Posted February 4, 2010

Editor's note: King County Superior Court Judge John Erlick today ruled that the state is failing to meet its constitutional duty to provide ample funding for schools. See the links at right for details on the ruling.

“This ruling is a win for students in Washington’s public schools. Once again, the courts have affirmed that the state constitution means what it says: education is the paramount duty of the state and the responsibility for funding public schools rests squarely on the shoulders of the state Legislature.

“Today’s decision means legislators must follow through on the commitment they made in approving HB 2261 last year. This law lays out a road map for reforming the way the state defines and pays for basic education. The journey has begun and there is no turning back.

“The overarching goal is to ensure Washington’s schoolchildren are prepared for success in the 21st century. We simply must have a K-12 finance system that defines basic education and provides ample, stable funding to meet the state’s expectations for student learning.

“School board members are ultimately responsible for carrying out the state’s requirements and community expectations for student learning. As fellow elected officials, we will continue to seek out every opportunity to work with legislators to transform Washington’s education system for the benefit of all students.”

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Kevin Laverty, member of the Mukilteo School District Board of Directors, is 2010 President of the Washington State School Directors’ Association.

About WSSDA — Founded in 1922, the Washington State School Directors’ Association is comprised of all 1,477 school board members from Washington’s 295 school districts. The districts they lead serve more than one million students, have a combined annual budget of $6 billion, and employ more than 100,000 people. WSSDA’s core mission is focused on ensuring that school board members have the knowledge, tools and services they need to effectively govern their districts and improve student learning.

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