Seattle Public Schools’ proposal to close several schools is a symptom of a larger issue affecting districts across Washington — funding districts rely on from the state is insufficient, especially in the wake of inflation.
State funding has long been a discussion point in Washington since 2012 when school districts took legal action against the state for not adequately funding schools as state law requires. The State’s Supreme Court agreed and ordered state lawmakers to act. In 2018, they finally did, funding K-12 education with approximately 52% of the state’s general fund. Today though, that funding is about 44% of the general fund, and it’s forcing school districts to make tough choices.
“If special education services were fully funded, we would not have had to make budget cuts this year,” said Amy Cast, a North Shore School Board member.
Over two years, North Shore has made approximately $47 million in cuts in order to meet its special education requirements. Cast says special education is not fully funded by the formula created in the 2018 funding fix. Districts are making up that funding in a variety of ways.