Attorneys for the state of Washington told the state Supreme Court Tuesday they have complied with a court mandate to fully fund the state’s basic education system.
But an attorney for the coalition behind the long-running lawsuit disagreed and asked the court to force the Legislature to amend its most recent efforts.
The state has been in contempt of court since 2014 for lack of progress on satisfying a 2012 ruling that found that K-12 school funding was not adequate. Lawmakers needed a funded plan in place this year ahead of a September 2018 deadline, and this year they approved a plan to increase spending on K-12 public schools that allocates billions in new spending over the next four years. The plan that was ultimately signed into law relies largely on an increase to the statewide property tax that starts next year.
One of the questions raised by the court was the fact that the plan isn’t fully phased in by the September 2018 date. State attorneys on Tuesday said the Legislature “has done everything it can do” for the current two-year budget cycle, but said everything is in place for full funding of the teacher salary component by the 2019 school year.
But Tom Ahearne, an attorney for the coalition that sued the state, argued that lessening the money from the local levy system and handing it back through the statewide property tax is not the way to amply fund the schools.
There is no set time frame on when the court may rule.
The next legislative session begins in January. (AP)
