In a new policy brief, we look at Initiative 1351, which will be on the ballot in November. I-1351 would reduce class sizes for kindergarten through 12th grade. Below are a few main points about the initiative, which are fleshed out in the brief.

• It would increase state K–12 spending by $4.7 billion through 2019—over and above what must already be spent to comply with the state Supreme Court’s McCleary decision. Local spending would also increase.

• The initiative contains no dedicated funding source, so the Legislature would have to cut other programs or raise taxes.

• It goes far beyond what is required under the McCleary decision (which calls for lower class sizes only in grades K–3).

• The evidence on the benefits of class size reduction is mixed, but doing so for grades 4–12 appears to be a poor investment.