As we’ve noted, Gov. Inslee signed the 2015-17 operating budget last night. The budget appropriates $18.157 billion for public schools — a $2.894 billion (or 19.0 percent) increase over 2013-15. This represents 47.5 percent of the budget (it was 45.2 percent of the 2013-15 budget).

The Senate summary of the budget notes that spending is increased by $1.3 billion on items that respond to the Supreme Court’s McCleary decision. Of that, $741 million is for materials, supplies and operating costs (this is actually considered part of the maintenance level, per the House summary). $350.2 million of the increase is for class size reductions in kindergarten through third grade, and $179.8 million is for expanding full-day kindergarten.

On compensation, the budget provides $152.3 million for a one-biennium salary increase of 1.2 percent in school year 2015-16 and 0.6 percent in SY 2016-17. (This is over and above the I-732 COLA, which is funded as part of maintenance level.) Additionally, it increases the state-funded health benefit rate for school staff ($24.4 million).

Other policy increases include:

• $5.0 million for teacher mentoring.
• $3.2 million for grants to lowest achieving school districts.
• $2.9 million for the Washington Achievers Scholars and the College Bound Scholarship programs.
• $2.8 million for the Washington Kindergarten Inventory and Developing Skills (WaKIDS).
• $2.0 million for a computer science and education grant program to train teachers, upgrade technology, and introduce students to the field.
• $2.0 million for the Microsoft IT Academy.
• $1.4 million for professional development for high school math and science teachers.
• $1.0 million for integration of “English language arts, math and science standards with outdoor field studies and project-based and work-based learning opportunities aligned with the environmental, natural resource and agricultural sectors.”

The budget saves $20.5 million due to local effort assistance changes. It also books savings of $2.043 billion from delaying implementation of I-1351. (This morning, the Senate failed to pass the bill that would do so.)

Last year the state Supreme Court found the Legislature in contempt for failing to respond to its McCleary decision, but it deferred any sanctions until after the 2015 session (or, as it turned out, sessions). The Seattle Times asks if the new spending will “appease” the court:

Both [Rep. Ross] Hunter and [Sen. Bruce] Dammeier acknowledged that the Legislature’s failure to find a solution on local property-tax levies won’t be looked upon favorably by the court. . . .

But Hunter also said that lawmakers did demonstrate that they are serious about addressing the McCleary decision. He pointed to more funding for all-day kindergarten classes, and more money for classroom supplies, which were also called out in the court’s decision. Dammeier, too, emphasized a proposed capital budget that he said includes about $200 million for new classrooms to help schools accommodate a smaller number of students per class.