On Jan. 2, The Columbian Editorial Board asserted that the McCleary lawsuit stemmed from inequities in local levies. Not exactly. The McCleary lawsuit was entirely about whether the state Legislature was providing enough for basic education. The court did not demand that local levies be reduced — that was a political choice made in Olympia.
While the Legislature has made enormous strides in funding basic education (a minimal foundation), local levies allow school districts to go beyond basic education in order to meet the unique needs of their students. Early learning, after-school programs, and a host of other services are not basic education, so levies will always be important to student success.
It was never the demand of the Supreme Court to eliminate voters’ ability to support their local schools. I have put forward a levy model that, if passed, would be much simpler to understand and more equitable across the state. Of course, all levies would still be subject to voter approval.
Four school districts in Clark County will have levies on the February ballot. Please support public school levies in your community. They are often the critical difference needed for some students to graduate ready for career and college.
