OLYMPIA - There's sticker shock as state lawmakers learn how much it'll cost to put Washington schools in the top 10 in the country for spending on students. But they say it's a goal worth going for, but it could be a decade-long effort.

Washington is considered a prosperous state, but it ranks 42nd in the nation when it comes to dollars spent per student. Educators and administrators set out to find what could be done about it to bring Washington up to the top 10.

The report, conducted by David Conley at the Eugene, Ore.-based Educational Policy Improvement Center, shows that spending in the 2004-05 school year fell $3.45 billion - or $3,613 per student - short of adequately paying for education for the state's approximately 1 million public school students.

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction said $11.9 billion of state money was spent in the 2003-05 biennium. Including local and federal money, the total amount spent on education in the 2004-05 school year was about $7.7 billion, WEA spokesman Rich Wood said.

The study said to adequately fund schools in the state for just that year, $11.16 billion should have been spent in state, local and federal dollars.

The 2004-05 data was used because Conley started the study a year ago, before 2005-06 data was available, Wood said.

That $11.16 billion increase would be a 45% jump, leading to a lot of sticker shock in Olympia.

But once the shock wore off key lawmakers said the study sets a good goal. The plan would get Washington to No. 7 on the list.

"Education is our paramount duty," said Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Bellevue. "I'm not saying those numbers are the numbers we're going to be going to, but I think it is a direction that we need to move to make sure our kids are competitive in a 21st century economy."

Educators, administrators and the state PTA, who commissioned the study, agree: if you want public school kids to receive a quality education you have to spend more to:

* reduce class size to 17 kids
* bring in all-day kindergarten
* hire more teachers and pay them more
* and bring in more help for students with special needs, including English language learners.

"It's going to be a really difficult discussion to have about a funding increase of this magnitude," said Washington Adequacy Funding Study author Dr. David Conley. "But given the goals Washingtonians have for their schools, I think it's a discussion they're going to want to have."

2nd grade teacher Mark Mains of Mukilteo says, "I take a little bit of issue with 'this is just throwing money at a problem.' These kids deserve an education, every one of them."

Gov. Chris Gregoire and state schools Superintendent Terry Bergeson did not immediately comment on the report.

Gregoire has made education the focus of this year's legislative session. She is seeking improvements suggested by the Washington Learns task force, including full-day kindergarten for more students, more rigorous math and science courses and a stronger commitment to the state's colleges.

Including teacher salary increases of $382 million, $200 million to improve math and science education and class-size reduction grants of $139 million, Gregoire's budget for K-12 hits $12.3 billion for the 2007-09 biennium.

The Network for Excellence in Washington Schools, a coalition of teachers, parents, community groups and school districts, sued the state in January. The group said the state has failed to live up to the constitution, which defines education as the state's paramount duty. WEA is part of that lawsuit.

James Kelly, NEWS vice president and president of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, said the report supports the group's claim.

"I told lawmakers this morning that they have an opportunity to affirm the framers of the Constitution by fully funding all schools," Kelly said. "The report gives them a vehicle of how to do that."

This won't happen overnight. Lawmakers say it may take up to 10 years to achieve these goals.

The study was paid for by the state teachers union, Washington Education Association. But the group says it did not have a role in it and did not know the results ahead of time.

For More Information:

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