Public education in Washington

in Washington

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K-12 education in Washington

Education facts

State superintendent: Chris Reykdal

Number of students: 1,051,694

Number of teachers: 53,699

Teacher/pupil ratio: 1:20

Number of school districts: 294

Number of schools: 2,370

Graduation rate: 76.4%

Per-pupil spending: $9,672

See also

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction • List of school districts in Washington • Washington • School boards portal

Public education in the United States Public education in Washington Glossary of education terms

Note: The statistics on this page are mainly from government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Figures given are the most recent as of June 2015, with school years noted in the text or footnotes.

The Washington public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2013 Washington had 1,051,694 students enrolled in a total of 2,370 schools in 322 school districts. There were 53,699 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 20 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. There was roughly one administrator for every 369 students, compared to the national average of one administrator for every 295 students. On average Washington spent $9,672 per pupil in 2013, which ranked it 29th highest in the nation. The state's graduation rate was 76.4 percent in 2013.^[1][2][3]

Common Core[edit]

Common Core, or the Common Core State Standards Initiative, is an American education initiative that outlines quantifiable benchmarks in English and mathematics at each grade level from kindergarten through high school. Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn adopted these standards on July 20, 2011. Washington started a four-phase implementation strategy to incorporate the Common Core State Standards during the 2011-2012 school year. The standards were scheduled to be fully implemented during the 2014-2015 school year.^[4][5]

In April 2015 a group of teachers, parents and students announced a boycott of the Common Core-aligned Smarter Balanced tests in the Seattle School District. The group was opposed to teaching students in order to pass a test. During testing for the 2013-2014 school year, around 30 students refused to take certain portions of the test. The district estimated as many as 150 students planned to refuse portions of the test in the 2014-2015 school year.^[6]

In Washington, at least 49 universities were known to use Common Core test results when considering class placement for incoming students as of July 2015.^[7]

General information[edit]

See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states

The following chart shows how Washington compared to three neighboring states with respect to the number of students, schools, teachers per pupil and administrators per pupil for the 2012-2013 school year. The chart also displays that information at the national level. Washington had the highest total number of schools and students when compared to its neighboring states.

Further comparisons between these states with respect to performance and financial information are given in other sections of this page.

Schools by type[edit]

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School board elections portal Glossary of education terms School choice on the ballot Education on the ballot

See also: Number of schools by school type in the United States

Of the 98,454 schools in the United States, 89,031 were classified as regular schools. After regular schools, magnet schools and charter schools were the most prevalent non-traditional schools in the country, at 6,079 and 5,986, respectively.

The table below breaks down each of the different types of schools in Washington and nearby states. Also listed are the numbers of schools in each state that are classified as "Title I" schools. These are public schools that have been specially targeted to correct achievement gaps in public schools.^[8]

In Washington, there were 1,932 regular schools as of 2013. Alternative schools were the second most prevalent type of school in the state, with 322 schools classified as such.

Demographics[edit]

See also: Demographic information for all students in all 50 states

The following table displays the ethnic distribution of students in Washington as reported in the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data for 2012-2013.^[9]

During the 2012-2013 school year, just over half of all students in K-12 public schools nationwide were white. About a quarter of the students in the country were Hispanic, with black students making up about 16 percent of the student population.

In Washington, the majority of students were white. White students totaled 622,485, which was about 59.2 percent of the student population in the state. There were 214,077 Hispanic students in the state, accounting for about 20.4 percent of the student population.

Enrollments by region type[edit]

See also: Student distribution by region type in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 30 percent of all public school students in the country attended city schools during the 2012-2013 school year. About 40 percent attended suburban schools. Approximately 11.5 percent of all students attended schools in towns, while about 18.7 percent attended rural schools.^[10]

A plurality of students in Washington attended suburban schools during the 2012-2013 school year. Approximately 75.1 percent of the state's students attended city or suburban schools, compared to the approximately 24.8 percent who attended rural or town schools.

Academic performance[edit]

Education terms
For more information on education policy terms, see this article.
School board elections portal Glossary of education terms School choice on the ballot Education on the ballot

NAEP scores[edit]

See also: NAEP scores by state

The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The table below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Compared to three neighboring states (Idaho, Montana, and Oregon), Washington had the highest percentage of students score at or above proficient in all categories.^[11]

Graduation, ACT and SAT scores[edit]

See also: Graduation rates by groups in state and ACT and SAT scores in the United States

The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Washington and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.^[11][12][13]

In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT, and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.^[14]

Washington schools reported a graduation rate of 76.4 percent during the 2012-2013 school year, second highest among its neighboring states.

In Washington, more students took the SAT than the ACT in 2013, earning an average SAT score of 1537.

Dropout rate[edit]

See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states

The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Washington was higher than the national average at 4 percent in the 2010-2011 school year, and 3.8 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.^[15]

Educational choice options[edit]

See also: School choice in Washington

As of June 2015, school choice options in Washington included charter schools, homeschooling, online learning, private schools and two mandatory public school open enrollment policies.

Developments[edit]

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)[edit]

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Media coverage and commentary
U.S. Supreme Court 2019-2020 term
Blaine Amendment (U.S. Constitution)
Blaine amendments in state constitutions
School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

See also: Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.^[16]

In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.^[17]

The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.

Washington is one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.

Education funding and expenditures[edit]

See also: Washington state budget and finances

Breakdown of expenditures by function in fiscal year 2013
Source: National Association of State Budget Officers

According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), states spent an average of 19.8 percent of their total budgets on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the United States Census Bureau found that approximately 45.6 percent of the country's school system revenue came from state sources, while about 45.3 percent came from local sources. The remaining portion of school system revenue came from federal sources.^[18][19]

Washington spent approximately 23.4 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. School system revenue came primarily from state funds. Washington spent the second highest percentage of its total budget on public education, when compared to its neighboring states.

Revenue breakdowns[edit]

See also: Public school system revenues in the U.S. to compare all states.

According to the United States Census Bureau, public school system revenues totaled approximately $598 billion in fiscal year 2013.^[19]

In Washington, the primary source of school system revenue was local funding during fiscal year 2013, at about $7.2 billion. Washington reported the highest total public education revenue when compared to its neighboring states during that same year.

Expenditure breakdowns[edit]

See also: Public school system expenditures in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures totaled approximately $602 billion in fiscal year 2012.^[20]

Public education expenditures in Washington totaled approximately $12.1 billion in fiscal year 2012. Washington reported the highest total public education expenditures when compared to its neighboring states.

Personnel salaries[edit]

See also: Public school teacher salaries in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in Washington, the average salary decreased by 4.5 percent.^[22]

Organizations[edit]

State agencies[edit]

See also: Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

The Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction oversees K-12 public education in the state. The office is led by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Randy Dorn was first elected to the position in 2008 and re-elected in 2012.^[23][24]

The Washington State Board of Education has 16 statutory members. Five members are elected by school board members, two from eastern Washington and three from western Washington, and seven members are appointed by the governor. There is one private school representative on the Board of Education who is elected by members of state-approved private schools. The Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction also serves on the State Board of Education and is elected to the position by all voters of the state. All these positions have full voting rights on all matters brought to the Board of Education. The last two members, two high school students, one from western Washington and one from eastern Washington, are nonvoting members. They are selected to serve by the Washington Association of Student Councils.^[25]

The mission statement of the Washington State Board of Education reads:^[26]

Unions[edit]

In 2012, the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas: resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies and perceived influence. Washington ranked 10th overall for union power and influence, or "strongest," which was in the first tier of five.^[28]

The main union related to the Washington school system is the Washington Education Association (WEA), an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA). WEA is the largest education association in the state. The second largest union is AFT Washington, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers.

List of local Washington school unions:^[29]

• Washington Education Association
• AFT Washington
• Seattle Education Association
• Everett Education Association
• Tacoma Education Association
• Spokane Education Association
• Issaquah Education Association
• Washington Education Association Riverside
• Marysville Education Association
• Bellevue Education Association

Taxpayer-funded lobbying[edit]

See also: Washington government sector lobbying

The main education government sector lobbying organization is the Washington State School Directors' Association. Another government sector lobbying organization is the Washington Association of School Personnel Administrators.

Transparency[edit]

The Washington State Fiscal Information site is available here. It was created in 2008 after Senate Bill 6818 was passed, mandating that such a website be implemented by January 1, 2009.^[30]

Studies and reports[edit]

Quality Counts 2014[edit]

See also: Education Week survey

Education Week, a publication that reports on many education issues throughout the country, began using an evaluation system in 1997 to grade each state on various elements of education performance. This system, called Quality Counts, uses official data on performance from each state to generate report cards for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report card in 2014 uses six different categories:

1. Chance for success
2. K-12 achievement
3. Standards, assessments and accountability
4. The teaching profession
5. School finance
6. Transitions and alignment

Each of these six categories had a number of other elements that received individual scores. Those scores were then averaged and used to determine the final score in each category. Every state received two types of scores for each of the six major categories: A numerical score out of 100 and a letter grade based on that score. Education Week used the score for the first category, "chance for success," as the value for ranking each state and the District of Columbia. The average grade received in the entire country was 77.3, or a C+ average. The country's highest average score was in the category of "standards, assessments and accountability" at 85.3, or a B average. The lowest average score was in "K-12 achievement", at 70.2, or a C- average.

Washington received a score of 79.5, or a B- average in the "chance for success" category. This was above the national average. Aside from the "chance for success" category, the state's highest score was in "standards, assessments and accountability" at 79.1, or a C+ average. The lowest score was in both "the teaching profession and transitions and alignment" at 71.4, or a C- average. Washington had the highest score for the "K-12 achievement" category when compared to neighboring states. The chart below displays the scores of Washington and its surrounding states.^[31]

Note: Click on a column heading to sort the data.

State Budget Solutions education study[edit]

See also: State spending on education v. academic performance (2012)

State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.

School districts[edit]

See also: School board elections portal

District types[edit]

School districts in Washington typically serve students in a single city or set of neighboring cities. Rural school districts are typically single-building districts serving communities with less than 1,000 residents.^[32][33]

School board composition[edit]

Washington school board members are generally elected by residents of the school district, although some school board members are appointed to fill vacancies until the next election for the seat is held. Washington school board elections typically follow one of these two methods:^[32]

• At-large: All voters residing in the school district may vote for any candidates running, regardless of geographic location.
• Director area at-large: All voters residing in the school district may vote for any candidates running, but candidates must reside in specific geographic areas within the school district.

School boards consist of five members except Seattle Public Schools, which has a seven-member board. Board members serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with an election held every two years.^[32]

Term limits[edit]

Washington does not impose statewide term limits on school board members. However, terms limits on school board members can still be imposed on the local level.^[32]

Elections[edit]

See also: Washington school board elections, 2021

Editor's note: Some school districts choose to cancel the primary election, or both the primary and general election, if the number of candidates who filed does not meet a certain threshold. The table below does not reflect which primary or general elections were canceled. Please click through to each school district's page for more information.

Path to the ballot[edit]

To qualify for the ballot as a school board candidate in Washington, a person must be:^[32]

• 18 years of age or older
• A registered voter in the school district
• A resident and registered voter in the desired board district if board seats are not elected at-large
• A citizen of the United States
• A resident of Washington

State law also prohibits school board members from having direct or indirect financial interests in contracts held by the district exceeding $1,500 per month.^[32]

A Declaration of Candidacy is filed with the county auditor during the first week of June in an odd-numbered year.^[32]

Campaign finance[edit]

School board candidates and board members are required to file financial disclosure reports with the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission. The reporting process begins with pre-election reports and continues as long as a board member remains in office.^[32]

Education ballot measures[edit]

See also: Education on the ballot and List of Washington ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following statewide ballot measures relating to education.

1. Washington $30 per Schoolchild, Initiative 46 (1922)
2. Washington Advisory Vote 18, State Property Tax for Schools Bill (2017)
3. Washington Advisory Vote 24, Nonbinding Question on Business Activities Tax to Fund Higher Education Programs (2019)
4. Washington Bonds for Community Colleges, Referendum 31 (1972)
5. Washington Bonds for Public School Facilities, Referendum 12 (1964)
6. Washington Bonds for Public School Facilities, Referendum 14 (1966)
7. Washington Bonds for Public University Construction, Referendum 9 (1950)
8. Washington Bonds for School Construction, Referendum 7 (1950)
9. Washington Bonds for State Institutions, Referendum 10 (1958)
10. Washington Charter School Authorization, Referendum 55 (2004)
11. Washington Charter School Initiative, Initiative 1240 (2012)
12. Washington Charter Schools, Initiative 177 (1996)
13. Washington Charter Schools Act, Initiative 729 (2000)
14. Washington Class Size Reduction Measure, Initiative 1351 (2014)
15. Washington Common School Construction Fund, SJR 22, Part 1 (1966)
16. Washington Compulsory Schooling, Initiative 49 (1924)
17. Washington Corporate Excise Tax to Replace School Levies, Initiative 314 (1975)
18. Washington Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Teachers, Initiative 732 (2000)
19. Washington Education Trust Fund Sales Tax Increase, Initiative 884 (2004)
20. Washington Excess School Taxes, SJR 137 (1976)
21. Washington Four-Year Tax Levies, HJR 4208 (1997)
22. Washington Governmental Assistance for Students, HJR 22 (1975)
23. Washington Income Tax for Schools, Initiative 69 (1932)
24. Washington Investment of Permanent School Fund, SJR 22, Part 2 (1966)
25. Washington Investment of Public University Funds, Substitute HJR 4215 (2007)
26. Washington Non-Partisan Elections for School Superintendents, Initiative 126 (1938)
27. Washington Permanent School Fund, Amendment 1 (1894)
28. Washington Physical Examination of School Children, Referendum 13 (1922)
29. Washington Prohibit School District Director and Teacher Training from Including Specified Topics Surrounding Racism and Sexism Initiative (2022)
30. Washington Prohibition on Unnecessary Busing of Students, Initiative 350 (1978)
31. Washington Property Tax Levy for Schools, HJR 4220 (1987)
32. Washington Public University Investments Amendment, SJR 8223 (2012)
33. Washington Referendum 90, Sex Education in Public Schools Measure (2020)
34. Washington Scholarship Vouchers, Initiative 173 (1996)
35. Washington School Class Sizes Act, Initiative 728 (2000)
36. Washington School District Debt, SJR 8206 (1999)
37. Washington School District Indebtedness Limits, HJR 10 (1950)
38. Washington School District Indebtedness Limits, HJR 8 (1952)
39. Washington Simple Majority for Excess School Tax Levies, Substitute HJR 4204 (2007)
40. Washington Six Year Tax Levies for School Districts, HJR 55 (1986)
41. Washington Tax Levy Periods for Schools, Substitute HJR 4 (1958)
42. Washington Teacher's Retirement Fund, Referendum 1 (1914)
43. Washington Voter Approval of Excess School Tax Levies, HJR 22 (1985)

Recent legislation[edit]

The following is a list of recent education bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Washington state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

In the news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Washington education policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also[edit]

• Historical public education information in Washington
• Washington state budget and finances
• Washington Department of Education
• List of school districts in Washington
• School choice in Washington
• Charter schools in Washington
• Washington
• Education Policy in the U.S.

External links[edit]

• Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Washington State Board of Education
• Washington Districts and Schools*
• State Graduation Requirements
• Washington State Testing
• Washington Charter School Resource Center
• Washington Public School Ratings by PSK12
• Washington Public School Ratings by Great Schools

Footnotes[edit]

	v • e State of Washington Olympia (capital)
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