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Core Topics Site Resources Slideshow Presentations explain funding problems How to Advocate offers suggestions & resources Projects-in-Progress get involved around the state BEF & WA Learns are the committees to watch Elected Positions in ’08 on the ballet for election WA State Legislature is making our decisions School Districts share their news and budgets List of Web Resources on funding and schools Templates of ready to use articles, letters, etc. Media Contacts for local newspapers, TV, etc Site Features User Guestbook lets you share and participate Our Blog comments on current events Why This Website for Washington? Glossary of terms and acronyms in the issues
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Funding Washington Schools |
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OUR SCHOOLS, OUR KIDS — OUR CHOICES FOR APPROPRIATE FUNDING |
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Remarkable Opportunity Is On The Way for WA Communities Rising costs and declining funds to public schools continue to create unsustainable consequences for Washington. The results from underfunded schools affect every student, and every citizen, of WA. An overhaul of public education funding is mounting for autumn ‘08, with progress you can directly influence. This website offers: · school funding facts important to every WA community · encouragement to vote for people and issues in November · incentives to support state policymakers over the year Big changes will begin Dec. 1st, 2008 with a final report by the Basic Education Finance Joint Task Force, a bipartisan group appointed by the Governor. This committee is tasked with key issues - · redefining basic public education, and · developing appropriate funding structures to deliver accountable fiscal systems that align with existing laws and current goals. Underfunding Story Is Complicated Numerous funding mechanisms must fit together well to make funding structures work as intended, and as required. The choices are many. It is bewilderingly difficult to explain the numerous funding components in a straightforward story. Piecing together some understanding of the cogs-in-the-wheel will help voters to better make up their minds on what can be done to move forward. Lawmakers elected in Nov. ‘08 will request state-wide support as legislation develops in the Feb. 2009 Legislative Session for the biennium budget, and beyond, to meet the actual cost of K-12 ed. The public should be well informed once the policy recommendations are released. The BEF report in December will be enormously influential in the near-term as well as a generational milestone — if the public supports their legislation work. 1) There are many points of view on the money issue. This site portrays multiple viewpoints and merges numerous sources in order to address various stakeholder’s interest and opinions. 2) The unwieldy, complex story can be told in short chapters. A long history of incremental changes built the immensely complex system existing today—a narrative is difficult, but not impossible, to tie it all together. 3) Highlight for everyone that their student and their livelihood is affected by the consequences of underfunding public education.– to better inform all of Washington about the current solutions in-progress and to mobilize for tackling the ongoing crisis in our communities. Every student is everyone’s child. We may not have the opportunity again soon to profoundly adapt our education system to the world embracing us. Our state’s schools, our state’s kids – our state’s choices. |
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"It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders...."
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Understanding the consequences of underfunding K-12 students |
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Education Advocates in Washington State League of Education Voters - WA State PTA - EFMG - Fund Our Future WA - The Children's Alliance - Stand For Children - NEWS |
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School funding explained, school funding in Washington, funding for WA schools, underfunding students, ample school funding, Washington State school financing, basic education money, K-12 public ed, WASL, class size, graduation requirements, Basic Education Finance JTF, WA biennium budget & taxes, school library, funding of school libraries, money for schools, local levy and bond, local levy taxes, local levies for schools, education advocacy, school funding advocates, school funding policy, fixing schools, fixing school funding, improving schools, improving school funding, WA constitution, paramount duty of the state constitution Byron Shutz Jr, Barb Billinghurst, Chris Gregoire, Ross Hunter, Rodney Tom, Glenn Anderson, Dan Grimm, Jim McIntire, Fred Jarret, Pat Sullivan, Terry Bergeson, school superintendent, school board, teacher union, Brian Schultz |
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Are these familiar questions, but the answers hard to come by? The Basic Ed Finance Task Force is researching these in detail — · Why are class-sizes so large, and many are overcrowded? · Why is access to AP classes often limited? · Why does our high school have 6 periods while others have 7? · Why are graduates not getting hired at the higher paying job? · Why aren’t accomplished seniors getting accepted at our local state colleges and universities? · Why is turn-over high among so many good teachers? · Why are districts letting go librarians, cutting classroom programs and curriculums, charging more user fees, and closing neighborhood school buildings? |
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WA State Constitution, Article IX |
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3 stats on WA Schools 1) 27% from WA’s total taxes revenue 2) 42nd worst in average class size 3) 44th in state funding per student ($7,432 vs $8,973 U.S. per student) |