Washington Business Fall 2017 | Legislative Review & Vote Record | Page 11

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mccleary: the ‘readers’ digest’ version
“This budget will at long last fulfill our constitutional
obligations to fully and fairly fund basic education and
it also addresses the responsibilities we have under the
McCleary decision to equitably fund our schools.”
In the 2012 McCleary v. State of Washington
education funding case, the state Supreme Court
ordered the state to comply with Article IX,
Section 1, of the state constitution, which reads in
part: “It is the paramount duty of the state to make
— Gov. Jay Inslee
ample provision for the education of all children
residing within its borders…”
The plaintiff’s case was bolstered by a pair of
The report also notes that K-12 education makes up 50.3
laws that defined the program of K-12 basic education — House
percent of all Near General Fund spending in the 2017-19, $43.7
bills 2261 (2009) and 2776 (2010) — that make up the framework
billion budget, a number that will climb to 53.3 percent in the
the court used to hand down its ruling that the state had failed
2019-21 budget.
to meet school funding requirements under state law.
“Students from every community in our state will now
Those requirements include pupil transportation, full-day
have the same opportunity and support as their peers in high-
kindergarten, K-3 class-size reductions and materials, supplies
performing schools,” Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia and lead
and operating costs, or MSOCs.
budget writer, said in a press release that echoed the governor’s
And, with school districts using roughly $1.5 billion in local
statement. “We’re solving a generational problem facing our
levy dollars every year for teacher salaries — as much as $14,000
students and taxpayers, with a generational solution.”
per teacher, according to a report released last year to the
Braun added that the “bipartisan budget includes $21.9 billion
Legislature — the court added in its ruling that the state must
for K-12 education