Dive Brief:

• As Washington state looks for a way to balance its education budget, Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn is suggesting a solution that would see local levy dollars moved to the state's general fund.
• Dorn's plan would require state legislators to add $2.2 billion to education spending via the levy funds.
• The state's funding model was deemed unconstitutional by the Washington Supreme Court in 2012 because it relied too heavily on local tax-levies, which are not considered stable.

Dive Insight:

Dorn's suggestions are considered pretty last minute — two weeks before a decision has to be made — and sort of indicative of the lackadaisical action Washington has taken on this issue. Last April, the state had to submit an annual education report to its Supreme Court with plans for mitigating budget deficiencies. However, when it submitted the document, there weren't really any specific, tangible plans. Rather, it provided ideas that lawmakers hoped would gain traction in the coming year.

Additionally, parents, teachers, and community groups sued the state last year over funding inadequacies, and their winning the case further made the point for why change needs to happen.