Tracey Eide hails it as an unprecedented victory for the education community - and the education community seems to agree with her.

After working on the issue since 1993, a measure by Sen. Eide, D-Federal Way, to allow the passage of school levies by a simple majority cleared the Legislature this year.

For this landmark achievement, the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) awarded her its Golden Gavel award, the highest honor the association confers on an individual or individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to public education in the state.

"This honor conveys our members' appreciation of your dedication to our public schools and for the many, many years of work and effort you have undertaken in helping us realize our goal of sending the simple majority constitutional amendment to the people of Washington," said WASA Executive Director Paul Rosier.

"The simple majority measure represents a huge victory for our schools and children," Eide said. "So many parties have worked long and hard for this success, and I am grateful the voters of the state of Washington will have the opportunity to decide this vital issue in the fall."

In November, Washington voters will decide whether to amend the state constitution by allowing school levies to be approved by a simple majority, or 50 percent-plus-1 vote, instead of the current 60 percent supermajority. This follows the Legislature's approval, by a required two-thirds majority in the House and Senate, of Eide's measure.

"Education was the top reason I ran for the Legislature," Eide said. "I had two children in public schools, and I saw firsthand how important the work is of our teachers, staff and administrators. It made no sense to me to make our schools and their supporters to work against such steep odds to pass a levy so vital to our children and their futures."

Eide explained she had a hard time understanding the wisdom of various levy requirements.

"A few years ago, our school levy in Federal Way failed by two-tenths of a percentage - 59.8 percent voted for it. Yet multimillion dollar athletes and their billionaire owners can get voters to approve a new stadium with a 50 percent-plus-1 vote," Eide said. "Let me put it another way: We have needed a 60 percent majority to build a new school, and an inmate in the county jail can get a new cell built when just a simple majority vote 'yes.'"

This legislative session Eide championed education funding. She was successful in securing $20 million in new funding for the Federal Way School District for such items as maintaining voter-approved cost-of-living increases and class size reductions, health benefits, special education, transportation, technology and vocational equipment.

Eide will receive her award at the WASA awards luncheon on June 25 in Spokane.

WASA is a professional organization representing education administrators in the state.