Tensions rise over school funding, property tax hearings in Olympia
Apr 24, 2025, 8:54 AM | Updated: 10:55 am
Tension rises over school funding, property tax hearings in Olympia
Tensions ran high in Olympia on Wednesday as the legislative session neared its end.
Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal and Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, argued over Engrossed House Substitute Bill 2049.
The bill would have allowed the current 1% cap on property taxes to be lifted as high as 3%. However, according to the Center Square, Rep. Steve Bergquist, D-Renton, the bill’s sponsor, added an amendment removing the bill’s sections on the growth limit.
The Center Square reported Reykdal testified in favor of the bill during a public hearing before the Senate Ways & Means Committee.
“This undoes a wrong from seven years ago, where, without a requirement from the court, a billion dollars was cut from local schools,” he said.
According to the Center Square, the “wrong” Reykdal was referring to stemmed from the 2012 McCleary decision. The Washington State Supreme Court found the state was not adequately funding K-12 education and ordered the legislature to do so. In 2018, the “McCleary Solution” reduced local levy authority.
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Tension rose between Reykdal and Braun after Reykdal said 90% of local levies pass.
“Despite the rhetoric out there, people overwhelmingly support their local schools,” he said.
But, in reference to Tuesday’s special election, Braun said there were three districts in his area where levies were not passing.
“Whether it’s a lack of trust or a high tax amount, whatever the reason is, it seems highly likely that we’re going to have more levy failures, which means you have nothing … how do you deal with that?”
The Center Square reported that Reykdal’s response was that it’s typically bonds that fail, while levies pass.
“You could get in your local paper and say, ‘Please pass levies in my community,’” Reykdal said.
“I have done that, but frankly, superintendent, there’s a lack of trust, and you’re saying nothing here that’s restoring that trust,” Braun said.
At that point, the Center Square reports Braun said he had no more questions.
EHSB 2049 is on the Senate Ways & Means Committee agenda on Friday at 1:30 p.m.
