Does Randy Dorn actually want to shut down Washington’s schools?

Washington state’s top education official, Randy Dorn, claimed headlines this week when he said the state should shut down schools if the Legislature doesn’t find a way to finally fund them.

For KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson, the notion amounts to holding students hostage for a problem that should be dealt with by adults.

“It’s using the kids and parents as pawns in a funding game between you, as superintendent, and the Legislature,” Dori told Dorn, Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

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Dorn recently filed a court brief that said the state should close schools if lawmakers don’t fully fund them in the coming session – among other suggestions.

Last year, the state’s Supreme Court found the Legislature in contempt after it failed, again, to fully fund education. The state is being fined $100,000 a day while it continues to underfunded schools. Dorn now wants more incentive for lawmakers to get their job done.

But would closing schools be holding students hostage like Dori alleges?

“Yes, I’m using every leverage device I know to force the Legislature into getting serious,” Dorn said. “Really what it is, it’s to point to the Legislature and if you don’t want this to happen, talk to your legislator.”

“If they don’t get anything done next year (in session), in the fall of ’17, then shut down schools,” he said.

“I also propose that instead of the $100,000 fine put on the taxpayers of the State of Washington, divide it 147 ways and put it on the individual legislators,” he added.

Since Dorn made the proposals, the state’s House Republicans have come out in opposition to the idea, noting that the state has increased education funding by $4.8 billion over the past five years. The party argues that it attempted to pass legislation that would ensure schools stayed open despite any battles happening in Olympia over funding — Republicans are blaming the Democrats for its failure.

Dorn came to Olympia in 1987 with the goal of getting the state’s education system fully funded. He argues that lawmakers consistently cut funding at the state level, forcing local communities to pass levies and make up for the loss. This creates a gap between what wealthy and poor communities can provide their schools. Either way, people are being taxed to pay for schools. If taxes were used at the state level, then that inequity between rich and poor schools would go away.

But Dori maintains that adults created the funding problem, so adults need to solve it. He is not in favor of shutting down schools and putting kids and families in the middle of the fight. He argues that money is already tight for the state.

“Up until last June I would go along with that argument,” Dorn said. “Last year was the largest tax increase in the history of the State of Washington. Republicans voted for it. Democrats voted for it. Business was for it. Labor was for it. People don’t even notice we had the increase. It was a $16 billion increase.”

“The problem has been here seven years, and the Legislature keeps playing kick the can – I stopped playing kick the can at 13, so where are the adults at?” he said.

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