Washington state lawmakers must take action this session to create a public school funding system that will give school districts the resources they need to accomplish their mission of ensuring success for all students.

That’s the singular message offered by representatives from the state’s five largest K-12 organizations at a press conference held Thursday in Olympia at the Association of Washington School Principals. The groups, representing teachers and support staff, principals, school superintendents and school board members from all over Washington state called on legislators to fully fund the 1993 definition of basic education this session, while also developing a new funding model that meets the long-term needs of the system and the one million students it serves daily.

"Washington school districts face tremendous pressure to raise academic achievement for all students despite diminishing resources. Although impressive gains have been made, much work remains in helping ALL students get the skills they need to find good jobs or pursue a post-secondary education," said Steve Chestnut, superintendent, Moses Lake School District and president of the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA). "In the midst of progress, our immediate challenge is to replicate improvements made in literacy in every subject, particularly math and science. But a system already stretched to the limit cannot achieve this goal without sufficient additional resources."

"Our state needs a school funding model that is based on student needs, not subject to the strengths and weaknesses of our economy," said Charles Hasse, president, Washington Education Association.

In a prepared statement released today, all five groups acknowledged their concern that Washington Learns, the governor’s pre-K through higher education task force, did not adequately address its main legislative charge, namely to "develop recommendations about how the state can best provide stable funding for student learning." The governor’s budget, the group agreed, was a solid first step in the right direction.

The five organizations have agreed to focus on persuading the Legislature to fully fund the 1993 definition of basic education within six years, and to make significant strategic investments in class-size reduction, base salary increases for all K-12 staff, and full-day kindergarten statewide. At the same time, they will urge lawmakers to develop a new K-12 funding model to replace the state's 30-year-old finance mechanism.

"We were encouraged by Gov. Gregoire’s budget proposal and what it could mean for public education in the new biennium. However, given the budget pressures facing today’s schools and districts, it is critical for legislators to take action now and find a new formula that addresses the inadequacies and supports our standards-based system," said Arcella Hall, principal, Grandview High School (Grandview School District) and president, Association of Washington School Principals.

"The hard truth is that our K-12 finance system is obsolete given the job we have to do," said Longview School Board Member Ted Thomas, president-elect of the Washington State School Directors’ Association. "We need a funding system that is predictable, stable and equitable, and matches resources with needs and objectives. We need a funding system that prepares all our students for the future."

"Campus security, technology and student health services are vital components of safe, modern, and healthy schools," said Randy Dorn, executive director of Public School Employees of Washington. "Essential school services such as these must be included in the definition of basic education and paid for by the state, not local levies."