OLYMPIA - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn thinks Washington needs to move into the 21st Century as it decides how to fund education.

"It's a different educational system," Dorn said. "Thirty years ago, there was no cost for technology, no cost for repairing technology. Computer technicians in the school, we didn't have them. Those are new positions and new costs to a school."

Education is Washington's "paramount duty," according to the state constitution.

Last year, the legislature added $1 billion for K-12 education after the supreme court ruled in McCleary versus the State of Washington the state was not following its duty and fully funding basic education. The state passed a supplemental budget this session allowing an extra $58 million for school materials and supplies, which can include technology costs.

Schools are under pressure to meet added requirements, including some to reduce class sizes and require more credits to get a high school diploma. Dorn said he estimates the state needs to contribute $7 billion toward education in the next four years.

"All that's laid out by the Supreme Court. It's not just Randy Dorn saying we need more money," he said. "The legislature has allowed local levies to pay for basic state education, and it's become uneven. Some districts are able to pay for it, and some districts aren't."

Dorn said local levies were originally meant to provide for enrichment programs, such as field trips or Saturday school.

"The levies today are paying mostly for state responsibilities. They're paying for bus transportation, they're paying for heating and cooling buildings, they're paying for teachers' salaries," he said.

He said another challenge facing his office is the potential loss of a $40 million waiver from the federal government relating to the No Child Left Behind Act.

One of the requirements to keep the waiver was to use state test performance in teacher evaluations. But lawmakers voted against a bill this year to make that change, saying that the state's tests are unproven.

Dorn said he thought it was unfortunate and hoped the state could adjust to get the waiver back next year.

"I think it will hurt kids. There will be teachers and paraeducators who lose their jobs. And then we have to send out a letter to over 95 percent of our students saying 'You go to a failing school,' which I don't believe is correct," he said.

Dorn also said educator salaries need to be addressed. While voters approved annual cost-of-living increases for teachers in 2000, the state hasn't funded them since 2006.

And he expressed concern that teachers no longer receive two professional training days every year.

"All our education reforms haven't been really fully funded," Dorn said.

He attributed part of the problem to Washington's tax structure, and an increase in online shopping leading to less sales tax income.

"Our state's going to have to really take a close look at how we produce the revenue in this state, because our tax system was built on people buying goods, not services," he said.

"It's finally catching up to the state of Washington, so it's going to be really challenging to have an educated citizenry moving forward into the 21st Century," Dorn said.

Leilani Leach is a Washington State University student covering news from the state capitol through the Murrow News Service. With the legislative session ending on March 13, she is now touching base with state officials who are based in Olympia year round.