We've heard a lot of noise over the past week or so about "failing" schools in the Marysville School District. Nothing could be further from the truth.

A disclaimer: I have no children enrolled in Marysville schools, so I can't claim first-hand knowledge about students' daily lives. But in every interaction I have had with teachers, administrators, custodians, librarians and, yes, students, one thing has always been evident.

Kids come first.

The passion with which that simple mantra is carried out in our local schools is incredible. Teachers and staffers seem determined to educate and motivate our children in spite of the roadblocks they encounter. At Tulalip Elementary and Totem Middle School, kids have been making incredible academic progress, in spite of the social and economic issues that often work against them.

But apparently, not enough progress. So the federal government is stepping in with a pocketful of cash to help the schools fund some needed changes. That's all well and good, but why not adequately fund basic education across the board, everyday, in every school, and avoid having any "low performing" schools?

If money is the answer (and it's certainly a big part of the answer), why should we wait for "failure" before we act?