Republican Paul Harris joined the majority of his House colleagues Thursday, voting to stave off the “levy cliff” on Thursday and give a measure of certainty to school districts that were worried about a drop in school funds next year.
Harris added, though, that his approval came only after he was convinced the overarching school funding crisis would be solved this legislative session.
The House approved Senate Bill 5023, which will send the measure to the governor. Gov. Jay Inslee said he plans to sign the bill as soon as it hits his desk.
School districts were looking at a drop in the amount of money they could collect using local levies next year. Once signed into law by the governor, the deadline will be pushed to 2019. The levy discussion is intertwined with a broader discussion about school funding. This legislative session lawmakers are under a deadline to end the chronic underfunding of the state’s public schools and an overreliance on local levies as part of the McCleary case.
Harris, of Vancouver, said the education funding task force is meeting twice a week and the meetings are going well.
“I believe this vote now will not stop our progress,” he said.
Clark County school districts could have faced nearly $21 million in funding cuts if the deadline had not been extended. The uncertainty made budgeting for the upcoming school year more difficult.
Rep. Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver, said she gave her support because it prevents unnecessary layoffs and disruption to schools. She said the vote should have happened earlier.
“Some felt that doing this removed the pressure to solve the problem of school funding. I disagree,” Wylie said.
Rep. Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver, also voted in favor, calling it an “important signal” to send to school districts to illustrate that legislators are working on funding issues.
Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas, however, sees it as “kicking the can down the road” and voted against extending the deadline. She said passing it removes the urgency of solving the larger school funding crisis.
Reps. Vicki Kraft, R-Vancouver, and Brandon Vick, R-Felida, voted in favor.
Vick said he’s hoping that solving the McCleary issue this session will make the need for the measure obsolete.
“But waiting any longer on this legislation would have had a negative impact on our students, our school districts and our educators,” he said.
