Blog

WWU requests an increase to its per-pupil state funding

Western Washington University is requesting an increase to its general fund–state (GFS) budget of $77.7 million (38.1%) for 2025–27. Most of that increase ($71.8 million) would be new policy. (See the box at the bottom of this post for budget and fund terminology.) The total increase for WWU would significantly exceed the total requested changes […]

The community and technical college system requests significant budget increases for compensation and college operations

The community and technical college system (CTCS) is requesting $2.383 billion from the general fund–state (GFS) for 2025–27. This amount would be an increase of $475.0 million (24.9%) compared to enacted 2023–25 appropriations. As the Washington State Standard reported in September, the Office of Financial Management (OFM) discovered that the CTCS inadvertently received $28 million […]

DCYF budget request driven by maintenance level items related to the Fair Start for Kids Act

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is requesting $4.537 billion from the general fund–state (GFS) for 2025–27. That would be an increase of $1.206 billion (36.2%) over enacted 2023–25 appropriations. The carry-forward level would decrease by $102.7 million, the maintenance level would increase by $1.057 billion, and the policy level would increase by […]

K–12 budget request would increase spending by $3.972 billion (and potentially increase classified staff salary allocations above teacher salary allocations)

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is requesting an increase of $3.972 billion to its general fund–state (GFS) budget for 2025–27. If the proposals are adopted by the Legislature, GFS appropriations for public schools would increase by 13.6%, to $33.139 billion. (See the box at the bottom of this post for budget and […]

Is K–12 underfunded by $4 billion a year? (Plus, K–12 funding has increased since 2020)

Superintendent of Public Instruction Reykdal claims, in his office’s 2025–27 budget request, that “No matter how you look at the numbers, Washington currently underfunds K–12 education by around $4 billion per year.” This is an opinion, and Reykdal does not show his work for the calculation. Nevertheless, the Washington Observer slightly changes that wording and […]

Contrary to the public investment impact disclosure, I-2109 would not impact school construction funding

This year will be the first in which “public investment impact disclosures” will appear on the ballot, along with the ballot titles for I-2109, I-2117, and I-2124. (Initiative texts, fiscal impact statements, and public investment impact disclosures are available here. There is a lawsuit about the applicability of the public investment impact disclosures to these […]

Capital gains tax revenues are not dedicated to the Fair Start for Kids Act, and targeting education spending at 50% of the budget would be questionable policy

The Seattle Times interviewed the gubernatorial candidates about education spending. The resulting news story makes editorial comments about the adequacy of state spending and is inaccurate about the use of capital gains revenues. First, in a few places the story ties the capital gains tax to the Fair Start for Kids Act, which made enhancements […]

The Washington student loan program design is still not complete, and the Legislature continues to repurpose its funding

The historically large 2022 supplemental operating budget included $150.0 million in seed money for a new, low-interest student loan program. The program was established by E2SHB 1736 (also enacted in 2022), but the bill left the details to be worked out by the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC). In early 2023, a WSAC report raised […]

Education funding bills on the move: special education, paraeducators, operating costs, and capital spending

Gov. Inslee’s operating budget proposal includes three major education funding proposals: Additionally, his capital budget proposal would increase the construction cost allocation that is part of the SCAP funding formula from $272 per square foot to $350. The Legislature is moving several education funding bills but is not exactly following the governor’s lead. For example, […]

In Gov. Inslee’s capital budget proposal, capital gains tax revenues would largely supplant current capital funding for schools

Gov. Inslee’s 2024 supplemental capital budget proposal would increase capital appropriations by $1.321 billion (15.3%). Revised 2023–25 capital appropriations would total $9.982 billion. About 80% of the increase comes from new revenues from the capital gains tax and carbon allowance auction proceeds. Any capital gains tax revenues that exceed $500 million in a year are […]