WA superintendent candidates clash over closures, funding crisis

WA State Superintendent candidates clash over school funding crisis

Seattle Public Schools’ plan to close more than 20 schools has come to a sudden stop, but concerns about Washington's state education budget remain high.

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Seattle Public Schools’ plan to close more than 20 schools has come to a sudden stop, but concerns about Washington's state education budget remain high.

The financial strain has raised questions about the future of public school funding, with mounting pressure on Chris Reykdal, the state's Superintendent of Public Instruction, to secure additional funds. His willingness to explore new taxes to fill the gap is at the center of the debate.

Reykdal’s opponent in the upcoming superintendent election, David Olson, has been vocal in his opposition. Olson, a member of the Peninsula School Board, labeled Reykdal’s early budget proposal a "political stunt," saying that it is more about posturing than practical solutions.

During an interview, Olson emphasized the complexity of the state’s education funding issues, blaming the shortfall on underfunding by the state. He says that school districts in Washington's bigger regions, like Seattle Public Schools and Bellevue, benefit more from the state’s broken funding model compared to smaller, rural districts like Grandview and Yakima.

"The state is not fully funding basic education, which is the primary factor," said Olson.

Olson and Reykdal both agree that the state has fallen short of its constitutional obligation to fund education, a stance reaffirmed by the 2012 McCleary court decision. However, Olson criticized Reykdal’s proposed $3.7 billion increase in education funding as a temporary fix.

"Reykdal’s $3.7 billion is just a band-aid," Olson said. "We need to sit down and fix a funding formula that was broken with the McCleary decision."

Olson says that lottery and marijuana tax revenues, which were initially earmarked for education, have not been fully utilized. He accused legislators of deliberately diverting these funds to the general budget.

"Shame on you," Olson said to state lawmakers. "Our students in this state are the future leaders, and we are doing them a disservice."

Olson’s solution involves holding the state accountable. If elected, he has vowed to petition the state Supreme Court to hold Washington in contempt, similar to the McCleary case.

"If they don't meet their duty, I'll go back to the Supreme Court and say, ‘Hold the state in contempt like they did 10 years ago,’" Olson said.

As the funding debate rages on, many districts are already feeling the pinch. Olson highlighted the struggles of districts like Marysville and Moses Lake, both of which have faced severe budget shortfalls due to declining enrollment and, in Marysville’s case, levy failures. Seattle Public Schools is also dealing with a significant deficit in special education funding and transportation costs.

Olson expressed concern over the long-term impact on students, stating that underfunding schools is contributing to lower academic performance. He pointed out that families are paying more for remedial courses in higher education because students are not adequately prepared in K-12 schools.

"We're seeing more students needing remedial English and math courses in community colleges because they are not prepared to move on to higher education," Olson said.

While the immediate school closure plans in Seattle have been halted, the broader issue of school funding in Washington remains unresolved. Both Olson and Reykdal are set to face off in the upcoming election, with education reform at the top of the agenda.

A debate is scheduled for Thursday at 6:30 p.m. You can catch it on FOX Local.