In mid-December superintendents from 14 of the 15 school districts in Pierce County lobbied state lawmakers for more money. Bethel school superintendent Tom Siegel (salary and benefits $319,161 a year) told lawmakers they “need help” to balance their budgets. The new money request comes after taxpayers provided all school districts in Washington state with historically large budget increases, as part of the legislature’s McCleary school funding plan.

It now looks like Siegel and other superintendents diverted McCleary funds to double-digit pay raises, driving their budgets into deficit. Now they say they want a state bailout.

In 2017 the legislature increased the state school property tax for schools.  Lawmakers and the courts said this new McCleary money fully funds public schools.

People across the state are noticing the tax hit.  In Pierce County, taxes went up by $330 a year for an average single-family home.  See: https://www.co.pierce.wa.us/91/Assessor---Treasurer.

Last fall, under threat of WEA union strikes, superintendents gave out pay raises  averaging 18-19 percent. This chart illustrates the raises they gave out in Pierce County (where average income is $44,600):

Superintendent Siegel knew the raises would put his budget into deficit. Now he wants to raise the local property tax, on top of the state increase, to bail himself out.

At last the question has become crystal clear.

Should Pierce County and other local taxpayers, who make average salaries of less than $50,000, pay more to increase the salaries of school employees who make over $100,000 a year?

Our representatives in the state legislature will soon decide.