Where Did the I-1351 Language Come From?

The language found in I-1351 comes from three components: ESHB2261, passed by the legislature; Washington state’s testimony in the original jurisdiction McCleary trial; and the recommendations of the Quality Education Council.

ESHB2261 was passed by the legislature and did two things. It established the program by which the legislature sought to reform educational funding and it created the prototypical school and the services it would provide. That prototypical school funding system is the foundation for I-1351.

In its defense during the McCleary trial, the state repeatedly testified its actions should not be declared unconstitutional because ESHB2261 was the vehicle through which the state would “fully fund” education and promised the court that the legislature was committed to following through on the promises of ESHB2261. The court would later acknowledge that completing the commitment of ESHB2261 was a good first step in resolving the funding dilemma. Having given the court those assurances, opposition now would seem to reflect an effort to renege on those assurances.

ESHB2261 created the Quality Education Council (QEC) and charged it with developing the recommendations and establishing the timelines for fulfillment of the funding reform. Those recommendations came in two parts. Within its primary recommendations, the QEC called for lowering class sizes in K-3. Further on in the QEC report (pages 12 & 17), the council expressed its support for timelines to implement other funding reforms.

In Appendix B of the Quality Education Council Report the following is written about Class Size Assumptions:

Grade Level /I-728 Values /2018 Funding Values (Reg. Schools & High Pov Schools)

K-3 / 22.24 / 15 & 15

Gr. 4 / 22.33 / 25 & 22

Gr. 5-6 / 26.23 /25 & 23

Gr. 7-8 / 27.7 / 25 & 23

Gr. 9-12 / 27.87 / 25 & 23

CTE 26.58 19 & 19

Skill Centers / 22.76 / 16 & 16

Additional staffing assumptions in same Appendix(Example is for a high school @ 600 students)

Lib/Media 0.523 >1.0

Counselors 1.909 >3.5

Health/SocialServ 0.118 >1.0

PD Coaches 0.283 > 1.0

Inst Aides 0.652 > 1.0Off

Staff/Aides 3.269 > 3.5

Security 0.141. 1.3

Custodians 2.965 > 3.0

You can see that I-1351 is drawing upon provisions of a law passed by the legislature, the state’s testimony in McCleary, and recommendations from the Quality Education Council (a body created by the Legislature).