For Immediate Release | November 20, 2015
Today’s decision from the Washington State Supreme Court denying both Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s and the Washington State Charter Schools Association’s motions to reconsider the unfair September ruling that threatens to shut down Washington’s public charter schools is deeply disappointing and harmful to the more than 1,100 students currently enrolled in those schools. It is also disrespectful to Washington’s voters, who collectively supported the ballot initiative that allowed our state’s public charter schools to open. Not only has the Court relied on an antique and dated constitutional framework to reach its decision, but the implications of this decision are sweeping and could impact students attending tribal compact schools, Running Start, and other important public educational programs as well.
Fittingly, today’s decision comes as more than 400 students and parents from Washington’s public charter schools are headed home from a day of action in Olympia urging legislators on both sides of the aisle to fix the glitch that allowed the Court to rule against the more than 1,100 kids currently enrolled in charter schools and potentially many more attending other public school programs.
While we are working on contingency plans that will keep Washington’s charters schools open and kids in class, the urgency for legislators to act to keep school doors open is now even greater. We are calling on legislators to act now for Washington students by finding a permanent solution that keeps the school house doors open.