What a School Could Do with $100,000 a Day…

Before morning recess on day two, the salaries and benefits for two experienced full-time teachers would be fully funded for the whole year.

That was my first thought when I read that the Washington State Supreme Court is fining the State of Washington $100,000 a day for failing to establish an acceptable plan to meet the 2018 deadline for fully funding schools. (Actual Court Order here.)

Since I’m in a financial position where a mere speeding ticket could put my family over the edge (and thus is enough motivation for me to ease up on the lead foot), the idea of a fine of $100,000 per day seems like it ought to inspire action. But will it?

Way back when the McCleary ruling was first making waves, I wondered whether this move would result in the intended effect. What can the Court do to compel the legislature in to action? In January, 2014, the Court issued a warning, and then in September of 2014 the Court found the legislature in contempt. Here’s a nice little timeline.

I am no legal scholar and no expert in the nuances of these supposed checks and balances. One thing I do know, though, is that when my middle son asks to do jobs in the backyard to earn money to buy a new lego set, the money comes from my pocket either way. In other words, if the state pays a fine, where does that money come from and where does it go? I’m under the impression that we’re dealing with a closed system here.

I am not optimistic that this move from the Court will actually result in miraculous action on the part of the Legislature. What will happen: Rather than address education funding issues, people will start targeting the Court… are they overstepping their authority, do they have the constitutional power to levy such a fine, and so on. That’s the one constant of politics: Distraction from the real issues. On a small scale, it is why I always clean the bathrooms and do every stitch of laundry when I have a stack of essays to grade. Rather than do the work I know I should do, I busy myself with other things I justify to myself also need to be done… but the real work doesn’t go away just because I’ve done other work.

I digress (of course). While the State gets distracted into arguments about whether the Court has the authority to do what it has done, $100,000 a day will supposedly be readied to go from somewhere to…somewhere else? Does this mean that the approved budget has to be augmented each day, slowly shifting $100,000 drops from one bucket to another? If any reader knows the mechanism of this, please do share in the comments below.

Ultimately, though, unless that cash is coming out of legislators’ personal pockets and into the general budget for education, I don’t really see how this will serve as much motivation for the Legislature to get their act together.

4 thoughts on “What a School Could Do with $100,000 a Day…

  1. Jasmine Lawrence

    Hey Mark

    So it is about to be a year from the time you made this post. So who paid the 100,000? Did they pay the 100,000. How did they pay the 100,000? What did it go towards? (education I hope).

  2. Lindsey Stevens

    My husband and I are both teachers and had the same initial reaction. I fear even those of us that are celebrating feeling like someone is in our corner don’t fully understand what that means and what the repercussions really are. We want support and we want our students to have the education they deserve but I don’t think I fully understand how a fine will impact a budget problem to begin with.

  3. Al Gonzalez

    I hear ya on this, where will the money come from? But, on the other hand, I applaud the courts for taking action! Warnings have not worked so they are upping the ante. The courts are in essence saying, “it’s not our concern where the money is coming from, that’s your job. You didn’t get it done so come on back and keep working on it until you get it done.”

    I’m grateful for that.

  4. Shari Conditt

    My first thought when I heard the ruling was: So where is this money actually coming from? If it comes from the budget then what’s the point? Where does the money go? If it comes from their pay- that is paid to them from taxpayers, what’s the point? What is gained? I agree with you, I worry that some folks will feel as if the Court has diminished itself by this decision. I’m appreciative that the Court is still checking in and not writing off the past legislative session, on the other hand, there must be alternative sanctions, right?

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