The Kent School Board last week pulled out the stops and did something you never hear: They joined forces with school districts across the state and sued the State of Washington for its neglect of school funding. It’s about time somebody demanded, in court, an answer from our leaders about the continuing demand for better student grades, but with school budgets that are becoming more paltry by the month.
At the heart of this suit is a basic question, and we should be glad our districts are demanding it be answered: what is the state’s constitutionally defined duty in providing “ample provision” for guaranteeing children a basic education?
After years of going to local voters and essentially begging them for more money to cover basic needs like books and heating, it’s about time educators across the state smacked the Legislature’s door and said “TELL US HOW TO DO THIS.”
The Washington Assessment of Student Learning put educators on notice they were operating on strict state standards and that low test scores weren’t going to be tolerated.
Now educators are essentially putting our legislators on a similar hot seat. Only this time it involves our state Constitution.
The Kent School District, like all of our districts in the state, is staggering under the blows of a fragmenting economy. But what is especially difficult for Kent is its size and the fact it has so many children in need of funding assistance to start with. We don’t operate on the same levels of affluence here, as say, Redmond or Bellevue. And while we have a fantastically diverse population, that diversity comes with a higher need for intensive programs and a steep price tag.
And yet Kent educators somehow make it work, balancing the needs of students who are struggling, with those who are in advanced placement. Both are deserving of an intensive education. The question is how long Kent is going to continue doing this, without major cuts to programs.
As Kent School Board Vice President Chris Davies told the Reporter, “We’ve truly been pushed to the limits. We can’t go any farther.”
There of course is no simple answer. And if we’re going to pay Paul, it’s a safe bet somebody’s shaking down Peter for his lunch money (to use an old metaphor in school yard vernacular.)
But somebody needs to start realigning priorities here. If this means the end of subsidizing some big-business concerns, or scaling back plans for public-art installments or new state parks, so be it.
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