I Voted Yes, You Should Too

By now all of you should have received your ballots for our school levy. I trust you’ll take the time to vote. I hope you’ll vote yes. Ballots are due by 8 pm, February 10th.

I think we all know how important education is for our kids and the high quality of education our neighbor kids get on Mercer Island. I think we also know that the reputation of our schools creates demand for young families to want to move to Mercer Island (just as my parents did in the ‘60s and our son and his family in the 2020s) and the importance in maintaining the investment we’ve made in our real estate. This dynamic also creates a virtuous cycle of re-investment in Island real estate, keeping our community healthy.

What is less understood is how we finance schools in Washington State. We don’t control operations funding locally; the state’s constitution directs the state to fund “basic education” and the legislature has capped local districts to limit local funding. While we have some ability to add to the state’s funding for operations, it is very limited.

The Seattle Times reported that Washington State invests 3.17% of our GDP for public education, less than the nationwide average of 3.53%. The good news is that our spending is “equalized,” meaning every district gets relatively equal funding. This is not true generally across the country and districts like Mercer Island across the country often fund schools at two to two and a half times what Washington State allows.

I learned this when I served on our school board and when, as State Legislator for our district, I helped write the 2009 Education Reform Act, the basis of the McCleary decision which forced the legislature to increase funding to our below average 3.17%. In other states, districts like Mercer Island fund their schools at the level the elite regional private schools are funded at because they are permitted to set funding locally. We can’t.

This means the levy we’re voting on this month is the place we still have some flexibility. By voting in favor of raising these funds, we help support essential educational services that are not covered by state funding including programs such as reading specialist at each elementary school, paraeducators, and psychologists. It will help support smaller class sizes, and a seven-period day at the high school. It will contribute to athletic teams at MIHS and IMS.

It's worth noting that this levy replaces a previous one that expires this year. We can’t fund our schools like similar communities in other states can. It’s not legal in Washington State. But we can make sure that we take advantage of every opportunity allowed to bridge gaps in state funding.

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