This year, schools across Washington face significant financial shortfalls that put critical programs and services at risk. These challenges come at a time when schools are being asked to do more than ever: to support student mental health, address persistent inequities, and sustain inclusive, thriving learning environments, all while keeping kids on track for college and career opportunities.
The budget deficit our state is facing, in addition to the uncertainty of federal funding in the coming years, could devastate many programs and services critical to the well-being of our students.
In this legislative session, we must prioritize their needs by ensuring equitable access to essential school supports, such as mental health resources, special education services, and postsecondary opportunities. Students of color, students with disabilities, students gaining English proficiency, and others historically marginalized by school systems face the greatest risks and bear the deepest burdens of inequities caused by funding shortfalls.
Given the depth and breadth of student needs and the challenging funding environment we are entering, advocates and leaders alike must focus on solutions that prevent harm and disparities, rather than scramble to address fallouts after they have already happened.
Preventing harm means securing enough resources now that support students’ most essential needs – mental well-being, access and inclusion at school, and equitable opportunities for the future.
To truly serve Washington’s youth, we must pursue new, progressive revenue sources that equitably fund our schools, early learning programs, and higher education institutions in order to do right by our kids.
With all these things in mind, here are the priorities the League of Education Voters has set for Washington lawmakers during the 2025 legislative session:
Create equitable and ample resources for education
The goal: All students have access to the holistic wrap-around, social-emotional, and academic support they need to access their education fully.
Conditions needed to meet this goal:
- Provide immediate relief to the education funding crisis by increasing funding support for the Learning Assistance Program, which prioritizes resources for students most in need.
- Establish new progressive revenue options that can better support learners’ needs across the education continuum.
- Establish state-level goals, values, and expectations for our K-12 funding system and ensure alignment between these priorities and how we resource our K-12 education system.
- Establish a local levy system that creates equitable access to local resources and centers the needs of students, including charter public school students. Provide comprehensive supports for wellness, safety, and inclusion at school
Provide comprehensive supports or wellness, safety, and inclusions at school
The goal: Every student and educator has access to the resources, practices, and environments necessary to heal, grow, and thrive. Schools are equipped to prioritize wellness and inclusion by actively addressing racial inequities and ensuring meaningful support for students of color and other student groups historically marginalized by the education system, such as students with disabilities, students gaining English proficiency, students who are immigrants or refugees, students who identify as LGBTQ+, and students who are housing insecure.
The conditions needed to meet this goal:
- Strengthen mental health supports in schools by increasing the number of mental health professionals and ensuring educators have access to support as well.
- Equip schools with training and resources to implement prevention and de-escalation practices, eliminating harmful practices like isolation and significantly limiting restraint.
- Ensure students are provided access to food while at school to enable them to be fully engaged in their learning.
- Grow educator workforce diversity and retention as a means of addressing systemic racism in education. Prioritize robust mentorship and advising for students and adults of color aspiring to become teachers.
Support students receiving special education services
The goal: Every student’s unique needs are recognized, and students with disabilities are equitably supported with the resources, services, and sense of belonging they need to thrive and meaningfully engage with their learning and their peers.
The conditions needed to meet this goal:
- Support educators, districts, and schools in adopting and implementing Universal Design for Learning and other inclusive practices that make learning environments more accessible and engaging to all types of learners and thinkers.
- Create funding structures that enable districts to provide the resources and support every student needs to access their education and create inclusive school communities.
Improve postsecondary support and outcomes for students
The goal: Students have equitable access to the support, resources, and opportunities to pursue and accomplish their postsecondary education and training goals.
The conditions needed to meet this goal:
- Students have access to the resources and staff support they need to take advantage of dual credit and financial aid opportunities and meet the learning requirements of their postsecondary journey.
- Expand and enhance the Washington College Grant program to eliminate higher education costs as a barrier to students pursuing and attaining their postsecondary goals.
Take Action
League of Education Voters (LEV) also tracks and engages with a wide range of other education issues, which you can follow and stay updated on through our Bill Tracker (as well as our Youth Advocacy Hub for more in-depth policy resources on youth priorities).
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