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School funding in court Justices scold lawmakers’ inaction, but were uncertain about what to do should they find them in contempt. By Jerry Cornfield Herald Writer
OLYMPIA — In a much-anticipated clash, state Supreme Court justices on Wednesday scolded lawmakers for disregarding their orders over public school funding. But they didn’t seem certain what more they wanted to do, or could do.
Throughout a 45-minute hearing, justices wrestled with the level of response warranted should they find lawmakers in contempt for ignoring a January order to provide a detailed plan for fully funding schools by 2018. Possible punishments discussed at the hearing included a stern warning, invalidating tax breaks to bring in revenue and
simply continuing the hearing to see what transpires during the 2015 legislative session. “Short of doing nothing, what can we do?” Justice Mary Yu asked of Senior Assistant Attorney General Alan Copsey in the hearing’s final moments. Copsey argued against sanctions but asked that if the court settles on a punishment, it not be imposed until after the 2015 session. Lawmakers understand the seriousness of the situation and
are motivated to make decisions in the upcoming session to ensure they meet the deadline, he said. Sanctions intended to coerce behavior might actually compel elected officials to push back against the court, he said. The attorney for the families and education organizations behind the original lawsuit over funding, known as McCleary vs. the state of Washington, urged See COURT, back page, this section
The teacher’s first day, too Laurel Hasten has her very own third-grade class at Challenger
KEVIN CLARK / THE HERALD
Laurel Hasten, a first-year teacher, works with children on the first day of her third-grade class at Challenger Elementary School in Everett on Wednesday.
Herald Writer
EVERETT — The last days of summer still clung to them. On Wednesday, students in Laurel Hasten’s third-grade class were just beyond long days filled with campouts, sticky Popsicles, the sting of chlorine pools and sun-baked bike rides. The students were settling into desks, long pants and the feel of pencils in their hands. They wore new clothes and toted backpacks not yet broken in by the weight of books and sack lunches. School is back in session at Challenger Elementary School in south Everett. Wednesday was the first day of school for most of the more
than 100,000 students across Snohomish County. It also marked Hasten’s first day as a full-time teacher, with her own students. “I was pretty nervous about it. It’s been such a fun day. The nerves went away and it’s just been an exciting day,” she said. Extra supplies were piled up on a table. Bulletin boards were waiting for artwork. An inviting reading nook took up a corner of the classroom. Hasten had spent days readying Room 25. She is an alumna of the Mukilteo School District. Hasten grew up on Whidbey Island until middle school. She graduated from Kamiak High School in 2010. She attended Central
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I was pretty nervous about it. It’s been such a fun day. The nerves went away and it’s just been an exciting day. — Laurel Hasten, first-year teacher at Everett’s Challenger Elementary
Washington University at the Edmonds Community College campus in Lynnwood. Hasten, 22, graduated in June and was offered a job at Challenger a few weeks later. She said her interest in becoming a teacher was first sparked when she helped her
Contempt of kids They’re one-size-fits-all: The Supreme Court called the state Legislature on the carpet Wednesday to explain why it hasn’t moved more quickly to make necessary compromises and fully fund education as the court had mandated in a 2012 ruling. The court stopped short Dear Abby. . . .D5 Horoscope . . .A5
mom, who operated a day care center on Whidbey Island. “I think just growing up and having so many little kids around, it gave me a taste of being a teacher and a role
of holding the Legislature in contempt (above). Instead, the justices took the less expensive route of ordering 147 dunce caps for every senator and representative. Rodent or breakfast cereal: State wildlife agents shot and killed four nutria — invasive non-beneficial
Lottery . . . . . .A2 Northwest. . . . B1
Obituaries. . . .A5 Opinion. . . . . .A9
Tech transfer likely earlier In the interests of staff, the county auditor says, she agreed to return oversight of the computer systems department before next year. By Noah Haglund Herald Writer
EVERETT — Snohomish County Auditor Carolyn Weikel has agreed to hand over management of the county’s computer systems later this month, likely ending a dispute with County Executive John Lovick. The County Council could authorize the transfer at a hearing set for 10:30 a.m. Sept. 24. The tech department had been scheduled to return to the executive’s authority next February. “I had a plan to move IS (information services) forward, but I don’t have the future,” Weikel said last week. “It’s time for the IS folks to stop feeling like a ball being tossed back and forth.” Leadership of the tech department became a point of contention among county leaders this year. Historically, tech workers have fallen under the authority of the county executive. In early 2013, however, the County Council snatched control of the department away from Lovick’s predecessor, Aaron Reardon. The emergency move came as Reardon’s aide, Kevin Hulten, was implicated in harassing his boss’ political enemies through an elaborate scheme of public records requests and social media sites. The council entrusted the tech department to Weikel as a temporary safeguard with a sunset date in February 2015. In the meantime, Reardon resigned and Lovick was appointed to take his place. The criminal investigation led to Hulten’s guilty plea in July to a charge of evidence tampering, a gross misdemeanor. He admitted downloading a program that wiped data from the hard drive of a county-owned computer he knew detectives wanted to examine. Hulten reported to a work crew in Skagit County last week to serve a five-day sentence. Weikel said she wanted to retain control of the computer department to push through a series of reforms. Some changes involved making abundantly
See TEACHER, back page, this section
rodents about the size of beavers — that had infested a lake near the Capitol in Olympia (Page A10). Voters will have to use nonlethal means to remove an infestation of invasive non-beneficial legislators in the Capitol itself. We are not amused: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II told Sports . . . . . . . C1 Short Takes . . .D6
See TECH, back page, this section
the U.S. ambassador that she finds the obsession with “selfie” photographs and mobile phones disconcerting and that she misses “eye contact” (Page D6). “I did warn you,” Prince Charles told his mother, “that it was a bad idea to hand out iPhones to your corgis.”
—Jon Bauer, Herald staff
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