OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday signed into law a measure that delays a planned cut in local school levy rates for one year, something school districts have said they need to plan budgets as lawmakers continue to work toward fully funding education in the state.
School districts had faced a reduction in the amount they can collect through local levies starting next year, but the measure passed by lawmakers pushes that deadline off until 2019. The levy issue is part of a broader discussion surrounding education funding, an issue for which the state is currently being held in contempt by the state Supreme Court.
“This bill provides districts and families and students the certainty they deserve and need as districts prepare their budgets for the next school year,” Inslee said. “It clears the way for legislators to focus on the larger task ahead, fully funding education this year.”
Lawmakers are working to comply with a 2012 state Supreme Court ruling that school funding was not adequate or uniform.
“It does not remove the motivation which is, and should be, intense to fulfill the constitutional obligation to our students,” Inslee said. “That remains a focus.”
Lawmakers have already dedicated more than $2 billion to education since the ruling, but the biggest piece remaining of the court order is figuring out how much the state must provide for teacher salaries.
School districts currently pay a big chunk of those salaries with local property-tax levies.
Officials have said that the state’s 295 school districts had collectively faced losing about $470 million next year if the measure was not passed.
The compromise measure that passed the Legislature with bipartisan votes included two accountability requirements: Starting next year, school districts would need to keep state and local funds in different accounts, and, also starting next year, local levies would need to be submitted to and approved by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction before going to voters.
The Senate and House have each passed their own education funding plans. But each chamber still needs to release its overall budget proposals.
Senate Republicans are set to do that next week, followed by House Democrats the following week. Both sides will then try to negotiate a final compromise before the current 105-day legislative session ends on April 23, or else they will need to go into overtime sessions.
