The Network for Excellence in Washington Schools filed suit against the state for failing to adequately fund basic education. Today, they won that lawsuit. The basic findings were that:
Court rules the State is failing to meet its “paramount duty”; orders Legislature to fully fund the actual cost of educating all children with ample, stable and dependable State fundingFor more information, please visit the NEWS website. The ruling does not change the need to renew our current levy, nor does it mean that our presence in Olympia tomorrow isn’t still very necessary. It does, however, offer great hope for the future. It will be very interesting to see what reactions are to this ruling over the next few days.
If you’re interested in reading part of the ruling, the News Tribune has provided a great excerpt on their website. I’ll share the conclusion of the ruling here:
Thirty years have passed since our State Supreme Court directed the State to provide stable and dependable funding for basic education. The State has made progress toward this Constitutional obligation, but remains out of compliance. State funding is not ample, it is not stable, and it is not dependable. Local school districts continue to rely on local levies and other non-State resources to supplement state funding for a basic program of education. Recent legislation addresses, but does not resolve, the perennial underfunding of basic education.
Accordingly, the State is directed to determine the cost of amply providing for basic education and a basic program of education for all children resident in the State of Washington. The State must also comply with the Constitutional mandate to provide stable and dependable funding for such costs of basic education. Funding must be based as closely as reasonably practicable on the actual costs of providing such programs of basic education. The means of fulfilling this Constitutional mandate properly fall within the prerogative of the Legislature.
