Blog

State and local funding for school districts expected to increase by $455.1 million in SY 2019–20

For the 2019–21 biennium, the Legislature appropriated $27.307 billion for public schools (a 20.3 percent increase over 2017–19). The Legislature also increased local levy authority for districts beginning in calendar year (CY) 2020. (As part of the response to McCleary, the Legislature had previously reduced local levy authority for CY 2019.) There have been many […]

NYT: Washington universities have better graduation rates than would be expected given their student bodies

In the New York Times, David Leonhardt and Sahil Chinoy write about college graduation rates, noting that in the U.S., “About one in three students who enroll in college never earn a degree.” Interestingly, “Schools with similar students often have very different graduation rates. This suggests that the problem isn’t the students — it’s the […]

School district levy limits increased, and more property tax collections diverted from the rainy day fund

On the last day of the legislative session, the Legislature passed two bills that make changes to school district funding: ESSB 5313 and ESHB 2140. (Gov. Inslee has not yet signed either bill.) The Legislature has long limited the amount that school districts can raise through local levies. In calendar year 2018, school districts were […]

Will the Legislature increase local levy limits for school districts?

The Legislature may act this year to increase local levy limits for school districts. The state is responsible for paying for basic education, but school districts may ask local voters to approve enrichment (formerly maintenance and operations) levies to pay for non-basic education programs. The amount that districts can levy has been limited since the […]

WSIPP finds that Washington appropriates a smaller share of the general fund for higher education than comparison states

In a new report, the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) compares higher education funding in Washington to 11 other states. (The Legislature requested the report in the 2018 supplemental budget.) It looks at how higher education is funded in these states. (WSIPP chose Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, […]

What’s behind the expense of the new school employee health care system?

Funding school employee health benefits is a significant part of Gov. Inslee’s 2019–21 budget proposal. The state is currently spending $2 billion on school health benefits. From funds subject to the outlook, the governor would increase that spending by $941 million, including about $646 million at the policy level, to fund a benefits consolidation. (And […]

Washington’s charter school act is constitutional—mostly

The state Supreme Court has held that Washington’s charter school system is constitutional, aside from one provision that is severable. (The charter school act was approved by voters as I-1240 in 2012, ruled unconstitutional by the Court in 2015, re-worked by the Legislature in 2016, and then challenged again.) The lead opinion was written by […]

OSPI’s 2019-21 budget request includes capital gains tax, change to maximum local levy

Today the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Chris Reykdal, held a press conference to announce his 2019–21 budget request. So far only an overview of the request is available, but it includes several fiscal policy proposals. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) writes, a “key aspect of Reykdal’s budget priorities involves addressing inequities created […]

New special report: Manufacturing Jobs Part II: Education and Workforce Development Strategies to Close the Skills Gap

In a new special report, we continue our series on manufacturing jobs with a look at education and workforce development strategies. The executive summary follows, and you can read the full report here.   Manufacturers in Washington state face ongoing workforce challenges. The strong economy and growing retirements from the Baby Boom generation have created substantial […]

McCleary school funding case is over; K-12 spending has increased dramatically since 2012

Happy news for state budget writers today: The state Supreme Court has terminated its jurisdiction in the McCleary case on school funding. Today’s order concludes, “the State has complied with the court’s orders to fully implement its statutory program of basic education by September 1, 2018, and has purged its contempt.” The $100,000 per day fine […]