Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill on July 6 to fund basic education for all students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Basic education funding has been a hot button issue since the Washington Supreme Court’s McCleary decision in January 2012.
The January 2012 decision, written by Justice Debra Stephens, ruled that the state legislature failed to fulfill its duty to “make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its border.” According to the Washington Policy Center, the McCleary decision has caused “significant” confusion among lawmakers, educators, parents and the general public.
Part of the decision found that schools were relying on local levies to pay for their basic needs, such as teacher salaries, a responsibility that should fall to state government, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
“This is a big day in the state of Washington,” Inslee stated in the press release. “For the first time in decades, we have a budget that fully funds education. Our work isn’t over, but we’ve met the constitutional and moral obligation to our students, and we’ve set the course for the future of education in Washington State.”