This article was published at The Washington Policy Center on Oct 6, 2026: https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/publications/detail/is-mccleary-really-to-blame-for-washingtons-budget-woes During a recent debate on repealing the state income tax, opponents of I-645 claimed that the state budget's rapid expansion is driven by the Supreme Court’s McCleary decision. K–12 funding has grown rapidly since that decision, but since 2019, spending on everything else has expanded nearly three times as fast, accounting for nearly three-quarters of total state budget growth. The Supreme Court formally ended its oversight of the McCleary decision in June 2018. McCleary enforced the state’s … [Read more...]
Battle Ground School District Nov 2026 Levy Ballot
Should you vote Yes or No on the levy? There are two camps: (1) Those who believe that student education should be funded no matter what the cost and, (2) Those who say it's gotten too expensive and vote No. Should this be an emotional or logical/fact based decision? Emotional Position (Yes vote) “Our children shouldn't pay the price for an adult budget dispute.” Protecting the child who needs the most help. Safety is difficult to put a price on. Give teenagers something to belong to. Don't close doors before children discover what they're capable of. A community has an obligation to its next generation. But there is an important counter-emotional argument A … [Read more...]
Fully funding K-12 education is a pipe dream
We hear all sorts of comments about the need to “fully fund” K-12 education. It’s a pipe dream and fantasy. Why? Read on… The state's funding formula for K-12 education is called the Prototypical School Funding Model. The Washington State Basic Education Act of 1977 originated the funding model and outlines the definition of Basic Education in public schools. This model determines the base amount of funding each district receives per student based on a fixed theoretical school size enrollment. The model establishes minimum staff-to-student ratios for various positions such as principals, teachers, custodians, nurses, and more. The funding received by school districts based on this model … [Read more...]
Letter: ‘VPS has no operational reserves and no credible plans to raise them’
Date: Monday, October 20, 2025. Published at ClarkCountyToday.com Please take a moment to read this article. It points out the precarious situation in the Vancouver School District and its path to financial stress...all because the School Board Directors won't take the necessary actions. Area resident Larry Roe says the Vancouver School District’s financial woes are due to ‘continuously spending more than our elected state representatives allocate for public education’ Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com Our Vancouver Public School Board meeting (10/14/25, … [Read more...]
Woodland SD District 4 Trish Huddleston
A list of 12 questions was sent to each candidate with the offer to publish their responses unedited. Ms. Huddleston is running unopposed, is the incumbent and chose not to respond. If you learn anything please share with us. ______________________________________________________________ Q1: Given the poor student test scores, what are your proposals to improve learning and outcomes? Q2: Given that an estimated 50% of the entire state budget goes to K-12 education, what are your thoughts about improving efficiencies in local spending? Q3: What’s your position on Parental Rights? Q4: Should parents have the right to choose public or private education for their children? Q5: What’s your … [Read more...]
National and WA State 8th and 4th grade test results
Brought to you by the good people at Edunomics A timely update from the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown’s McCourt School. Today’s NAEP scores provide a reckoning of sorts. In contrast to each state’s annual assessments, the NAEP enables a comparison of student learning across states and over time. These last two years in public education have been unlike any before. Students were emerging from deep pandemic-era learning losses just as $190B in relief funds began to rain down on schools. Now for the truth bomb: In states like KY, LA, MS, TN, and WV that answer is yes. Students in these states saw real (even if modest) score gains … [Read more...]
Opinion: Rising budgets, declining outcomes; Ridgefield’s educational paradox
This is Part 2 of a review of the Ridgefield School District published at Clark County Today on January 22nd Area resident Rob Anderson says Ridgefield School District’s ballooning budget has not led to better academic outcomes Rob Anderson for Clark County Today The first article took a closer look at Ridgefield School District’s two levy proposals: Proposition 12, an operational levy, and Proposition 13, labeled as a “Technology and Capital” levy. Proposition 12 requests a 41% increase in operational funding compared to 2022, amounting to $44 million annually. Proposition 13 seeks $21 million, primarily for capital projects, including a previously rejected proposal for a new … [Read more...]
Opinion: The people behind the numbers in the Hockinson School Bond
This article was published in ClarkCountyToday.com on Jan 21, 2025 Area resident Carolyn Schultz-Rathbun offers her insight and perspective on the Hockinson School Bond Carolyn Schultz-Rathbun for Clark County Today At first glance, the Hockinson school bond measure looks like every school bond conversation everywhere. Parents and administrators enthuse over things the new bond would provide: a second elementary school, safety improvements at existing schools, a high school career and technical building, a covered outdoor area at the middle school, improved traffic flow at the current elementary school, a new high school track, and artificial turf on the high school … [Read more...]
We Have Already Passed Peak Public School
This article appeared at Reason Magazine and was partially published in one of our earlier blogs. As families continue to defect from government-managed K-12, teachers unions are tightening their squeeze on the Democratic Party. As back-to-school week wheezes into gear for the nation's 54 million or so children between the ages of five and 17, a startling, post-COVID reality is becoming more apparent, even if the implications are still too big to process. It is this: Though the U.S. population continues to grow, the number of kids attending public K-12 schools will likely never again reach its 2019 peak. The rise of homeschooling—from around 2.8 percent of the school-aged population … [Read more...]
What’s Driving the Ballooning Support Staff in Public Schools?
The article comes from Intellectual Takeout: https://intellectualtakeout.org/2019/09/whats-driving-the-ballooning-support-staff-in-public-schools/ State Superintendent of Schools for Washington State, Chris Reykdal, is asking the State Legislature to increase funding for schools by another $3 billion. This would put education at over 50% of every dollar. Personnel consume over 80% of every dollar. In this article they point out that for all the money and more personnel text scores are stagnant to falling. Money isn't the issue. In the animated graphic below, University of Michigan economics professor Mark Perry charts the ballooning nature of public school staff, students, and … [Read more...]