The Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) applauded the Legislature efforts to resolve the school-funding “levy cliff” so districts could more accurately budget for the 2017-18 school year.
Bill Keim, WASA executive director, said the quick action Wednesday by the Senate and Thursday in the House will temporarily relieve tensions for school districts which are currently in the process of writing next year’s budgets.
“The passage of Senate Bill 5023 comes as a great relief to schools and districts all across Washington who are in the process of trying to plan for the upcoming school year,” Keim said. “This was an imminent crisis that needed to be resolved, and for right now, that crisis has been averted. But we still have the bigger issue of McCleary to solve this session, a hurdle that remains the most pressing challenge of the legislative session.
“It is our hope that now that this emergency measure is resolved, lawmakers can resume their focus on the larger challenge of amply and equitably funding public education in our state.”
Currently, school districts can raise up to 28 percent of their levy base through local property taxes. The levy base reflects the amount of money districts receive in state and federal funds. Absent SB 5023, a “levy cliff” would have been created in 2018 when, under current law, the percentage would be pared back to 24 percent. Additionally, current state funding for Local Effort Assistance to property poor districts would have been reduced from 14 percent to 12 percent.
On Wednesday, the Senate finally coalesced around Senate Bill 5023 by a vote of 48-1. The House took up the measure early Thursday, approving it 87-10.
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