Statement from Rep. Ross Hunter on Governor’s signing of the basic ed funding bill

Says removal of early learning provisions turns bill signing into a bittersweet victory

May 19, 2009

Olympia, WA – Today the Governor signed House Bill 2261, the basic education funding bill that redefines "basic education" and sets in motion the rewrite of the funding formulas that drive out dollars to school districts. Passage of the bill follows nearly three years of work by legislators, parents, teachers, administrators and others wanting to make significant improvements to the state’s K-12 system.

Governor Gregoire vetoed two sections of the bill. Section 115 essentially calls for including early learning for at-risk children in the definition of “basic education” and initiated a work group to begin the process of developing a statewide early learning program. Section 709 establishes additional support for the highly capable program.

State Rep. Ross Hunter served on both the Washington Learns advisory committee for K-12 and Basic Education Funding Task Force. He applauds today’s passage of House Bill 2261 but expressed concerns about the Governor’s decision to veto the early learning provisions.

“This is a bittersweet day for those who have worked so hard to pass HB 2261, the first significant change to the Basic Education Act in more than 30 years. I’m excited the Governor signed the bill, and appreciate the amazing efforts of all those who helped craft this legislation - the parents, teachers, administrators and legislators. It’s been inspiring to watch so many work together – not always in agreement – in the best interest of our children.

“This legislation makes crucial changes to our funding system that will have a tangible impact in our classrooms and in our students lives. I’m excited about the new model schools budgeting model, changes to data collection, and our clear commitment to CORE 24, the effort to ensure our children graduate from high school prepared for jobs that don’t require paper hats.

“However, I am disappointed the Governor vetoed the early learning portion of the bill. I understand her concerns about singling out one population of students, but we already do that with many of the current elements we consider basic education, such as the English Language Learners program and Learning Assistance Program. These are services necessary for children to successfully take part in our state’s basic education system.

“And the same is true of early learning. Every piece of research we’ve seen shows that early learning significantly improves the quality of educational outcomes in our children, particularly our at-risk children. When children start behind, they stay behind.

“We’ll go back and revisit the early learning issues and try to address the Governor’s concerns, but we are not backing down from our commitment to early learning. One day, every child in this state will have access to early learning, but for now we have to start somewhere. Kids who need early learning the most can’t afford it, and those who can afford it mostly don’t need it.

“We can have the best K-12 system in the world, but it won’t matter for the thousands of children who enter kindergarten already behind their peers. Those children deserve better, and we look forward to working with the Governor to ensure they get it.”

# # #