Editorial
A bold approach to public education

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There are times in every society when leaders and citizens must acknowledge that the established way of doing something no longer works. Our state has reached such a time in the way we fund our public schools.

Current funding is not keeping pace with the state's burgeoning student population, changing demographics, higher standards and demanding economy. Already inadequate, money for schools is perennially subject to economic winds and political whim.

The grass-roots League of Education Voters offers a solution worth serious consideration. The proposal would create a separate, dedicated Education Trust Fund by raising sales tax by a penny. The fund would direct about $1 billion a year to programs and slots from preschool all the way through community colleges and universities.

The organization is scrambling to be ready for the November ballot. Questions about details and logistics remain.

But the bold approach is on target. The challenge is big and urgent. So, too, must be the solution.

There are 100,000 more students in our state's K-12 schools than a decade ago. About one-third of them are poor and a growing percentage don't speak English fluently.

Too many children enter kindergarten never having held a book. Too many slip from grade to grade in elementary school without learning to read.

Too many struggle without extra help in middle school and high school and drop out before obtaining a diploma. Too many graduate without adequate skills to land a job with a living wage.

Too many aim for community colleges or universities only to be turned away because of inadequate space. Too many others who get in must take remedial classes because they are unprepared.

Far too few of our state's young people have a real opportunity to receive a four-year degree.

There are those who will argue more money will not fix a broken system, and they are right. But this effort is not about haphazard investment. Targeted funding is the missing link in more than a decade of education reform in this state.

Tougher standards and increased accountability are in place. In 2008, every student will be required to earn a Certificate of Mastery to graduate from high school. A federal education law demands schools make yearly progress on test scores and graduation rates.

The trust fund would boost spending on proven programs and initiatives: smaller class sizes, extra help and after-school tutoring for struggling students; full-day kindergarten and high-quality preschools. It would link preschool to kindergarten and high school to college, forcing the state's institutions to work together to create a seamless, sensible education for students.

A large portion of the money would fund Initiative 728, a measure for K-12 that voters passed overwhelmingly a few years ago.

Another chunk of the K-12 money would allocate resources according to need. Schools with the highest poverty rate and highest percentage of children who are learning English would receive the most.

The trust fund would also enroll 10,000 low-income children in preschool and create 25,000 slots in the state's colleges and universities with scholarships to make them affordable. It would create incentives for teachers to earn professional certification and teach in high-poverty schools.

Organizers have proposed a citizens' board to oversee the fund, but serious questions remain about who would be represented and what kind of power they would have beyond issuing reports.

If legislators could use the new money to supplant existing education funds, the effort would be a failure. If funds were directed toward unauthorized uses, the impact of the new money would be diluted. Protection of the fund will require strong political and citizen commitment.

This editorial page does not take any tax increase lightly. The regressive nature of the sales tax is troubling. So is the increasing tendency toward targeted taxation, in which separate revenue streams fund separate services.

One undeniable fact offsets these negatives: Every taxpayer in every income bracket benefits from better schools. A high-quality education system is as good for business as it is for parents and students. A better-educated citizenry equals a more robust economy, a healthier democracy and higher quality of life for more people.

We have raised the bar for schools and students. It's time to give them the necessary resources to succeed.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company