With so much talk about budget cuts and “millionaire’s” taxes over the past three months of the 2026 state legislative session, it’s easy to lose track of the wins and losses in the education arena. We asked Arik Korman, executive director of the statewide advocacy group League of Education Voters (LEV) to provide a rundown.
Education Wins in 2026:
- Passage of an income tax on wealthy residents would increase early learning funding and aim to provide free breakfast and lunch to all K–12 students every school day. “Cuts to education would have been more significant without the additional revenue generated by SB 6346,” Korman said.
- A $3.5 million partial restoration of funding for Treehouse’s Graduation Success program will help foster youth graduate from high school. Funding for this program was completely eliminated in the 2025 budget. “When our education system is underfunded, students who need the most support face even more barriers,” Korman said. “It’s essential that we provide the resources and services these students need to access their education.”
- More than $400,000 in funding to expand demonstration sites for districts using evidence‑based practices to reduce restraint and eliminate isolation in classrooms. Says Korman: “These demonstration sites provide real‑world examples showing that these changes can improve outcomes for both students and staff.”
Education Losses in 2026:
- Funding cut for Working Connections Child Care, which provides subsidies to low-income families to access child care. The program was cut by $150 million. Transition to Kindergarten saw a 25% reduction in funding. “For the second year in a row, early learning faced some of the biggest budget cuts,” Korman said. “These reductions, driven by the state’s budget deficit, make it harder for families and communities to access child care—especially affordable child care.”
- Cut to Local Effort Assistance (LEA), a program designed to help districts with lower property wealth that are able to raise less money through local levies, had its funding cut by $27 million. “Both Washington’s state and local funding formulas disadvantage communities with less property wealth,” Korman said. “Cutting a program meant to reduce this gap only increases funding inequities between districts.”
