What out Washington State legislators CAN do to equitably fund educaton
I’ve seen enough dancing around the real issues of funding education in Washington State by our legislators and it’s time for them to get serious or get another job.
From the Washington Budget Policy Center (who made a great presentation at the Stanford Center last year about funding education in our state hosted by the Seattle PTSA and the League of Women Voters):
Declining Revenue Projections Show It’s Time for Policymakers to Get Serious about Meeting Washington’s Needs
The new forecast of Washington state tax collections makes it clear that lawmakers can no longer assume the growing economy will automatically generate the resources needed to fund court-mandated improvements to schools, mental health, and other important priorities for our state.
The Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council’s projection that state tax resources will be more than $500 million lower than previously forecasted over the next four years means policymakers must get serious about generating new revenue to invest in the progress and well-being of our state and its people.
The diminished tax resources ($78.2 million lower for the current 2015-17 budget cycle; $435.6 million lower in the 2017-19 budget cycle) present a significant challenge to House and Senate budget writers. The writers should be cautious about tapping budget What out Washington State legislators CAN do to equitably fund educaton | Seattle Education:
