Blog

A new budget outlook, and a discussion of McCleary costs

The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) met today to adopt a new budget outlook. There was a lot of discussion, with members getting into questions about how much the remaining McCleary pieces will cost and whether they should be accounted for in the four-year outlook. (Here are the meeting materials.) Ultimately, the ERFC adopted the outlook that […]

The 2016 Legislature's report on its McCleary progress

Yesterday the Joint Select Committee on Article IX Legislation met and approved its 2016 report to the state Supreme Court. Since 2012, this committee has been providing annual reports to the Court regarding the Legislature's progress toward complying with the McCleary decision. The 2016 report argues that in enacting E2SSB 6195,  the Legislature has complied with […]

Teacher salaries and the budget

In The News Tribune, Melissa Santos writes, State Rep. Hans Dunshee, the budget writer in the Democratic-controlled House, said the dispute over teacher raises is part of what is delaying a budget deal. . . . While House Democrats and Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee have proposed boosting what the state pays for beginning teachers, the […]

McCleary bill, with changes, clears Senate committee hurdle

In the continuing saga of legislation to address the state Supreme Court's McCleary​ ruling on K-12 basic education funding, the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Tuesday took action, approving its version – but not without changes, or controversy. Second Substitute Senate Bill 6195 looks a bit different than when we last wrote about it (here and […]

McCleary planning bill making way through Senate

Last week we updated you on the status of legislation to set a timeline for state compliance with the McCleary ruling (which dealt with state funding for K-12 basic education). The Senate Ways & Means Committee held a hearing on the Senate bill earlier this week. In public testimony, several education groups were concerned about moving the […]

The latest on McCleary & K-12 education funding

You practically need a flow chart these days to keep track of what's happening on McCleary (the 2012 state Supreme Court ruling – which the Legislature is in the midst of complying with – that said the state is unconstitutionally not paying the full cost of basic education). The big remaining task of the state is […]

New brief: Gov. Inslee’s Teacher Shortage Proposal: Good Policy, Bad Timing?

When Gov. Inslee proposed his 2016 supplemental budget, he also proposed a teacher recruitment and retention plan. We take a look at it in a new policy brief: Gov. Inslee’s Teacher Shortage Proposal: Good Policy, Bad Timing? Briefly: Gov. Inslee proposes increasing salaries for teachers and other school staff. Newer teachers would get the largest […]

Opportunity Scorecard update: Washington drops to 28th

Opportunity Washington is out with the first update to its quarterly Opportunity Washington Scorecard. The Washington Research Council is a partner with Opportunity Washington on the Scorecard, which is a data-driven analysis of 50-state performance across three categories: Achieve (education quality and outcomes) Connect (transportation efficiency and reliability) Employ (economic vitality) We track 16 variables, using data […]

Another charter-school bill is coming

*UPDATE* We've just received a copy of the bill – click here to read it. A bipartisan group of legislators is backing legislation that will allow Washington's public charter schools to stay open. The bill "makes a series of updates which include directing charter school funding to come from the state’s Opportunity Pathways Account, which contains […]

WSIPP projects tuition will increase 2.1 percent in 2017-19

Today the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) released a report on tuition growth factors. As enacted by the Legislature last year, the College Affordability Act reduced higher education tuition for school years 2015-16 and 2016-17. For subsequent years, tuition increases will be limited to "no more than the average annual percentage growth rate […]