COLA increase hits school districts

The state Legislature wrapped up its session Thursday, March 13, and some of its decisions, including pay raises for staff, are hitting local school districts.

Because the Everett School District cut $2.6 million from its 2006-07 budget, it’s not planning cuts for 2008-09. However, it does anticipate cuts for 2009-10, said Jeff Moore, the district’s director of finance.

A major hit to districts comes from additional cost of living adjustments, or COLAs, for teachers and other school staff.

Voters approved COLAs for teachers and others years ago, but lawmakers suspended them in the 2003-05 budget.

This session, they restored 0.5 percent of the raises, in addition to a 3.9 percent COLA, which amounts to a 4.4 percent raise.

At the same time, they did not fully fund it. The state funds the salaries of some positions in school districts, but not others.

“The larger amount passed is a benefit to employees and something the voters supported, and at the same time it’s something we have to find funds for,” Moore said. “The average school district is, on an ongoing basis, measuring expenditures and revenues in an effort to acknowledge the continuing need to accommodate the unfunded portion of the COLA.”

The district had not yet calculated the exact dollar impact of the change.

In general, because of unfunded COLAs and other factors, the Everett district has been making cuts roughly every three years, Moore said.

Marko Liias, a 21st district Democrat who is on the House K-12 Education committee, called the effect of unfunded parts of the COLA on districts “an unintended impact.”

The 21st includes parts of south Everett, as well as Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mukilteo and parts of other south Snohomish County cities.

“When the Legislature funds the COLA, it’s following the direction of the people,” Liias said. Voters approved Initiative 732, which called for raises for teachers and other school staff.

The state has a basic education funding task force that’s looking at how it structures education funding in general.

“I think through that process they can take a look at some of these issues,” Liias said. “There are a whole host of issues the state doesn’t fully fund — special education, transportation. We do need to take a look at this.”