Dorn, Laverty weigh in on school funding ruling

YAKIMA, Wash. --State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn and Kevin Laverty, president of the Washington State School Directors’ Association, both released statements today on the heels of a ruling finding that the state of Washington is not fulfilling its constitutional duty to fully pay for basic public education.

Here is Dorn's response:

“Today is a landmark day for the students of Washington.

Judge John Erlick rightfully claimed that the state is failing in its constitutional duty to fund education. ...

As a former teacher, principal and current chair of the Quality Education Council — the implementation arm of last year’s Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2261 — I am painfully aware of the state’s underfunding of basic education. The bill is a first step, but it doesn’t go far enough to amply fund education or eliminate our reliance on local levies.

Now that Judge Erlick’s decision has been returned, we, as a state, need to fully fund basic education. For more than 30 years we’ve been heading down this road, and the time for action is now. Only when the Legislature acts affirmatively and addresses this issue can our students obtain the education we are morally and legally obligated to provide.”

Erlick, a King County Superior Court judge, made the decision after nearly two months of testimony last fall in a lawsuit brought by a coalition of school districts, parents, teachers and community leaders who said the state was failing its constitutional duty.
The state argued it was fully funding education.

Here is Laverty's response:

“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. ...

“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.”

King County Superior Court Judge John Erlick made his decision after nearly two months of testimony last fall in a lawsuit brought by a coalition of school districts, parents, teachers and community leaders who said the state was failing its constitutional duty.
The state argued it was fully funding education.

WSSDA is made up of all 1,477 school board members from Washington’s 295 school districts.

-- Adriana Janovich