The New Battle at Kruger—School Funding?

Reading through the online comments for Sunday’s Seattle P-I editorial on the Basic Education Finance Joint Task Force, I couldn’t help but recall a certain viral internet video I had seen months earlier called, The Battle at Kruger.

For those souls that haven’t yet partaken in the Battle at Kruger’s glory (or gory, is more like it), allow me to explain: The video was captured by a group of unsuspecting safarists in the African savannah and recounts the epic battle between a herd of water buffalo, a pride of lions and several crocodiles. Do yourself a favor and just watch it.

So what does this have to do with school funding? Great question: While determining how to appropriately fund public education has never been easy, this year the discussions led by the Joint Task Force are shaping up to be downright primal. Don’t believe me? Just read a few of the comments. The public’s notion of what exactly constitutes “a basic education” and how it should be funded varies widely.

I won’t say who reminds me of the lions, the crocodiles and the water buffalo—nearly everyone has some turf to protect.

What is encouraging to me is that in 2009, funding—adequate or not, restructured or not—will be front and center and the elephant in the room no longer. Too often the issue of lack or misuse of funding is brought up at meetings and effectively ends an otherwise productive conversation. So frankly, after several funding proposals submitted by State Supt. Terry Bergeson, the League of Education Voters and others, I can’t wait to see what the Joint Task Force comes up with when they present their recommendations to Gov. Gregoire and the Legislature by Dec. 1.

To learn more about the Basic Education Finance Joint Task Force, visit Washington Legislature’s website.