The Washington State Supreme Court announced that it will not reconsider its ruling declaring the voter-approved charter school law as unconstitutional. The court’s refusal to reconsider comes despite the urging of the Washington State Charter Schools Association, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a bipartisan group of 10 legislators and four former state attorneys general to correct its harmful decision.
The last option to ensure charter schools have a future in our state is a change in state law. That possibility will have to wait for the 2016 legislative session.
Governor Jay Inslee has refused to call a special session to correct the mistake, which should come as no surprise. Inslee did not support the 2012 charter school initiative—he was and remains indebted to the Washington Education Association (WEA), a union that put $1 million into electing him in 2012.
While the court deliberated reconsidering its decision, charter schools have been receiving public funds. That will now stop. It’s unclear how funding of charters schools will take place in the future. In September, the Washington State Charter Schools Association confirmed that all nine of our state’s charter schools would remain open for the entire school year.
