Bill to avert levy cliff includes levy accountability provisions
Currently school districts are allowed to levy maintenance and operation (M&O) levies of up to 28 percent of their state and federal revenues. That maximum is scheduled to revert to 24 percent in 2018. This is the levy cliff. The House passed a levy bill (SHB 1059) earlier this year to keep the maximum at […]
March 06 , 2017 - Emily Makings
The House’s education funding plan would cost much more than the Senate’s
The state released its fiscal note of SSB 5607 (the Senate-passed education funding bill) on Friday. It shows a substantial gap between the resources needed to fund the Senate and House plans. According to the fiscal note, SSB 5607 would increase state spending by $2.424 billion in 2017–19, $4.081 billion in 2019–21, and $1.860 billion […]
March 02 , 2017 - Mary Strow
March 01 , 2017 - Emily Makings
New brief: Comparing the Education Funding Proposals
There are now four major education funding plans circulating: Gov. Inslee's proposal, the House-passed ESHB 1843, the Senate-passed SSB 5607, and SB 5825 (a proposal from Sen. Mullet). In a new policy brief, we provide a side-by-side comparison of the four plans. Briefly: Four major education funding plans have been proposed to address the McCleary decision. Gov. […]
February 27 , 2017 - Emily Makings
Another education funding plan in the mix
There are now several options on the table as to how to comply with the state Supreme Court’s McCleary decision. Gov. Inslee’s proposal and the House-passed ESHB 1843 would increase education spending but stay within the current funding structure (see this policy brief for more). The Senate-passed SSB 5607 would also increase spending but would […]
February 24 , 2017 - Emily Makings
New Brief: Senate-Passed Bill Would Overhaul and Increase School Funding
Last week we published a policy brief on Gov. Inslee's education funding proposal and HB 1843 (which has since been passed by the House). Today we have a new brief on SSB 5607, the Senate-passed education funding bill. Briefly: The Senate has passed SSB 5607 in response to the McCleary decision. The bill would fund […]
February 16 , 2017 - Emily Makings
New Brief: Education Funding Plans: The Governor and House Want Significant New Spending
In a new policy brief we discuss Gov. Inslee's plan to comply with the McCleary decision on school funding as well as HB 1843, which was passed by the House Appropriations Committee earlier this month. Briefly: The Legislature must fully comply with the McCleary decision on school funding by September 2018. Both Gov. Inslee’s education […]
February 15 , 2017 - Mary Strow
February 07 , 2017 - Mary Strow
January 30 , 2017 - Emily Makings
More details from the Senate Majority’s education funding bill
The language behind the Senate Majority Coalition’s education funding plan has been released as SB 5607. On Saturday I wrote about the general aspects of the plan, based on the summaries provided by the Coalition. I read through the bill itself today and found more items of interest, plus some clarifications. The new funding structure. […]