Seattle district chips in for lawsuit

The Seattle School District has committed $50,000 to help fund a sweeping lawsuit filed against the state of Washington to increase education spending.

The lawsuit, filed on Thursday in King County Superior Court, alleges that state government has not fulfilled its constitutional obligation to fund public schools. It seeks a court order to compel the state to determine the costs of providing an adequate education and then devote funds appropriately.

Plaintiffs include parents of children who attend schools in the Chimacum and Snohomish school districts, as well as a coalition called Network for Excellence in Washington Schools, which includes the state PTA, League of Women Voters of Washington, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, 12 school districts and the Washington Education Association (WEA), the state's largest teachers union.

WEA could spend about $1 million on the litigation, spokesman Rich Wood said.

Gov. Christine Gregoire recently announced a two-year budget that included $12.3 billion for K-12 education, about 40 percent of her proposed general fund.

In a prepared statement, state schools Superintendent Terry Bergeson said Thursday: "I'm not sure I understand the timing of the lawsuit since the governor has just announced a substantial down payment on improved education funding."