Chapter 47: Washington

This chapter explores the state school finance system of Washington State. We follow a similar outline as other chapters in this volume, starting with a general background, and then describing the current political climate, sources of revenue and trends over time, the distribution formula, and special consideration including capital outlay, employee benefits, charter schools, virtual education, and federal COVID-19 stimulus funding. We conclude with recommendations for future reading and research.

Washington State’s system of financing public education was initially established with the founding of the state in 1889¹ At that time, state responsibility over education was gaining in prominence nationally, particularly on the heels of failed efforts within the U.S. Congress to establish a national system of education.² African American community groups and other activist groups during the Reconstruction era prioritized strong constitutional commitments to education that included anti-discrimination language and encouraged broader fiscal support for education beyond localities.³ Thus, during the state’s first legislative session, lawmakers established the Common School Fund, which would generate revenues for public education primarily through sale of federal forest land.⁴ The legislature determined that counties would also contribute a small portion of revenues and that districts would be permitted to raise revenues to support local schools. As in many states, education stakeholders have debated the balance of local and state support for public schools. Soon after the establishment of the Common School Fund, the state legislature passed a new state levy assessed on a per census child basis, in response to concerns that the Common School Fund did not provide ample provision for education.⁵