The Seattle Times reported Friday on a brief filed by special-education advocates in the ongoing McCleary case, which deals with state funding of K-12 public schools. They argue that the state's funding, and funding formula, for Washington's 125,000 special-ed students are inadequate:

For 20 years the Legislature has paid for special education as if every student needs the same funding, instead of fully funding the actual costs of properly educating children with disabilities. The funding formula embraced in…the 2016 supplemental budget arbitrarily limits state money for a special education student to 1.93 times the amount allocated for a general education student. Many children need more than this rigid formula provides.

The brief also takes issue with the state's special-ed funding cap under which, as the Times reports,

the state pays special education costs for up to 12.7 percent of a district’s total enrollment. Districts that have more special education students than that must tap their local levies to pay for them.

If the court agrees with this argument, expect the cost for McCleary compliance to rise. We'll keep you posted.