Transforming Washington's Budget Ideas

Why does the State of Washington have 295 school districts! Why not use a model employed by other states - base school district boundaries on county boundaries for most counties and on student population for counties such as King County. It probably would not be prudent to combine Seattle School District with other districts, given its existing student population. As an example - Thurston County has 8 school districts ...more »

The President of Washington State University lives in Western Washington, even though WSU and the State pays for his house in Pullman. Washington is currently paying for his two homes. Force him to live in Pullman!

We really need to get 'smart' and implement year round accelerated public schools. What a tremendous waste of staff and facility resources having hundreds of closed buildings and thousands of employees idled for several months each summer all over the state. This type of year round accelerated school program would reduce our overall education costs while improving our children's education levels. States that have done ...more »

Force failing running start students to return to high school. Currently running start students can essentially register for classes and "drop out" as long as they register each quarter while the state picks up the tab for their tuition plus part of the support at the high school, these students are expensive and they're tying up limited seats at the community college.

stop raising taxes and saying it is for education. If our states children used all that money in extra taxes we would have the smartest children in the nation.

The fact that we're allocating $900,000 to make principals better while cutting teachers and parapros who are closest to the kids is unreal. This program is the classic example of fat in the budget, and maintaining it while Rome burns is absolutely unacceptable.

I own a store in the Tri-Cities area and I know for a fact that I'm one of the only ones in this whole part of the state that charges tax on phone cards as we're supposed to (my customers complain that I'm the only one that charges, plus I've inquired w/ other owners). Part of the problem is I think that their are some that really don't even know (education), but many others use it as a marketing advantage as it makes ...more »

The budget has $530,000 to provide grants for school employees looking to become principals and superintendents. These are people who already have a job--this money should be going into workforce development, not giving time off for people who are already drawing a paycheck.

In our effort to balance the state budget, Higher Education has landed on the chopping block. I believe this is a gross mistake. Washington needs to continue to attract and retain the best and the brightest if we expect to sustain our economy for the future. Lets not become so short sighted in a time of economic crises as to threaten our future.

Put Competition in School System. Parents should have the Right to say which Schools get to have their Kids Tax Funding. Result would be Better Schools and Less Unions holding the States Education Hostage with Strikes. Current Attitude of Schools is "Yeah well, what are ya gonna do about it? Nothin cuz you have no choice".

Part of unemployment insurance should be to qualify for a student loan to improve skills to reduce the chances of becoming unemployed again in the future.

The McCleary lawsuit established that we're not funding education the way we should. The state is clearly violating the paramount duty clause of the constitution; appealing the decision is a fool's errand that will cost $950,000. Drop the appeal and work on actually making progress.

Move school starting time up a half hour to a hour. Studies have shown that teens at this time of human development have their internal clocks shift forward (naturally stay up later in the evening) but still need the same amount of sleep, so starting the classes even a half hour later would be of great help. This will improve attendance (lower rates of kids saying there sick when they are just actually tired) and higher ...more »

Have the U of W or WSU accredit the community colleges. The current system does not evaluate the quality of education at these facilities, but how well administrators can meet their own goals. This system would mean that the community college faculty could actually get real feedback on our instruction from those who are qualified to give it. It would also mean we could stop paying for these worthless evaluations.

Fully support the WorkForce Training Board, and the related WorkSource programs. Both of these are essential to ensuring our economic future by training people for the jobs in their community.

Implementing the most recent education reform bills (6696 and 2261) will cost billions that we don't have, but we're already spening millions on commissions, meetings (hi, Quality Education Council), and paperwork. Suspend all that activity until we have the money to actually do something about it.

Allow parents to save the state money by encouraging the use of educational alternatives such as homeschooling, online learning, and private schooling. The primary cost in the state budget is for public education, and yet there are thousands of parents with children currently in the public school system who would gladly save the state money by utilizing educational alternatives if there were a small incentive. My wife ...more »

Navigation 101 is a nice enough program, but when we're talking about things as drastic as cutting levy equalization even nice programs need to go. Nav101 can come back later, when things get better. Right now, they ain't better. This would save $3.2 million dollars per year.

Require honesty and full disclosure -- especially in court -- by the AG office and all state employees when they are opposing the citizens. Start with parenting/CPS proceedings. This would shorten the proceedings immensely by not having to fight off the lies and misrepresentations and omissions of the AG and DSHS. Ask the Colville prosecutors about this. Give the police all police powers. End CPS which doesn't know ...more »

Allow parents who are unhappy with their current public school to send their kids to a non-public school with a voucher worth 50% of what the state is currently paying to the public school. Gives parents options and saves the state money.

Focus state funds to priviate, community-based, non-profits, like the WA St. Child Care Resource & Referral Network, who can administer locally relevant and critical services without heavy bureaucratic costs. These agencies are able to use business-like practices to meet unique needs for their community and leverage local resources, yet they rely on government funding for the capacity to do the work.

Education makes up over 38% and $27 billion of the State's current budget. A quality education is also a common characteristic of high income earners and business leaders - those targeted for a potential state income tax in the fall. Utilize high-school and university students seeking internships (we're approaching fall semester) to solicit WA state individuals who fall into the proposed State income tax thresholds, ...more »

Decrease pay for higher ed and K-12 teachers and staff. General government employees should not have to carry all the burden of pay cuts alone.

A more skilled workforce can create new businesses increasing economic development. Washington State could participate in the study of the Growth Mindset Learning Platform (GMLP), funded by the U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences by having some of the pilot schools in Washington State. Stanford psychologist Carol S. Dweck developed the program. http://dww.ed.gov/learn/?T_ID=18&P_ID=34 http://www.brainology.us/page/create-growth-mindset-culture-and-increase-student-achievement.aspx ...more »

Make Evergreen State College a branch of the U of W and eliminate redundant administrators. This college was meant as an experiment in creative education and has turned into a political indoctrination center. It would be better if the U of W was responsible for this institution.