I was in my hometown of Yakima last month, and for the first time in several visits, I happened to drive by Eisenhower High School. The transformation of the campus from what it had been while I was growing up was astounding. I wondered how much the new school and fields had cost.

Almost on cue, over the past few days, the Yakima Herald-Republic has published stories about the school improvements the Yakima School District has made (including to Eisenhower) — and whether they are enough.

Several school projects in the district were funded by a $114 million bond and $104.1 million in state funds. It is still unclear what the new Eisenhower cost. The final budget was $108 million, but Associate Superintendent Scott Izutsu said, “I honestly also don’t know (by how much), but I know we went over.” (Apparently, although the school opened for classes in Fall 2013, the work won’t be totally complete until this fall.)

According to the second article,

Enrollment pressure on the Yakima School District is growing, which could mean going back to voters for bond issues to build more schools.

That enrollment pressure includes the need to reduce class sizes pursuant to the McCleary decision. But the story needlessly cites I-1351:

Kindergarten and first-grade classrooms are at or near the district’s targeted 20:1 students-to-teacher class size ratio; the state target, though, to meet Initiative 1351 — which has not been fully funded — is 17:1 by fall 2017.

Second- and third-grade classrooms, meanwhile, are at or near a ratio of 26:1 while Initiative 1351, approved by voters but not fully adopted by legislators, calls for 25:1 over four years.

Remember that although I-1351 reduces class sizes for grades K-12, the McCleary decision separately requires reductions for grades K-3. Thus, the K-3 class size reductions will take place regardless of whether I-1351 is funded. And, as Ross Hunter wrote in August, the Legislature is on track to fully fund class sizes of 17 students for grades K-3 by the 2017-18 school year.