Seattle voters will decide November 6th whether to approve Mayor Durkan’s expansion to the Families and Education Levy, which imposes a special added tax on Seattle property owners.

If approved, the Levy money would go to Seattle school children and community college students, except, apparently, children who attend one of the three charter public schools in the city.

The Mayor has steadfastly refused to say whether she wants charter school families to be included.

 The Seattle Times reports :

“The Durkan administration would not rule out giving levy money to charters.”

This morning the Mayor’s office told me:

“Because the law is unclear around charter school eligibility, we are consulting with the City Attorney’s Office on this matter.”

Well that’s about as clear as mud.  Mayor Durkan will not tell us whether public charter school families can fully participate in Levy funding on a fair and equal basis with other Seattle families.  

The language of the Levy proposal itself is fairly clear; tax-funded educational programs are to benefit Seattle students:

“Section 6. Education-Support Services. Services funded by Proceeds are intended to achieve equity in educational outcomes and the Levy’s stated goals by providing Seattle students with access to and services across a continuum beginning with high-quality early learning services that prepare children for kindergarten, physical and mental health services that support learning, college and job readiness experiences that promote high school graduation, and post-secondary opportunities that promote attainment of a certificate, credential or degree.

Charter school children in Seattle are clearly “Seattle students”; they attend public schools, funded with public dollars and authorized under state law as part of our constitutional paramount duty to make ample provision for the education of every child living in the state. See Article IX, Section 1, Constitution of the State of Washington.

Charter schools help families in neighborhoods traditionally underserved by Seattle Public Schools; one in central Seattle, one in south Seattle and one in West Seattle. About 1,000 Seattle students attend charters, 60% of whom come from low-income, minority backgrounds.

Mayor Durkan’s has discriminated against Seattle’s public charter school children before. Last month she gave free ORCA transportation cards to Seattle high school students, but she denied the cards to charter school families. Her policy specifically excluded low-income, minority students for enrolling in a public charter school. 

All families deserve to be treated fairly and equally.  Children should not be excluded from receiving a public benefit just because they live south of the ship canal and attend an alternative public school; not everyone can afford to live in Seattle’s well-off neighborhoods.

When it comes to public education, equal opportunity means equal opportunity for all, not opportunity for some at the expense of others.