“Increasing education funding and improving student outcomes have been significant priorities in the past four years. The state has increased K-12 funding by more than $4.5 billion, including more than $2 billion specifically to fulfill our commitments for full-day kindergarten, smaller class sizes in grades K-3, pupil transportation and for materials, supplies and school operations. The state has met every funding deadline for the phase-in of those increases.
“The court today affirmed the urgency of finishing the final task this upcoming session by addressing educator compensation. A task force has been taking a deep dive into these very complex issues. The information they gather is crucial as we make choices that will likely have profound impacts on our education system for decades to come. None of us should view this challenge as solely a court-mandated compliance maneuver. We need to focus on the real-world, classroom-level impacts of how we improve pay for educators. I am confident that we will get this job done on time and in a way that results in lasting positive changes for our students.”