MLSD board members tell state that schools need more flexibility, not more money

MOSES LAKE — Schools in Washington don’t need more money, they just need more flexibility and local control over the money they have: That is the message that members of the Moses Lake School District gave to the state during the 2020 Legislative Conference sponsored by several major Washington teachers and administrators groups.

“We do not need more money or more taxes,” MLSD board President Elliott Goodrich said at a regular board meeting on Thursday. “We need more flexibility from the state to use what we have.”

“Without control at a local level, we cannot operate in a way that’s best for our kids or our system. Our hands are tied,” Goodrich added.

Goodrich, along with fellow board member Vickey Melcher and Assistant Superintendent Carole Meyer attended the legislative conference on Feb. 10 in Olympia. It was organized by the Washington State School Directors’ Association, the Washington Association of School Administrators, and the Washington Association of School Business Officials to discuss how schools are staffed and funded and the kinds of things local and state officials can expect of teachers.

Melcher said conference attendees talked about issues with the School Employees Benefits Board and the prototypical school funding model, which allocates funding to schools based on an ideal number of students in classrooms.

For example, the state will pay the salary and a portion of benefits for one teacher for every 17 students in kindergarten through third grade, 27 students in grades 4 through 6, and a little more than 28 students in grades 7 through 12.

The model, however, only allocates funding, meaning districts are on their own to set salaries and staff schools. Josh Meek, MLSD’s superintendent, has repeatedly said the prototypical school funding model is unrealistic and does not provide adequate funding for positions such as counselors and paraeducators.

A number of districts have also found themselves facing significant potential budget shortfalls since the 2018 change to school financing, which sought to fully fund “basic education” as outlined in the state’s constitution. That change limited local tax levies and made it nearly impossible for local districts to spend state money on non-basic education.

The legislature last year raised the local levy cap from $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value to $2.50. But many districts are still struggling with their finances.

“A lot of districts have the same issues we’re having,” Melcher said.

Goodrich said MLSD, which turned a looming $25 million deficit for the 2021-22 school year into a projected surplus through budget cuts and rearranging how it spends dedicated money, has experience and knowledge it can share with other school districts.

“We’re doing the hard work, and we can offer advice to other school districts,” Goodrich said.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at cfeatherstone@columbiabasinherald.com.