Washington State PTA Opposes Initiative 2109

10/15/2024 7:28 pm

Washington State PTA, founded in 1905, is the oldest and largest volunteer child advocacy association in the state with a longstanding history of support for the health, safety, well-being, and education of children and youth. Washington State PTA has been advocating to amply fund public education since at least 1982.

Washinton State PTA opposes Initiative 2109, which would repeal the capital gains tax – a critical and significant source of revenue for education and school construction.

According to the Washington State Constitution, it is our state’s paramount duty to amply fund public education. In 2021 the Washington State Legislature approved a tax on capital gains from the sale of stocks, bonds, and other capital assets when the profit is over $250,000, excluding retirement accounts and primary residences, with the revenues from that tax going directly to support public education. The first $500 million collected each year, adjusted annually for inflation, must be deposited into the Education Legacy Trust Account, which can be used only to support public schools, early learning and childcare programs, and to expand access to public higher education. Any amounts collected above $500 million must be deposited in the Common School Construction Account which has funded skill centers and increased the state share of school construction projects. The capital gains tax has been in place since January 1, 2022, and was upheld by the Washington State Supreme Court. In 2023, according to the Washington State Department of Revenue, the tax only affected 3,895 taxpayers (0.2% of all households), but raised $895 million in revenues, all of which benefit families with students in the continuum of public education, from early learning through higher education.

Over the last two legislative sessions, the Legislature has allocated money from the Education Legacy Trust Account and the Common School Construction Account to many education needs, including:

• The early childhood education and assistance program, including funds for increasing the number of preschool slots, and for early childhood intervention and prevention services;
• Closing the gap in funding for Special Education services;
• Supporting access to Community and Technical Colleges and state universities, including funds for the College Bound Scholarship program;
• Building, maintenance, and modernization of Skills Centers across the state;
• Improving indoor air quality and energy efficiency;
• Funding small rural district building needs through the Small District Modernization and Tribal Compact Grant program; and
• Increasing the square foot allowance for the School Construction Assistance Program.

The money raised through the capital gains tax represents a significant portion of the funds allocated for these projects. Eliminating the capital gains tax, as proposed by Initiative 2109, would necessitate cuts to many of the critical programs listed above, affecting almost every school district and student in the state.

Washington State PTA, through its member-adopted legislative platform, has consistently advocated for predictable, progressive, and sustainable revenue sources for funding public education and for programs that benefit children and youth. We oppose budget policies, deficit reduction efforts, and other legislative proposals that negatively impact funding for child-related programs. Because I-2109 would result in budget cuts that negatively affect children and families in Washington State, Washington State PTA:

• Opposes Initiative 2109;
• Joins the “No on I-2109″ coalition;
• Encourages all local PTAs and Councils to oppose Initiative 2109, and educate their members;
• And encourages all of our 83,000+ members to vote NO on Initiative 2109.

For additional information, see Washington State PTA website.

Washington State PTA Opposes Initiative 2117

10/15/2024 7:26 pm

Washington State PTA (WSPTA) is the oldest and largest volunteer child advocacy association in the state. Our 80,000 plus members support mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change which pose a direct threat to the health and well-being of all children and youth. WSPTA also supports ample funding for schools and promotes safe and healthy environments for our children to live and learn.

WSPTA opposes Initiative 2117, which would repeal and block the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) – our state’s most consequential policy to address climate change, and a significant source of our state’s budget allocations.

Through the CCA, payments from top polluters are reinvested directly into our homes, schools, and communities. For school districts and related infrastructure, the CCA funds projects such as energy efficiency, small district modernization, zero-emission school buses, Safe Routes to School, and HVAC upgrades “to improve indoor air quality and comfort.” These projects help schools lower operating costs, increase resilience to environmental hazards, and improve student health and safety.

Community-wide investments from the CCA create a better quality of life for the towns and cities in which our children live. The majority of the CCA dollars go towards clean transportation and buildings -the two largest sources of pollution in Washington state, with remaining portions funding clean energy, climate justice, and resilience from escalating effects such as heat, fires, storms, and droughts.

Removing funding for these critical projects would leave significant gaps in our state’s budget and leave families, school districts, and communities vulnerable to escalating impacts. Worse, failing to meet critical climate goals would be detrimental to the health and well-being of all children and youth across the state and beyond.

We must continue to invest in clean energy and transportation systems and build resilience to heat and weather-related effects if we hope to have a better tomorrow for our children and youth. WSPTA supports the CCA goals and opposes I-2117. We encourage all local PTAs and councils to oppose I-2117 and for our members to vote NO on I-2117.

For additional information, see Washington state PTA website.

Mercer Island PTA Council adopts a Paramount Duty Resolution

7/21/2021 9:09 pm

Mercer Island PTA Council adopts a Paramount Duty Resolution requesting that our state officials promptly and fully comply with the Supreme Court’s orders in the McCleary case.

The McCleary Decision – A Summary

6/24/2021 9:32 pm

In 2012, the state Supreme Court ruled unanimously in the McCleary case that state government had failed its paramount constitutional duty to fully fund basic education. The ruling also clarified what “ample” support for basic education means. The following is a good summary from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). The italicized quotes are quotes from the ruling.

Funding Issues Will Have Major Impact on MISD

6/24/2021 9:18 pm

The funding issues (Levy Lid Act, McCleary Ruling, Initiative 1351) facing the Mercer Island School District will have a major impact in the coming years. (Read more…) The MISD Advocacy Committee, made up of representatives from each of our schools in our district has formulated a message for our State Legislators:

Mercer Island School District Released the 2015-2016 Budget Proposal

5/1/2021 9:13 pm

At the August 18 School Board meeting, the School District presented the 2015-2016 District Budget.

As far as sate funding goes, MISD ended up in fairly good shape after the long and arduous Legislative Session. In addition, our fabulous community once again came together with the 2015 Bridge Campaign and over 55% of district families contributed to our efforts to help fully fund our district’s goal to provide outstanding educational programs to our students. At the end of the Bridge Campaign, we did fall short of our lofty goal, however, the following quote is from the School Board’s presentation documents: