-12 public education, those of us who believe that all our children deserve a high-quality education will begin to build a statewide coalition of stakeholders to explore filing a new lawsuit on behalf of the students of Washington state. We are hopeful that we will not need to do so.
Nancy Katims is president of the Edmonds School District Board of Directors. Rebecca Miner, is superintendent of the Edmonds School District. Andi Nofziger is president Edmonds Education Association.
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