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Colville School District caught in lawsuit |
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Friday, 19 June 2009 |
CSD to serve as witness for both plaintiff and defense in lawsuit against the state
BY SOPHIA ALDOUS
S-E Staff Reporter
In a strange twist of events, the Colville School District has been subpoenaed to serve as a witness for both the plaintiff and the defense in a lawsuit filed against Wash¬ington State by two sets of parents in King County and Network for Excellence in Washington Schools (NEWS).
The lawsuit stems from the argument that the state is failing to live up to its consti¬tutional mandate that reads: “It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample pro¬vision for the education of all children residing within its borders…”
“Both sides, the state and the plaintiff, were given the opportunity to choose 10 school districts from around Washington to prove their point,” explained CSD Super¬intendent Ken Emmil. “The state chose us an example of a school district that provides excellent education for our students with the state fund¬ing that we’re given. NEWS choose us as a school district that thrives despite operating on the bare minimum that is supplied by the state, so you can see the awkward position this puts us in.”
The CSD received a sub¬poena from King County Su¬perior Court earlier in the year. Emmil is scheduled to testify at the trial in Olympia in August.
‘I feel there was a car wreck and we were on the sidewalk…’
According to NEWS Presi¬dent Mike Blair, attorneys for the organization will attempt to prove that the state is failing to ful¬fill its constitutional duties, and that NEWS will ask the court to issue an order that mandates the state to deter¬mine the actual cost of en¬suring that all students meet state academic standards while providing a stable, rea¬sonable way to pay those costs.
“The state has done a good job of issuing mandates to our schools without providing them with the proper funding to do so,” said Blair. “And when they (Washington State Legislature) are confronted about this, their response seems to be, ‘Well, run a higher levy.’
“They don’t take into consideration a district’s population and tax base. Le¬gal action is always a last re¬sort, but we feel there is very little choice in the matter.”
The Washington State Attor¬ney General recently sent a State Expert Witness to the CSD to tour each school site, take pictures, review the CSD’s records, and interview Emmil. Emmil said represen¬tatives from the plaintiff’s side have also interviewed him in preparation for the trial, which is expected to last four to six weeks.
“I feel like there was a car wreck and we (CSD) just hap¬pened to be standing on the sidewalk when it happened,” Emmil said. “Now both sides want us to prove their case. We’ll see what happens.”
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 24 June 2009 )
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