30,000 Washingtonians responded to a survey about K–12 education
priorities; follow-up survey was released today.
 OLYMPIA—August 28, 2018—In late April, the Office of Superintendent of Public
Instruction (OSPI) opened a survey asking the public to determine how important
they found additional public K–12 education investments. In the six weeks the
survey was open, more than 30,000 Washingtonians shared their priorities.
“We were blown away by the number of people who took time to
share their feedback with us,” said Chris Reykdal, Superintendent of Public
Instruction. “It is a testament to how much the people of our state value their
public K–12 schools.”
Participants included educators, parents and families, and
community members. Identifying 15 different priorities, the survey asked
participants to determine how important they found each one. Student support
services, such as counseling, advising, and mental health, was selected as the
number one priority.
Other highly ranked priorities include access to career and
technical education and work-based learning opportunities, school safety
enhancements, and effective buildings and facilities for learning.
“These results have made it even more clear how important it is
for our schools to be able to address the mental health needs of our students,”
Reykdal continued. “We lose about two K–12 students in our state to suicide
every week, and the rate continues to rise. We must do everything we can to
equip our schools with the tools they need to fight this mental health crisis.”
OSPI will use the survey results to shape its budget requests
before submitting them to Gov. Jay Inslee in mid-September.
Follow-up survey
Today, OSPI opened a follow-up survey asking participants to
determine how much funding they would allocate to the top seven priorities identified
in the first survey, given a set amount. The survey is available in English and Spanish and will remain open through September 12, 2018. Translations to
other languages are available upon request.
“In the state of Washington, we have made incredible progress on
funding basic education,” Reykdal said. “It will take more than ‘basic’ to
close opportunity and achievement gaps between student groups, increase
graduation rates, and ensure every student has access to a post-secondary pathway
that meets their needs and interests.”
For more information
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 *The “Other Educators”
grouping includes survey participants who indicated they are a superintendent,
school board director, principal, school or district administrator, classified
employee, paraeducator, educational staff associate, non-profit employee working
with schools, or other.
About OSPI
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is the primary agency charged with overseeing K–12 education in Washington state. Led by State School Superintendent Chris Reykdal, OSPI works with the state’s 295 school districts and nine educational service districts to administer basic education programs and improve student achievement on behalf of more than one million public school students.
OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to the Equity and Civil Rights Director at (360) 725-6162 or P.O. Box 47200, Olympia, WA 98504-7200.
Nathan Olson
OSPI Communications Director
360-725-6015
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