The McCleary school funding case has dragged on for 10 long years.  Over that time the legislature has increased education funding by 71%, or by $9.41 billion.  In 2018 alone lawmakers increased spending on schools to $4.57 billion over the last budget, or 25 percent higher (see chart).

Washington now spends $13,900 per student, more than at any point in state history, and more than the tuition at many private schools.

This month, the legislature, now under full Democratic control, just added $724 million to teacher salaries in the 2018-19 school year.  This has resulted in a windfall for the state’s powerful school unions.  As WEA union executives like to boast, “the WEA has supported the McCleary case from the start, more than 10 years ago.” 

In some areas, like Seattle, taxpayer-funded salaries have gotten so high that many public school employees send their own children to private schools.

It’s clear that, as a publicity mechanism for gaining more money, the WEA union has succeeded in McCleary beyond its wildest dreams.

People can disagree about whether pouring more money into an unreformed, monopoly-based system would trickle down to help children.  Yet there is no question that the seemingly interminable McCleary case has resulted in massive infusions of money into public education, exactly as its proponents have been calling for.

Now it is time for these advocates to keep their promises – ensuring that more money (which taxpayers are providing) really does result in better learning outcomes for children.

As the McCleary lawsuit winds down, it is time for Washington’s public school employees to start delivering on their commitment that more money will improve the quality of education children receive.

Public sector salaries and benefits have gotten so high that in many cases school employees send their own children to private schools.  That would indicate that school districts are receiving ample funding. 

I think it’s great that many public employees can send their kids to private schools.  Now it’s time for these same public-sector employees to provide the high-quality education they promised to children of families that can’t afford private tuition.