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Saturday, June 29, 2013

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Budget: A Win for Schools?

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Budget: A Win for Schools?:

Washington State Budget: A Win for Schools?

The answer to that headline is - not really.  Are they getting more money?  Yes.  Enough money? No.  Can the Supreme Court really do anything?  Doubtful.

So really, it's a lot of legislators blowing smoke about education.  (And no legislator should pat themself on the back for finally getting a budget.  That said, I know many districts are relieved to finally have some answers so they can finish their own budgets.)

The Times reports that half the money would go to fund "student transportation, school supplies and building utilities" (things districts now pay for that the Supreme Court - go figure - said the state should pay for).

The rest would go toward expanding state-funded all-day kindergarten and class-size reduction in kindergarten/1st grade in high-povery schools.

This is all great but not enough.  (I believe the class-size reduction is about two students per class.  I don't know