Efforts are underway in the state senate to save HB 5313, the bill to raise local property taxes (on top of a recent big state property tax increase) and return funding inequity to public schools. The bill was amended by Democrats in the Ways and Means Committee, so that now even the bill’s sponsor opposes it in its current form.
The bill would reverse a commitment lawmakers made two years ago when they passed a bill (HB 2242) promising not to raise taxes again and to end inequality in education funding. When Governor Inslee signed HB 2242 in 2017, he said it,
“….addresses the responsibility we have under the McCleary decision to equitably fund our schools, no matter where they live….” June 30, 2017, the video is at (0:30)
Now the governor says he favors returning to a system of funding inequity. Yesterday, he indicated support for SB 5313, so people in wealthy areas can receive millions more in public school funding than families living in poor communities.
In response to a reporter’s question, he said,
“No, no and this is probably the 12th time I’ve said this, and I will say it again because I believe it. It is not what got us into McCleary….this is not a return to McCleary…there is nothing in the McCleary decision that says that local communities do not have the ability to make independent decisions about their local communities…” At 18:09.
That’s not the case. The title of school funding law he signed is “Funding fully the state’s program of basic education by providing equitable education opportunities through reform of state and local education contributions.”
In the McCleary ruling the supreme court itself says:
“…we rejected special excess levies as ‘dependable and regular’ not only because they are subject to the whim of the electorate, but also because they are too variable insofar as levies depend on the assessed valuation of taxable real property at the local level.”
“This latter justification implicates both the equity and the adequacy of the K-12 funding system. Districts with high property tax values are able to raise more levy dollars than districts with low property values, thus affecting the equity of a statewide system.”
“Conversely, property-poor districts, even if they maximize their local levy capacity, will often fall short of funding a constitutionally adequate education…In short the State’s reliance on local dollars to support the basic education program fails to provide the ‘ample’ funding article IX, section I requires.”
Two years ago lawmakers raised the state property tax and added billions to fully fund schools, end dependence on local taxes, and end funding inequality between rich and poor districts. Now SB 5313 would reverse that progress, by raising local taxes and putting inequity back in the system.
Lawmakers of both parties appear to recognize the problem. SB 5313 may be in trouble. If the bill fails, it will be good news for keeping funding fairness in our schools and (as a bonus) families across the state will get to see lawmakers in Olympia keep their original promise.