Sup’t. of Education Plans Lawsuit Over Local Levies

— by Tom James for Crosscut.com —

Washington schools superintendent Randy Dorn says he is putting together a legal move to force action on the state’s McCleary obligation to pay for improving public schools.

Although the exact shape of the legal action was unclear, Dorn referred to it at one point as a lawsuit. “I would like it to be before the end of session,” Dorn said in an interview late last week, referring to the current session of the Legislature. It’s scheduled to end in early March.

In the same interview, the state Superintendent of Public Instruction repeated remarks from earlier this year that he is considering a run for the governor’s office.

The central focus of his legal action would be to get the state Supreme Court to rule on the legality of continuing to use local levies to supplement teacher and staff pay.

(To read the full article, go to crosscut.com/2016/02/state-schools-head-readying-legal-move-to-force-mccleary-action )