The ongoing fight over school funding in Washington state is heading back to court. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday before the Washington Supreme Court.
The justices have ordered the parties in the so-called McCleary case to appear before them to answer a set of questions such as:
- What remains to be done to fully fund public schools?
- How much is it expected to cost?
- How does the state intend to fund it?
The answers will help the high court decide whether the legislature has satisfied a court order to come up with a “complete plan” to achieve full funding by 2018.
The state argues that laws passed earlier this year constitute that complete plan. For instance, the legislature has pledged to act next year to end the reliance on local taxes to fund schools.
But the plaintiffs in the lawsuit say that’s not enough. The state is currently racking up a $100,000 per day fine for failing to previously satisfy the Washington Supreme Court. Further sanctions are possible.
