Comment: Lawmakers must fix growing school funding shortfall

By Joel Aune / For The Herald

As Washington’s public schools open their doors for a new school year, students are returning to classrooms full of energy and excitement for learning.

But behind the scenes, many school districts are bracing for another round of deep cuts to essential programs and services next spring unless the state steps up in the upcoming legislative session to address the current school funding crisis; a crisis that is undermining our schools and jeopardizing the quality of our children’s education.

The budgetary crisis now unfolding has led to one of the most challenging and contentious periods I’ve witnessed in my 41 years as an educator. Last spring, a record-number of districts facing severe financial shortfalls implemented school closures, layoffs and deep cuts to essential programming. These were not isolated incidents affecting only a few communities. School districts across the entire state — large and small, east and west, urban and rural — have been affected. Parents and students are disappointed and unhappy.

The data is clear as to why so many districts are struggling. Although Washington state’s total operating budget has increased in recent years, the percentage dedicated to funding K-12 education is significantly lagging. According to the state’s own data, 52.4 percent of the state’s general fund budget was dedicated to K-12 education five years ago; now it is just 43.1 percent. Some legislators argue that education funding has increased, but the numbers reflect their waning commitment to schools despite a constitutional mandate that funding K-12 is the Legislature’s paramount duty. Our students need and deserve better.

There are three factors putting immense pressure on school district budgets. First, since the Legislature addressed the McCleary decision in 2017, student needs have surged dramatically. Even before the pandemic, Washington’s students experienced mental health challenges at rates higher than the national average. During the pandemic, school districts used temporary federal relief funds to bridge the gap between these growing needs and the state’s insufficient funding for counselors, school nurses and academic support. Although the pandemic has subsided, these student needs have not. Now, districts are struggling to make up for the loss of federal relief funding while still providing the academic, social and behavioral support necessary for students to be healthy and successful.

The second major challenge for districts is the growing cost of special education services. Special education is an important and necessary support for our most vulnerable students, mandated by both state and federal law. Yet during the 2022-23 school year, districts faced a staggering $529.8 million funding shortfall for special education. This shortfall puts enormous strain on school districts to meet both legal obligations and, more importantly, the needs of students with disabilities. Delivering programming for special education students, amid this massive funding shortfall, is unsustainable and provides an egregious disservice to these students.

Third, every aspect of operating a school – from diesel fuel to electricity to food — is more expensive today than when the Legislature adopted the McCleary solution in 2017. Diesel costs have increased nearly 40 percent since 2018; electricity costs are up 37 percent; and insurance premiums have skyrocketed an astonishing 60 percent since 2020. In the absence of increased funding, these costs are thrusting districts into financial difficulties of unprecedented magnitude.

Despite these daunting challenges, we believe there are short-term and long-term solutions the Legislature can and must implement to address the funding crisis in our schools.

First, the state must acknowledge and fully fund the costs of special education now. Period.

Next, legislators must tackle the significant underfunding of basic operations; often referred to as Materials, Supplies and Operating Costs or MSOC. This critical issue demands immediate attention.

And finally, the Legislature must overhaul the transportation funding formula to ensure it is more transparent, predictable and adequately funded. The current formula is outdated, inequitable, and fails to cover transportation costs for many districts. Ensuring that students have a reliable way to get to school is fundamental to their ability to learn.

Looking further ahead, lawmakers have an obligation to revisit the McCleary solution to fix a number of deeply flawed structural issues that drive funding to public schools. We call on them to develop a school funding mechanism that ensures every student, regardless of ZIP code, is afforded the opportunity to thrive and succeed.

Without immediate legislative action, students will continue to feel the impacts of this school funding crisis: reduced programming, fewer counselors, overcrowded classrooms and under-resourced special education programs. These are not just budget line items; they are the lifelines that support our children and prepare them for bright futures.

It is not too late to ensure that Washington’s students have the resources they need to succeed. Visit our website www.waschoolfunding.org/ and initiate conversations with your legislators this fall. Ask them what they intend to do to ensure the 1 million students attending public schools receive the educational experience they need and deserve.

Joel Aune is the executive director of the Washington Association of School Administrators.