The Fairness in Education Funding Act aims to create equitable funding for public schools in Washington State by abolishing local levies and capital funding that favor wealthier schools. The bill mandates a state-funded system that ensures all students receive equal financial support, regardless of socioeconomic status or geographic location. It introduces specific salary allocations for instructional and administrative staff, with adjustments for inflation and regional differences until the 2025-26 school year, after which uniform salary allocations will be implemented across all districts. Additionally, the bill provides new funding provisions for school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal education compact schools, including $1,550 per student for enrichment funding and $1,000 for facility improvements, contingent on not collecting certain local levies.

The legislation also includes amendments to existing laws, such as the removal of the requirement for school districts to keep records of salary and benefit costs related to enrichments until the state auditor completes an audit. It establishes a depreciation subfund for second-class school districts to reserve funds for future facility and equipment needs and clarifies the sources of funding for a capital projects fund. The bill repeals outdated statutes related to local effort assistance and school district funding mechanisms while allowing levies authorized before March 1, 2025, to be collected for their duration. It sets a future effective date of January 1, 2026, contingent upon the approval of a proposed constitutional amendment regarding the abolition of school district excess levies, with the entire act becoming void if the amendment is not ratified by voters.

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