A King County Superior Court ruling has made obvious something educators and parents have known all along: the state of Washington is falling short on education funding.

On Feb. 4, Judge John Erlick ruled the Legislature is not providing “ample” funding to educate the state’s children, as required by the state constitution. The decision is a temporary boost for the Network for Excellence in Washington Schools — a group of school districts, parents and organizations that filed a lawsuit against the state to force the issue.

The question now is, what will come of it?

State legislators have long acknowledged the state doesn’t amply fund education, as the current funding formula was created back in the 1970s — before computers and other technologies wove their way into everyday functions.

And the state’s formula for funding school bus transportation is nothing short of a joke. To figure mileage reimbursement, they use straight line, point A to point B, method. That doesn’t work in Washington because we have these things called lakes and streams and school busses don’t float.

The first step to amply fund education is to redefine education itself. It must include teachers’ salaries, textbooks, facilities and yes, technology. The state must figure out what today’s classrooms should teach to make our children competitive in a global economy, then pony up the dough.

While this will come at a price — other areas of the state budget will have to be cut — the Legislature must live up to its paramount duty.

Education should come first.