public colleges and universities

It’s time to stand up for education funding.

What with a judge telling the state it’s been failing in its constitutional duty to fund K-12 education, and college students and staff across the state walking out of the classroom to speak out against budget cuts in higher ed, it’s heady stuff.

“State funding is not ample, it is not stable, and it is not dependable,” said King County Superior Court John Erlick in his ruling that the state has failed in its duty to provide for the education of school children. He ordered the Legislature to determine the cost of a basic education, then pay for it.

That sounds simple enough, but the devil is in those details, and the formula has been evaded for 30 years, as Erlick also pointed out in his ruling. He also warned lawmakers  the state’s fiscal crisis is not a good enough reason to ignore the state constitution.

The case was brought by a coalition of parents, educators and community leaders. But the state may appeal the ruling, The Seattle Times’ Linda Shaw reported.

That was the one part of the decision that the state's attorneys found comforting.

"He left the remedy for whatever ails the system in the Legislature's hands, and we believe that's where it belongs," said Assistant Attorney General Bill Clark.

But while parents were ecstatic, the joy was shared by the state’s leading educator, state superintendent of education Randy Dorn, Shaw wrote.

"It's a great day for kids.

What will happen to higher education in Washington state if a controversial initiative that would limit tax revenue increases to the rate of inflation passes? One lawmaker says the bill for a public college education would look a lot more like private school tuition.

That’s because K-12 education is protected by constitutional mandate, they say. Not so higher-ed. And something’s got to give, reports Andrew Garber in the Seattle Times.

"The first cut is going to be in higher education. There is no constitutional mandate to maintain our higher-education institutions," said Rep. Kathy Haigh, D-Shelton, chairwoman of the House Education Appropriations Committee. "If these institutions are going to remain viable, they're going to have to increase tuition to something more like private schools."

Critics point out that the condition of the state budget means cuts were inevitable already, economic recovery or not. And it’s not just Washington state's public institutions facing tough times. At the University of Oregon, a 9 percent state budget cutback resulted in a tuition and fee increase of about 15 percent since last year. Other state institution increases range from 3.5 percent to 10 percent.

University of Washington President Mark Emmert says that if I-1033 passes, students could at least expect to see more of the same. Tuition and fees for UW students are just under $6,000. 

The current state budget allows universities to increase tuition 30 percent over two years.