'Nothing really simple'

As school districts across the region announce significant layoff plans, Cheney School District officials have said they have no plan to do so. While no doubt a relief to many West Plains parents and teachers, it also sparks the question: how is Cheney managing its money, and how is the district coping with the onslaught of education funding changes authorized by the state Legislature in its most recent session?

Balancing act

Cheney Finance Director Jamie Weingart said long-term success is all about compromise and foresight.

“A large part of Cheney’s success is due to the positive relationship we have with the teacher’s union,” Weingart said. “Part of what they want is pay raises, yes, but we do want to plan for multiple years out.”

During recent teacher contract negotiations, some Eastern Washington districts offered salary increases well beyond Cheney’s 11.92 percent.

Chewelah offered a general increase of about 18 percent, while Mead increased salaries by 15 percent and Spokane Public Schools hiked teacher pay by more than 13 percent. In Spokane, a teacher with a bachelor’s degree and no experience can expect to earn $46,000 a year.

But those very same districts announced massive layoffs this year. Spokane Public Schools revealed in April it could lay off as many as 325 employees before the next school year because of projected budget deficits, while Mead announced a budget plan cutting more than 70 positions. Chewelah cut three classified positions mid-year and is still scrambling to cover a $215,000 deficit.

The tie between unsustainable teacher raises and layoffs is undeniable, but Weingart says one of the challenges when discussing education funding is the difficulty in comparing districts.

“Each district has such different circumstances – in smaller communities it’s easier to have those conversations in a more open and honest way,” she said. “We made a promise of no cuts, but we might not fill positions as quickly when teachers retire.”

Then there’s the laundry list of legislative changes to contend with.

Funding fluctuations

The state’s two-year, $52.4 billion budget allocates nearly $115 million for special education but still fell short of funding the actual costs of education.

Senate Bill 5091, signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee May 13, increases Washington’s excess cost “multiplier,” which is the amount of additional money the state is required to pay school districts for students with disabilities.  

The bill also provides financial incentive for schools districts to educate special needs students alongside general education students for a majority of the school day and makes it easier for school districts with fewer assets to apply for and receive state monies through a “safety net” process.

The state currently only provides funds for special education students making up 13.5 percent of the district’s total population, and “the percentage of Cheney’s student population is greater than 13.5,” Weingart said.

Changes were also made to levy funds at a state level. Last year, the Legislature declared an over-reliance on local funds and set a state property tax to go toward education, thereby reducing what school districts can collect locally. Local districts were limited to asked for $1.50 per $1,000, down from $3 per $1,000 in years past.

This year, the Legislature upped the levy cap to $2.50, but any increase beyond the original $1.50 must go back to voters as a supplemental budget.

“Right now we don’t have plans to ask for more, because the challenge is the state property tax is still in place,” Weingart said.

An ongoing issue in education is the difference between what is funded for schools and districts’ actual needs, Weingart said. The Cheney district is provided funding for about eight paraeducators, but based on population could use about 50, according to district financial documents. Often schools are funded for .5 or .2 of an employee, and “how do you hire half a counselor?” Weingart asks.

Wins and losses

Districts are left fighting an uphill financial battle that is made all the more complicated when state funding models are changed every two years. The lack of consistency can be tough to keep up with, and the fact that funded calendar years don’t line up with school years makes financial management even more difficult.

“You realize really quick how fast money goes,” Weingart said.

In a victory for schools across the state, the Legislature this year passed a bill providing alternate pathways to graduation, meaning many high school students will not be required to pass certain standardized tests to graduate.

The state also increased requirements for paraeducators from a high school diploma or GED to an AA degree, two years of credits or passage of a practice test, a move meant to protect students but one that can eliminate quality applicants or complicate local hiring processes.

A proposal for universal sex education that would have required schools to teach students about affirmative consent and recognizing abusive relationships also failed in the House after serious debate.

But though district financial officials across the state face a host of challenges, Cheney leaders are optimistic about the future.

“There’s nothing really simple and cut and dry about the school funding model,” Weingart said. “But there are a lot of really good things happening in our school and in Washington.”

Shannen Talbot can be reached at [email protected].