OSPI NEWS RELEASE: State Superintendent Chris Reykdal’s Statement on the Final Budget

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 03/12/2026 02:19 PM PDT

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State Superintendent Chris Reykdal’s Statement on the Final Budget

Yesterday, the Legislature shared details about their final 2026 Supplemental Operating and Capital Budgets. Below is State Superintendent Chris Reykdal’s statement.

OLYMPIA—March 12, 2026—As schools across the state grapple with ever-rising costs of goods and services and the need to reduce spending as a result, the Legislature’s final budget reflects a similar dilemma: knowing that constituents need and deserve more from their government, while not having sufficient resources to provide it. I am grateful to each and every legislator for their service.

The Legislature has not fully funded the state’s paramount duty since 2019, but sadly, they embraced the Governor’s proposed cuts to education. This budget makes harmful reductions to programs that directly serve students—reductions that are likely to impact students identified as low-income the most.

As part of the $80 million in cuts to education included in the final budget, the Legislature reduced the amount of higher education credits students can take in high school through the Running Start program. The program was expanded a few years ago so students could take courses over the summer, and the expansion has primarily served students identified as low-income.

The budget also cut planned increases to Local Effort Assistance (LEA), a program that primarily supports small, rural school districts without equitable access to local levy funds. These cuts will add another layer of distress to school district budgets.

Additionally, the Legislature reduced funding by 33% for the state’s Transition to Kindergarten (TK) program, which prepares 4-year-olds for success in school. After participating in TK, students consistently outperform their peers on the state kindergarten readiness assessment.

Another support for our youngest learners that faced cuts by the Legislature was the Imagination Library program, which provides free books to children each month until their fifth birthday. Established by the Legislature as a statewide program in 2022, the program has faced funding cuts year after year. While my office has stepped in to provide stop-gap funding in the past, it’s senseless that the Legislature is unable to commit to a program that builds early literacy skills, nurtures family bonds, and provides an alternative to screen time.

This session did offer some hope. The Legislature exempted schools from planned sales tax changes that were adopted last year. This will provide some relief as school districts are already navigating financial challenges.

In addition, students can’t learn when they’re hungry, and ensuring access to nutritious meals has been a consistent priority of mine, including my proposal in 2022 to create universal access to school meals. With support from the Legislature, 70% of Washington’s students now have access to free meals at school. The Legislature plans to close the gap and ensure all students have access beginning in the 2028–29 school year, and I am grateful to see this longstanding priority come to fruition. However, while this provides valuable relief for families, meals are not part of the state’s legal obligation to provide basic education.

In the Capital Budget, the Legislature made significant investments in the Small District Modernization Program, which supports small, rural school districts who may not have equitable access to funds from local bonds. The budget also includes a sizable investment in the state’s program to eliminate lead from drinking water in schools.

Lawmakers have said their intention is to invest in our public schools with some of the new resources from the millionaire’s tax. If the tax on household incomes above $1 million is challenged and upheld, relief for schools and other vital services is years away. Sadly, schools across the state are already reducing services while trying to provide the basic education that students are legally entitled to. Our State Constitution says public education is the paramount duty. It's not a function of new revenue, it’s an everyday and every year legal obligation.

With or without new revenue, I urge the Governor and the Legislature to consider my proposal to support students and the middle class. Going back to my time serving in the Legislature, making higher education more accessible and our tax code more fair has been a longstanding priority of mine.

When Washington’s young people attend schools that are fully funded and they have access to universal meals, dual credit while in high school, and two years of tuition-free higher education to complete their degrees, Washington will lead the country in middle class prosperity. That opportunity is right in front of us!

ALL STUDENTS PREPARED FOR POST-SECONDARY PATHWAYS, CAREERS, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

Led by State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, OSPI oversees K-12 public education in Washington state. Our mission is to provide funding, resources, tools, data and technical assistance that enable educators to ensure students succeed in our public schools, are prepared to access post-secondary training and education, and are equipped to thrive in their careers and lives.

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