04/22/2009: "State Education Bill Passes"

Friday Harbor High School PTSA president Deborah Nolan has been in the forefront of the battle to improve funding for education, and wrote in to express her satisfaction with the news that “Late last night the house voted 67 to 31 to pass (ESSB 2261) . The final passing vote on the Engrossed Substitute House Bill was passed Wednesday that will create a new funding system for education.

Nolan said “the governor has said she would sign it if it passed: the final hurdle. Thank you to everyone who made calls or sent emails. They really made a difference. There will be a lot more work of course to make sure the follow through and funding are put in place, but you know if everyone comes together, we really can get it done.”

Nolan added “Now is the time to take a moment to thank our representatives for their strong leadership and support;” and suggests emails be sent to our local politicians that supported the bill last week in the close senate vote: morris.jeff@leg.wa.gov ; quall.dave@leg.wa.gov , and of course ranker.kevin@leg.wa.gov

And speaking of Ranker, Sen. Ranker said: “My constituents and my friends talk about fixing education. This is meaningful legislation that sets us on a path to a better education system.” While the passage of the bill is good news, the question of how to pay for it is still to be answered by a work group that is set up by the bill. The group is charged with coming up with a full funding source by 2018.

It has been estimated that currently 42 percent of the general fund budget is spent on meeting the needs of K-12 education, but the new bill may -at some point- require a new tax.

The bill Includes:

• Increased instructional hours: 1000 - 1080, according to an implementation schedule adopted by the Legislature.

• Opportunity to complete 24 credits high school graduation (subject to Legislative phase-in)

• Transportation to & from school (using new funding formula based on predicted costs phased in beginning 2013)

• All-day Kindergarten (continue to phase-in highest poverty schools first)

• Highly Capable (at current 2.314% of student enrollment)

• Early Learning Intent to establish program for at-risk children as basic education. Creates a work group to develop program, as a Washington Head Start program, & report to Quality Education Council with Full implementation by 2018.

Also creates a core allocation, that will include enhancements for highly capable, CTE, AP & IB, with additional categories and details specified, including staffing categories. Placed into statute by 2011.