Some wealthy Washington schools get more money than needier ones in new budget. Here’s why.
“The Lake Washington and Tacoma school districts have a lot in common. Both enroll roughly the same number of students — 29,800 in Lake Washington and 29,100 in Tacoma. Both are trying to help about 10 percent of those students learn English. And both serve similar numbers of students with special needs — 3,300 in Lake Washington, 4,200 in Tacoma. But while just 11 percent of Lake Washington students come from low-income households, a staggering 58 percent of Tacoma students qualify for free- and reduced-price meals, a common barometer for poverty.”