It’s time for a talk about schools and taxes and how an enlightened society makes sure that each generation will reach adulthood with the skills to be a contributing citizen.

It’s a talk about whether Washington taxpayers will voluntarily pay more than the state constitution demands so the community’s children won’t be cheated out of the fundamental education to which they’re entitled. If there’s a note of desperation in this talk, thank the Legislature for that.

First, though, keep an eye on your mailbox. Later this week, registered voters in 14 Spokane County school districts will receive their mail-in ballots for the March 14 special levy election. On the average, those districts get 15 percent of their operating budgets from special levies. If voters say no, staffing and program cuts ensue.

Anyone who pores over one of those district’s budgets, line item by line item, can certainly find details to disagree with and probably even some waste. But not 15 percent’s worth. Levy losses in any of these districts will do harm, and the harm will be felt most severely by the kids who can’t afford to sit around waiting for the public education system to be made perfect. Before you know it they’ll enter the world as voters, workers and parents – with or without an adequate education.

So it’s important that voters keep doing what they nearly always do. As one voter-approved levy expires, they approve another. That’s what they need to do again in the March 14 election, unless they’d rather make an ideological statement at their children’s expense.

Admittedly, voters are over a barrel.

If state lawmakers had been doing their duty – their “paramount” duty, to quote the constitution – they would have assured that the resources were in place to guarantee every child in the state a basic education. Under those happy conditions, taxpayers and their local school districts could have a more uplifting talk about using levies for enrichment. Knowing basic education was covered, they could decide whether to provide some extras.

Unfortunately, there is little pressure on the Legislature to accept – genuinely accept – its duty and fund basic education first, other things later. School districts energetically lobby Olympia to make it easier to pass levies and to stop mandating new programs that aren’t accompanied by funding. But they have been timid about demanding that the Legislature fulfill its obligations. Patrons’ ongoing generosity gives them the cushion they need.

Thirty years ago, a statewide wave of levy failures spurred the Seattle School District to sue the state and win. Judge Robert Doran sharply instructed the Legislature to step up to its duty, but as the years have passed the 1976 decision has lost its immediacy. School funding in Washington has regressed toward its flawed past while basic education counts on local taxpayers to pick up the slack.

At present, local schools and local voters generally enjoy a positive relationship. At such time as the voters begin to feel exploited, however, the crisis of the ‘70s could be repeated. To prevent that, lawmakers and education leaders need to demonstrate some sincerity about complying with the state constitution.