About School Funding

At a time when Washington state has raised the bar for learning for our students, state funding for K-12 schools has not even kept pace with inflation. Today, Washington ranks 43rd in the nation in K-12 state education spending, according to the annual study commissioned by Education Week magazine, which gave our state an overall grade of D+ in school finance.

How did Washington get to where we are today?

The Washington State Constitution says, “It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all students....” The State has a duty to provide for adequate funding for public education.

1889: Article IX of the Washington State Constitution states, “It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders…” No other state has a stronger education mandate in its constitution.

1974: Washington Supreme Court fails to rule school funding system unconstitutional in a case brought by the Northshore School District and other districts. The nine justices split into three different opinions.

Full Funding Coalition Report

The Full Funding Coalition issued a report in June 2008 outlining its proposals for improving K-12 funding, accountability and student performance. Coalition members include the Association of Washington Principals, Public School Employees, Washington Association of School Administrators, Washington Education Association and Washington State School Directors Association. The Coalition's report concluded: