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# Washington school districts prepare new lawsuit over state funding
- URL: https://justabouts.com/washington-school-districts-prepare-new-lawsuit-over-state-funding/
- Published: 2026-11-09T15:56:02.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-10T20:31:51.000Z
- Description: Lake Washington, Tacoma and Yakima are preparing a school-funding challenge. What the districts say, the McCleary history and why local levy debates matter.
- Author: Justabouts
- Tags: Schools, Government & politics, All communities

Three Washington school districts are preparing a new legal challenge over education funding, arguing that the state is leaving local communities to cover costs it should pay.

Lake Washington, Tacoma and Yakima have taken steps toward a lawsuit, according to a [Nov. 9 report by Aspen Ford of the Washington State Standard](https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/11/09/washington-schools-prepare-to-sue-the-state-for-failing-to-fund-public-education/?ref=justabouts.com). The districts say local levy dollars are helping pay for basic education rather than the additional services those levies are intended to support.

For families following school budgets in Snohomish and Island counties, the dispute raises a familiar question: how much of the cost of running a public school should fall on the state, and how much should local voters be asked to provide?

## What the districts have authorized

Lake Washington's [Oct. 22 district newsletter](https://www.lwsd.org/services/communications/connections-e-newsletters/connections-2026-27/connections-october-22-2026?ref=justabouts.com) confirms that its board approved Resolution 2448, authorizing the district to participate as a plaintiff in litigation over state education funding. The resolution also authorizes related work by the superintendent, designees and outside legal counsel.

The Standard reports that Tacoma and Yakima have also approved preparations for a future suit. Its report says the districts had not disclosed when they planned to file.

A new lawsuit would ask a court to decide whether current funding meets the state's constitutional duty. Justabouts has not confirmed participation by a district in its coverage area.

## The costs behind the dispute

The funding debate reaches well beyond a school board's balance sheet. It includes the supplies in classrooms, the utilities that keep buildings running and the buses that take students to school.

In a [Sept. 10 announcement of his 2027 budget priorities](https://ospi.k12.wa.us/about-ospi/news-center/news-releases/state-superintendent-chris-reykdal-unveils-new-student-achievement-data-and-budget-priorities?ref=justabouts.com), state Superintendent Chris Reykdal called for additional support for operating costs, substitute teachers, student transportation and education support staff, including paraeducators.

OSPI says most of his proposals would phase in over four years, acknowledging the state's structural budget deficit.

OSPI says districts respond to state funding gaps by reducing programs or using local levy money intended for services beyond basic education. That is the agency's assessment of the funding system, and a central issue behind the districts' planned challenge.

## Why McCleary is part of the conversation

[Article IX, section 1 of Washington's constitution](https://leg.wa.gov/state-laws-and-rules/washington-state-constitution/?section=7ee60562-f33c-4f7c-af29-65d79a9f3892&ref=justabouts.com) makes ample provision for the education of all children within the state its "paramount duty."

In the earlier *McCleary* case, the Washington Supreme Court held in 2012 that the state had failed to meet that duty. The court retained oversight as lawmakers changed the funding system.

In its [June 7, 2018 order](https://www.courts.wa.gov/content/publicUpload/McCleary/843627PublicOrderOther06072018.pdf?ref=justabouts.com), the court concluded that the state had complied with its orders to implement the statutory program of basic education. It lifted the daily monetary penalty and ended its retained jurisdiction. The new district actions concern funding in the years since that case.

## What families can watch next

The next important records will be any filed complaint, which would identify the participating districts, their specific claims and the remedy they seek, and the governor's and Legislature's education budget proposals.

Closer to home, district budget presentations and levy explanations can help families follow how state allocations and local revenue support their schools. A useful question for a school board meeting is which costs the district says state funding covers, and which it is paying from local sources.

*Information checked Nov. 9, 2026\. This report draws on district records, OSPI, Washington's constitution and Supreme Court records, with credit to the Washington State Standard for its reporting on the three districts' preparations.*