K-12 pay talks are done all wrong

We pay a visit today to Washington public schools where the method of setting pay for teachers is quite crazy.

Under current rules, the state Legislature provides money for each of the state’s 295 K-12 school districts to operate. This includes staff payroll.

But local districts then negotiate contracts with local unions for pay levels they may not be able to afford.

This budget mismatch is a long tradition in our state. But the situation is likely to grow worse. That is because rich districts used to make up any difference with local property tax levies.

But local property-tax subsidies are supposed to be capped in 2019 as a result of major K-12 funding reforms approved by the Legislature in recent years. These changes were in response to the landmark Supreme Court decision in 2012 in the McCleary case.

It took six hard years of legislative work to shift the full burden of basic education costs to the state — and away from local levies that have left poorer districts unable to compete for talent.

The Supreme Court’s supervision of the Legislature finally ended a few months ago after lawmakers authorized a final $1 billion or so for salaries in the 2018-19 school year.

In response to what might seem like a billion-dollar windfall, 20 of Washington’s 295 school districts have approved double-digit pay raises for K-12 staff, according to the Washington Education Association, which represents most public school teachers and many other K-12 staff through local affiliates.

It remains to be seen if those outlays are sustainable or fair. In districts with tight budgets, teachers may walk out in protest before the school year begins after Labor Day.

Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater are among those where big raises this year could push the districts over a financial cliff in future years, according to superintendents.

Teachers do deserve good pay. And it’s understandable if a teacher looks enviously to the north where in Edmonds the starting pay is about $63,000 and top pay is around $114,000.

In many other districts pay starts closer to $45,000 per year and tops out at $85,000, according to news reports.

To be clear, the problem is not that teachers want more pay. Many deserve significant raises. The problem is how pay is set.

Bargaining by local unions and school districts should be limited to working conditions and how much extra pay is deserved for extra work. This can include enrichment programs, after-school programs and sports coaching.

The rest of the pay schedule should be bargained — and fully funded — statewide.

Whatever happens in the next few weeks, those unhappy with the result should blame the Legislature – not the local school boards or administrators who are having to balance their books for this year and the next.

If teacher protests lead to walkouts, voters need to remember where responsibility really belongs.

There really is a smarter way.