Addressing topics ranging from Initiative 1033 to mainstreaming special education students, six state legislators spoke earnestly to an audience of school district staff, administrators and parents at a September 24 forum at Marysville's Arts and Technology High School.

State representatives Barbara Bailey (R-10th District), Norma Smith (R-10th District), Hans Dunshee (D-44th District), Mike Sells (D-38th District), Mike Hope (R-44th District) and Dave Quall (D-40th District) responded to questions posed by the school board and audience members.

Marysville superintendent Dr. Larry Nyland welcomed the panel and noted that, after 35 years in education, the past budget cycle was "the worst in my experience." Like most districts around the state, Marysville found itself dealing with massive state budget cuts that were only partially mitigated by federal stimulus dollars. The result was painful reductions in staff and service personnel and in educational programs.

Michael Kundu, Marysville's school board president and moderator of the Thursday evening program, said, "We're here to talk about national security. Preparation of our students is vital to our national security, and we want to know how highly our lawmakers prioritize education."

Washington State has dropped to 44th in the nation in student spending, with the latest cuts to education resulting in $800 less in funding per student.

"We need legislators to think progressively for solutions to help our students compete," said Kundu.

He mentioned the innovative construction solutions employed by the Marysville School District, which replaced three sub-par school buildings with a modular campus that was funded completely by builder mitigation fees rather than residential taxpayers.

"Look at this building," Kundu said, referring to the A&T school in which the forum was held. "Other districts in the state and across the nation are reviewing Marysville's innovation here."

A majority of the legislators in attendance spoke about deep ties to education. Many have worked as teachers themselves, or have spouses who are teachers. Sells was president of the Everett Education Association for several years and Quall is chair of the K-12 Education Committee in the House.

The first question posed to the legislators concerned I-1033 and its potential impact on school funding. While Bailey and Smith expressed some uneasiness about the initiative, Dunshee cut right to the heart of the matter.

"It sucks," he said bluntly. "It will lock us into the reduced funding levels we have now, even when the economy improves. We'll be stuck where we are, as far as funding education."

Sells and Hope echoed Dunshee's assessment of the Tim Eyman initiative.

"It didn't work in Colorado," said Sells, referring to that state's TABOR bill, which was eventually overturned. "It will only hold back the economy."

Quall, a veteran lawmaker who has had experience dealing with the fallout from I-601 and I-602, took the opportunity to talk about the differences between initiatives, which are generally proposed by a special interest organization, and laws drafted in the legislative process.

"Any bill in Olympia is well vetted, with plenty of dialogue for and against," said Quall. "That dialogue is important, to discover improvements and gain consensus before a law is passed."

Kundu's next question to the panel regarded the state's educational standing in the nation, having fallen from 11th to 44th in K-12 funding in the past sixteen years.

Rep. Smith touted an education reform bill (HB 2261) she co-sponsored that calls for phased implementation of evolving educational standards, but Sells was skeptical about its immediate impact.

"The education reform bill may not have any effect until 10 years down the road," said Sells. "In the meantime, we have to work with what we have."

Dunshee commented that the state's low standing is "because of initiatives, like 601 and 602, and an anti-tax attitude. We have to run even faster now and increase funding to keep up with other states and other countries."

Hope vowed to vote against "every single education cut" and Bailey conceded that mandates that are given to the district without funding have created "a real big mess."

"We have a revenue problem," said Quall. "In 1993, K-12 education was 48 percent of the state budget. Today it's approximately 40 percent. We need to look at more stable revenue for education funding, like a state income tax."

All the legislators present agreed on the parents' right to choose the best school for their children, and vowed to support continued levy equalization funding.

They also expressed support for mainstream educational opportunities for special needs students, and Hope pointed to a new governor's commission that had been formed to make recommendations for special education.

Jessie Atkins, a Marysville resident and parent of a special needs child, has had positive experiences with the Marysville School District, but said it was important for both parents and the schools to have realistic goals.

"My child will never catch up with other students, but they will always co-exist," she said. "Special needs children need that opportunity for socializing, and other students need to learn how to interact with kids who are different."

Atkins and Tracy Diemert, who has an 11-year-old special needs son who attends Cedarcrest Middle School, also were at the forum as representatives of The ARC of Snohomish County, which advocates for the needs of developmentally disabled citizens.

"We all need to look for efficient ways to pay for our kids' educational needs," said Diemert. "It's time to think outside the box."

When asked which programs they would be willing to cut in order to make up for education shortfalls, the lawmakers offered pragmatic answers.

"There are a lot of competing needs out there," said Quall, "health care, social services, long term care. We need more revenue or something's got to go. It's difficult to say which is more important."

"We live in a real world," Quall continued. "There's a worldwide recession. Cities, counties and school districts all over the country are being squeezed. We just do not have the dollars to pay for everything. We need to look at programs line by line in a bipartisan effort to focus on basic needs."

Bailey responded, "I would look at the priorities of government: public safety, education, and taking care of the most vulnerable."

In a followup conversation with Kundu a few days after the forum, the school board president reflected, "It's difficult not to be pessimistic, and I think a few of the legislators were being brutally honest that things are going to get worse for public education before they can hope to become better."

Despite the district's message equating education with national security, Kundu said, "I still don't believe that our legislators understand just how important it is to take concrete initiatives to improve education--higher standards, more rigorous curriculum, greater expectations, and targeted, supplemental funding in areas that prove successful in other countries--those countries that compete with us in technology, research, medicine, etc."