Washington State to Pay $100,000 Daily in Fines Over School Funding

The Supreme Court of Washington stated that the state must pay $100,000 per day for failing to provide education for all children residing within its borders.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The state of Washington must pay $100,000 per day for failing to provide education for all children residing within its borders, the Supreme Court of Washington stated in an order on Thursday.

“The court imposes a $100,000 per day penalty on the State [of Washington] for each day it remains in violation,” the order read. “This penalty may be abated in part if a special session is called and results in achieving full compliance.”

In 2012, local justices ruled that lawmakers were underfunding the state’s public schools.

Washington legislators had been convening to come up with a plan to fully fund children’s education, but have not agreed on reforms to allocate funds, including for school-employees’ salaries, according to the Seattle Times.

The Court called on lawmakers to reconvene and come up with a plan that ensures children’s education from kindergarten until high school.

Washington State will have to pay more than $14 million by the time legislators convene for their next session in January 2016, media reported.