The Chronicle’s article on Centralia School District’s budget woes and $2 million drop in reserves was no surprise. The core problem goes to the new state salary money for teachers and teachers strikes last fall.
Due to the McCleary court decision, the state provided more money to get in compliance with “adequate funding” constitutional mandates. The state sent far more money to the district and the local levy was lowered from around $3/1,000 valuation to $1.50. The state raised the state property tax 82 cents/$1,000 to pay for the plan but cut even more from the local levy (not to be confused with the bond).
McCleary ruled local districts were illegally using levy money for basic teacher salaries, giving richer districts an advantage attracting and retaining teachers.
The new state salary money was intended to replace local levy money used for salaries with the rest used for a raise.
The Legislature, though, also had no intention of fully equalizing salaries or levies. Levies could not be used for basic salaries, but the state did away with equal statewide salary funding and passed a regional plan that gives wealthier areas up to 18 percent more salary funding than poorer areas.
The state replaced inequitable salaries based on levies with inequitable salaries paid by the state. Lewis County schools gets the lowest teacher salary funding.
The levy equalization plan guarantees districts get at least $2,500 per student for $1.50/$1,000, but the wealthier school districts can collect up to $3,500 per student. That’s 40 percent more per student.
Even so, the plan didn’t work. In Centralia, the new state salary money was not used to replace levy money used for salaries. The community pressured the district to use it all for raises.
Remember all the signs stating “Centralia Teachers Deserve a Fair Contract Now?” The teachers union successfully promoted the idea the state sent the new salary money to go straight to them and complained the district wanted to use “their” money elsewhere.
The school board, in keeping with protocols, did nothing to explain to the community.
Centralia wasn’t unique. Teachers unions statewide complained districts didn’t want to pass on the new salary money, communities got sympathetic, boards didn’t speak up, and the education funding crisis began anew.
Districts now complain about shortcomings of the state’s compliance with McCleary and their “crises.” They want the levy cap lifted back to where it was before.
It’s time to pay the piper. Levies are going down and something has to give. Local levy tax rates should be capped and equalized so all students have a comparable chance at a good education. It shouldn’t be up to local taxpayers to provide educational services the state constitution says is the state’s responsibility.
Until rural school districts file and win their own lawsuit based on the equity clauses in the state constitution that were not part of McCleary and which guarantee a comparable education for all students paid by the state, this merry-go-round of budget crises in education finance will continue.
Neal Kirby
Centralia
