The Mirror commends the Federal Way School District for leading the ongoing fight against inadequate education funding.

Federal Way stands to lose at least $5 million in Gov. Christine Gregoire’s recently proposed budget. The school board passed a resolution that calls the budget unconstitutional and urges the state to fund education first — without cuts.

Consider that the state’s constitution declares “it is a paramount duty of the state to make ample provisions for the education of all children within its borders.”

In a letter, Superintendent Tom Murphy sums up the annual frustration faced by Federal Way districts.

“I believe it is time we stop appearing in Olympia every year when the Legislature meets, hats in hand, begging not to be harmed too much in the latest round of budget adjustments,” Murphy wrote. “I believe state revenue exists to put a stop to our annual examination of positions and expenditures, searching for ways to eliminate spending that won’t harm our work on student achievement. I believe we could do more with more, rather than always more with less.”

In 2007, Federal Way won a fair funding lawsuit, which the state appealed. It’s now time for the state to drop this appeal and finally fix the problem.

Kudos to the Federal Way School District for fighting back. Don’t give up.