Seattle Schools Community Forum: McCleary Already (says Dorn)

Seattle Schools Community Forum: McCleary Already (says Dorn):

McCleary Already (says Dorn)

State Superintendent Randy Dorn continues to speak out against the "kick the can down the road" methodology of the Legislature to enact McCleary. 

Here's his latest press release (and please e-mail your reps and tell them NO:)

Staff from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) testified yesterday on Senate Bill 6195 (SB 6195), known as the “plan to plan” bill, andSB 6183, which will delay a decrease, currently set for 2018, in the amount school districts can raise in local levies. 

“SB 6195 and SB 6183 would delay progress toward our constitutional requirement to fully fund basic education,” State Superintendent Randy Dorn said. “In fact, both bills make the situation worse.”

We have studied education funding over and over again:

Early 2000s: The bipartisan Fromhold/Cox committee produced a study.
2006: Washington Learns produced a study.
2007: The Joint Task Force on Basic Education Finance produced a study.
2009: The Quality Education Council produced a study.
2011: Compensation Technical Working Group produced a study.
2012: The Joint Task Force on Education Funding produced a study. 

They’ve all concluded the same thing: Our state is not fulfilling its paramount constitutional duty to fund basic education. SB 6195 is another stall tactic. It’s time to act.

School districts are understandably concerned about a reduction in the amount they can raise in local levies, slated to occur in 2018, unless the State passes a bill like SB 6183. If the State isn’t fully funding their expenses related to basic education, they are left to make up the difference using local money. They simply cannot afford a reduction. 

For example, the State pays only a fraction of what it costs to employ teachers Seattle Schools Community Forum: McCleary Already (says Dorn):