The state Supreme Court today found the state is not adequately funding public education as required by its constitution but will not force lawmakers to immediately increase the amount of money flowing into the schools.
In an extensive ruling (available here ), the majority concluded the state “has failed to meet its duty under article IX, section 1 by consistently providing school districts with a level of resources that falls short of the actual costs of the basic education program.”
However, justices called a package of reforms approved by the Legislature in 2009 “promising” which “if fully funded, will remedy deficiencies in the K-12 funding system.”
As a result, the court said it would defer to the Legislature to carry out the reforms while retaining jurisdiction over the case “to help facilitate progress in the State’s plan to fully implement the reforms by 2018.”
A coalition of school districts, parents, teachers and community groups contended in a lawsuit that the state wasn’t keeping up its financial obligations as required by the state Constitution.
A King County Superior Court judge agreed with the coalition in February 2010, finding the state violating its constitution by not fully paying for basic education.
The state appealed, saying the judge reached beyond the high court’s previous ruling on this issue in 1978.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.