Blog

Times understates the state spending increase on schools related to the McCleary decision

The Seattle Times provided a fairly good overview Sunday of school funding and why some districts are dealing with budget shortfalls. However, they understated the spending increases related to the McCleary decision. The Times writes, “The state spent about $9 billion a year on education a couple years before the overhaul — dubbed the ‘McCleary […]

Appropriations for public schools make up 10.1% of the capital budget

The 2023–25 capital budget (as passed by the Legislature) includes $871.5 million for public schools. Capital appropriations for schools account for 10.1% of total appropriations in the budget. The budget includes: Note that the $871.5 million includes $4.0 million for preconstruction grants and administrative implementation of SHB 1044, which would create a new school construction […]

Operating budget reduces funding for student loan program to $90 million

As I wrote a few weeks ago, the Legislature passed a bill (EHB 1823) that makes changes to the state’s not-yet-implemented student loan program. The details are still to be determined by the Washington Student Achievement Council, and loans will not be awarded until school year 2025–26. (The bill has not yet been signed by […]

Public schools make up 44.0% of NGFO budget in 2023–25; the cost of new K–12 policies is estimated to double in 2025–27

As passed by the Legislature, the 2023–25 operating budget increases appropriations for public schools from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) by $2.908 billion (compared to the enacted 2022 supplemental). Of the increase, $2.563 billion is the cost of continuing current services, adjusted for inflation and enrollment (the maintenance level). Just $345.6 million is due […]

Legislature passes bill that would modify the outline of the yet-to-be-implemented Washington student loan program and remove sustainability requirements

The Legislature has passed EHB 1823, which would make changes to the Washington student loan program statute. (Gov. Inslee has not yet signed the bill.) I wrote about an earlier version of the bill here. The student loan program was enacted last year (RCW 28B.93) and the 2022 supplemental operating budget appropriated a total of […]

Public schools funding in the capital budgets and a proposed new grant program for school construction

The Senate-passed capital budget would appropriate $876.4 million from all funds for public schools in 2023–25, and it assumes that the appropriations for the funded projects would total $6.868 billion over 10 years. The capital budget approved by the House Committee on Capital Budget would appropriate $844.1 million from all funds for public schools in […]

Major K–12 policy proposals in the Senate- and House-passed budgets

The Senate- and House-passed 2023–25 operating budgets would change funding for school employee salaries, special education, and transitional kindergarten. The two houses have also passed policy bills on these topics. School Employee Salary Inflation Both houses have now passed, and the governor has signed, ESB 5650. The bill specifies that the inflationary adjustment for school […]

House operating budget would shift federal relief money previously appropriated for learning loss to special education

The enacted 2021–23 operating budget appropriated $553.1 million from the federal elementary and secondary school emergency relief (ESSER) fund to address pandemic learning loss. This money is mostly from the third ESSER round, which must be spent by Sept. 2024. Washington’s school districts received $1.668 billion from the third round and the Office of Superintendent […]

House chair’s 2023 supplemental operating budget would reduce 2021–23 appropriations by $804 million (and what’s happening with K–3 class size compliance?)

The House Appropriations Committee chair’s 2023 supplemental operating budget proposal would reduce 2021–23 appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) by a net of $804.0 million. Maintenance level (the cost of continuing current services, adjusted for enrollment and inflation) changes would increase appropriations by $423.9 million and new policies would reduce appropriations by $1.228 […]

The mystery of the higher education funding swap

The Senate operating budget proposal includes a mostly hidden swap of higher education funding for the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) that would result in more spending from the workforce education investment account (WEIA). First, some background on the WEIA: The account may be used for higher education purposes, and it “must be used to […]