OLYMPIA, Wash. – Days after unveiling his $3.7 billion funding request to address critical shortfalls in public school funding, Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal emphasized significant gaps in current education spending.
His appeal, delivered to state legislators, points to an urgency of addressing underfunded areas, from special education to basic operations.
Reykdal says the state’s education budget allocation has slipped significantly over the past few years. From 2017 to 2019, nearly 50% of the state budget was directed toward education. By the 2023-2025 budget cycle, that share had dropped to 44%.…