The Fairness in Education Funding Act aims to create equitable funding for public schools in Washington State by ensuring that all schools receive equal funding on a per-pupil basis, irrespective of the socioeconomic status of their communities. The bill introduces a new section mandating that minimum state allocations for salaries of certificated instructional staff, administrative staff, and classified staff be adjusted for inflation until the 2025-26 school year. It also establishes specific funding provisions for school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools, which will receive designated amounts for enrichment funding and facility support, provided they do not collect certain local levies. Additionally, the bill amends existing laws to clarify the use of enrichment funding and requires separate tracking of expenditures.

Moreover, the bill includes amendments to existing laws regarding school district funding and operations, such as the removal of the requirement to maintain records of salary and benefit costs until the completion of a state audit. It establishes a depreciation subfund for second-class school districts to reserve funds for future needs and creates a capital projects fund to replace the existing building fund, detailing permissible expenditures. The bill also repeals outdated statutes related to local effort assistance and enrichment levy spending plans while allowing for the collection of levies authorized by voters before March 1, 2025. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, contingent upon the approval of a proposed constitutional amendment to abolish school district excess levies; if the amendment is not ratified, the act will be void.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 28A.150.410, 28A.150.276, 28A.300.0401