K-12 EDUCATION FACTS

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The Washington State Constitution makes clear that it is the state’s paramount duty to make ample provision for all children within its borders, regardless of race, color, caste, or sex. The state provides funding for more than one million students at 295 school districts and 17 charter schools. School districts employ more than 72,700 certificated instructors (including teachers), 46,600 classified employees, and more than 5,100 administrators, making them one of the largest public employers in the state. Including state, local, and federal resources, school districts receive an average of $19,603 per student.

ENROLLMENT

Public school enrollment peaked in 2018-19, prior to the prolonged COVID-related school closures. Since then, public school enrollment has declined by 2.6% and has yet to recover. At the same time, there has been a 10% increase in private school enrollment and a 38% increase in estimated homeschool students, suggesting that families were not satisfied with the education they were receiving.

FUNDING

State spending on K-12 public schools has grown significantly, more than doubling over the past decade. Funding K-12 education is primarily a state responsibility; however, taxpayers can authorize local enrichment levies to support their schools. In 2017, lawmakers reduced local school enrichment levies leading to widespread property tax savings for many taxpayers. However, in 2019, Democrats raised the local levy cap back to prior levels and have proposed bills increasing the local levy cap even further. While local enrichment levies are necessary for school funding, high local levies can create unconstitutional inequities among school districts and taxpayers.

Across state, local, and federal sources, school districts received $42.3 billion in the 2025-27 operating budget. This equates to an average total per-student spending of $19,603 ($19,955 according to NEA estimates), which puts Washington at the top of its peers for state spending. The majority of K-12 spending goes toward staff salaries for teachers, administrators, and classified employees. While the state provides a competitive market rate salary allocation, actual salaries are determined through collective bargaining agreements between labor unions and school districts. For the 2024-25 school year, the average administrator made $224,941 in salary and benefits, the average teacher made $144,139 in salary and benefits, and the average classified employee made $105,816 in salary and benefits.

PERFORMANCE

While the Legislature has spent years increasing funding to public schools, too many students have been left behind. Student performance on national test scores has been trending down over the last decade, and after extensive school closures, state test scores are at their lowest levels since the state assessment began. Currently, 59% of Washington students do not meet consistent grade-level standards in math, and almost half do not meet consistent grade-level standards in English language arts. Moreover, the effects of the school closures disproportionately impacted students with the most need, widening preexisting opportunity and achievement gaps and hitting historically disadvantaged students hardest.

The percentage of students not meeting consistent grade level math and English language arts is especially concerning for students of color. While Asian and White students outperform their peers across all test categories, only 35.6% of Black students and only 34.1% of Hispanic students are performing at consistent grade level in English language arts, and less than 24% of Black and Hispanic are performing at consistent grade level in math. Native Hawaiian, American Indian, and Alaskan Native students are at an even greater disadvantage, with about 25% performing at consistent grade level in English language arts and about 17% in math. Low-income students also fare worse than their higher-income peers, with only 35% performing at consistent grade level English language arts and 25% perform at consistent grade level in math.

While Washington students ranked in the top 10 a decade ago in math and reading performance on national assessments, they now rank 27th in fourth-grade math, 18th in fourth-grade reading, 25th in eighth-grade math, and 18th in eighth-grade reading. While Washington test scores have declined, they are increasing rapidly in other states. In 2013, Washington students outperformed Idaho students in all four test categories, but now Idaho students outperform Washington students in all but fourth-grade reading assessments. Ten years ago, Mississippi was 50th in the country in fourth-grade reading; now, Mississippi students outrank Washington.

NATIONAL RANKINGS

Washington state pays some of the nation’s highest teacher salaries and benefits. Washington ranks 3rd in the country for starting teacher salaries and 2nd for average teacher salaries. In 2025, WalletHub released its ranking of the states with the best and worst school systems and continues to rank Washington as a high-spending state with comparatively weak schools. Despite ranking 15^th in overall government school spending, Washington ranks 27th in SAT scores, has the 9th highest rate of absenteeism, and has among the lowest graduation rates in the nation. And despite offering the most generous financial aid available in the country, Washington ranks near the bottom for students attending college within one year of graduating high school.