Tomorrow's opinions: school funding & exceptional sentences
The Supreme Court will issue opinions in at least two cases tomorrow.
Federal Way School District 210 v. State, No. 80943-7 (briefs and argument). Whether salary disparities between school districts are unconstitutional. The Washington Constitution states that “The legislature shall provide for a general and uniform system of public schools.” Art. IX, § 2. Historically, the state pays different amounts per teacher to different school districts, based in part on the salary levels of those districts when the system was initiated. The Federal Way School District, individual teachers, and students sued the state, claiming that this unequal funding violates the constitution because it is not “general and uniform.” The King County Superior Court agreed, finding that the differences in funding had no relation to differences in education costs. The state counters that its constitutional duty is to create a common education system, not to guarantee precisely equal funding to every district. This case is on direct appeal from superior court.
This case has the potential of significantly altering school funding allocations. A ruling for the school district favor would have no immediate impact—the ruling would be declaratory in nature, and it would be up to the state legislature to respond and design a general and uniform education funding model within the guidelines of the ruling. During argument the justices seemed reluctant to meddle in the educational decisions of the legislature.
In re the Personal Restraint Petition of Beito, No. 77973-2 (briefs and argument). This case arises out of the Court of Appeals (Div. 2), and concerns whether it is a violation of due process for a trial court judge to set an exceptional sentence based on facts which were not proven beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury.
Beito pleaded guilty to first degree murder of a 14-year-old girl, with a maximum penalty of 374 months in prison. The trial court sentenced him to 504 months after finding aggravating circumstances demonstrating he also committed third degree “rape of a child” in connection with the murder. The finding was based on factual statements that were agreed to by Beito, but he did not agree there was a connection between the rape and murder. That was determined by the judge. He filed a Personal Restraint Petition alleging due process and double jeopardy violations. The Court of Appeals dismissed the petition.
