Olympia City Council backs school levy, state underfunding of schools criticized

It's not enough to simply say yes for our schools. We need the City of Olympia to promote change. Our community schools are an important part of the fabric of the city most of us call home”

Ben Edwards, Olympia

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Concerns about state underfunding of schools and its local impacts took center stage during the Olympia City Council meeting, where councilmembers approved a resolution of support for Proposition 1, the Olympia School District's replacement levy, on Tuesday, January 16.

Councilmember Jim Cooper criticized state legislature for seemingly "checked off the box around their paramount duty of funding basic education at the close of the McCleary decision."

The McCleary ruling refers to a landmark 2012 education funding case in Washington State, where the Washington State Supreme Court found that the state legislature had failed to meet its constitutional duty under Article IX, Section 1 to fully fund basic education for all students. This provision establishes basic education as the "paramount duty" of the state.

The Court determined that legislative funding for public schools was insufficient. In 2013, the Court issued an order in the McCleary case requiring the state legislature to take significant measures to increase funding levels for basic education programs and operations to fulfill the state's obligation under the constitution. The ruling addressed the legislature's ongoing underfunding of K-12 education.

While supporting the levy, Cooper expressed frustration with the state legislature fulfilling its duty to fund basic education fully. He felt the legislature had declared the McCleary decision resolved, but no one was monitoring whether funding levels were adequate.

Cooper  said the current education funding situation is an equity and climate issue that warrants a "long work session." "I think it is important that we understand, as the city council, more of what they're wrestling with - the land use and zoning issues around schools and making sure that we can have the right unit sizes and types for families to be able to use. They want to raise their children in our community."

Cooper challenged the school board to stay focused on equity and climate as they address budget cuts and potential school closures. He said these schools are the two most walkable schools in the district.

Community pushback

Community member Ben Edwards asks the Olympia City Council to advocate for the state K-12 reforms.

When Mayor Dontae Payne opened the public hearing, community member Ben Edwards asked the council to advocate for state K-12 funding reforms. He noted that the district would only have access to around $30 million of the $39.4 million levy funds approved by voters due to flaws in the state funding model.

Edwards also expressed concern about two potential school closures – Madison and McKenny elementary schools, which he said serve vulnerable student populations. Specifically, Edwards pointed out that Madison Elementary has the second-highest rate of students in the district who experience homelessness.

"I asked the city to provide incentives to land use development that attracts families. We're not meeting our community needs if we don't make space for the children who are the future… I asked the city to review housing regulations that may hinder families from occupying multifamily housing units," Edwards said.

Edwards suggested that the council review housing regulations to determine if current rules prevent families from occupying multifamily housing units, such as allowing two adults and three children to live in a two-bedroom apartment. He argued that if regulations prohibit this, it should be re-examined to avoid bias against lower-income families that could otherwise help boost enrollment at neighborhood schools.

"It's not enough to simply say yes for our schools. We need the City of Olympia to promote change. Our community schools are an important part of the fabric of the city most of us call home," Edwards concluded.

Superintendent Patrick Murphy provided information about the levy. He said the school board recently approved a ballot measure for a replacement levy to be presented to the electorate on February 13, 2024.

"This is my seventh year as a superintendent. This is the second time we've gone out for this levy," Murphy said, adding that this is not a new tax. He noted that it funds essential programs and operations beyond just "enrichment." He said 16% of the district's budget comes from the levy, and it helps pay for services like special education.

CORRECTION: January 18, 2024: The original version of the story stated that Superintendent Patrick Murphy "spoke in favor of" the levy. State law prohibits school officials from advocating on behalf of their districts so, at the request of Olympia School District, we changed the works to read that he "provided information about." We regret our error.