Spokane schools to join lawsuit

Spokane Public Schools decided Wednesday to spend thousands of dollars trying to get millions more from the state.

The district’s board of directors voted unanimously to join the Network for Excellence in Washington Schools, a coalition of school districts, teachers, parents and community groups involved in a lawsuit against the state over the way education is funded.

The coalition, which filed the lawsuit in January, wants a King County Superior Court judge to declare that the state has failed to live up to its constitutional obligation, which defines education as its paramount duty.

“This shouldn’t have to be done, but it seems like rational discussion hasn’t worked,” Superintendent Brian Benzel said of the lawsuit. “The courts can create a sense of urgency that otherwise doesn’t exist.”

Benzel’s last day as superintendent will be Friday. He announced his retirement this year to accept a job in administration at Whitworth College.

He argues the state’s education system relies on an outdated formula created nearly 30 years ago for allocating money to school districts. The result has left schools across the state cash strapped, especially as state and federal laws require more from schools but don’t provide enough money to pay for those programs.

Spokane recently heard a recommendation from Benzel to cut more than $10 million from the district’s $285 million budget next year. In April, the school board voted to close an elementary school.

According to the resolution to join the lawsuit adopted Wednesday, Spokane allocated $14.5 million of local levy funds to pay for things required but not fully funded by the state.

Those include special education, transportation, programs for English language learners, and six-period days in high schools. Six class periods are required each day, but the state only pays for five.

“As a district we’ve been very patient each year. We’ve gone to our state legislators and asked them to address this,” said board member Rocky Treppiedi. “It failed to do so.”

This year’s legislative session made things worse, with the creation of more mandates such as full-day kindergarten, school officials said. Spokane will spend about $300,000 above what the state has funded to implement all-day kindergarten at five low-income schools this fall.

Spokane’s contribution to fees associated with the lawsuit will be about $40,000, district officials said.

“Which is a drop in the bucket compared to the millions and millions we are talking about recovering should the lawsuit be successful,” Treppiedi said.