Gregoire considering budget gimmick to "save" $240 million
Gov. Chris Gregoire on Tuesday said she's considering pushing back a regular payment to school districts by one day, from June 30 to July 1 next year, as a way to defer costs in the current fiscal year.
This year's budget for the state runs through the end of June. Paying school districts on July 1 would push the $240 million expenditure into the next two-year budget cycle. That means the state would have to deal with the funding in the next budget, instead of the current one. The governor earlier in the day released an incorrect number, saying the amount was $270 million.