Neither chamber gets it: Why we worry about special education funding, in detail

This post gives more detail on Senate and House approaches in their 2017-19 operating budgets. It accompanies another post, Why we worry about the special education cap


In 2014-15, the state superintendent of public instruction submitted evidence to the state supreme court that at least $266 million in local funding was being spent on special education, in addition to state allocations. This was part of the ongoing McCleary case to make sure the state paid for the actual cost of basic education. In 2012, the court ruled against the state and said it would stay engaged to make sure the state met its "paramount" duty to "amply fund" education for "all children" in Washington. The quotation marks indicate language from our state constitution.

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The Senate responded by increasing allocations for special education by $119 million for the 2017-19 biennium. That’s less than half the documented under funding, but still very appreciated.

The problem is that the funding comes in a set, $7,000 per pupil rate. Its buying power will shrink if, say, salaries increase. Over the years, flat rates can act as a cap on funding levels and result in lower spending per pupil.

Legislative Update No. 1, 2017

• Who represents us? King County Congressional and State Legislative Delegation
• Headline: 18 million would lose insurance in first year of Obamacare repeal without replacement, CBO report says

Opportunities to engage

• TRAINING AND ACTION OPPORTUNITY: Saturday, January 21, 9:30 am to 4 pm. Drop in classes for advocacy basics. Please RSVP so we can plan accordingly. Thanks!
• ADVOCACY DAYS START FEBRUARY 1. This year we are lining up shuttles for seven of the dates, starting February 8. Shuttles will depart from Seattle and Federal Way. Space is limited, with 15 slots per pick-up location. Please sign up in advance!

Legislatively: What you need to know

Both Congress and the Washington State Legislature are in session; and advocates will want to pay attention to both.

At the federal level:

The Senate and House have started the process to repeal the Affordable Care Act. (

• The Arc’s national office explains why this is so important. “For People with Disabilities This is a Matter of Health, Independence, and So Much More”
• Also, here is our handout on how the Affordable Care Act benefits people with developmental disabilities in Washington State.

There is no public plan yet for a replacement, though President-elect Trump has asked for repeal and immediate replacement. Another possibility is repeal, and a prolonged delay before replacement.

ACTION: It is critical that people engage with Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, as well as their Congressional representative in the House. If a new plan emerges, it needs to include those elements that are critical to people with developmental disabilities. Your elected leaders need to hear from you what those elements are.  Please call or email. Your stories about access to health care are important. They need to hear what you think.

• You can find your Congressional district here
• Here is a roster of Congressional and state legislators that represent King County