A School Finance State Policy Problem:
School districts in Washington state and across the country have demonstrated a strong recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, investing federal stimulus funding into programs that recent research shows positively impacted student achievement.1 Yet the recent gains have not been even across student populations and many districts are struggling to address student mental health and academic needs. Districts are also facing budget deficits resulting from declining enrollment, high inflation, leveling state funding, and expiring federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) stimulus dollars. Read our longer problem statement definition here (coming soon).
Moving Toward a Solution: What is the UW-Superintendents United in Partnership for Equitable Schools (UW-SUPES)?
To help advance and build consensus around needed K-12 school finance policy reforms in Washington state, the University of Washington College of Education partnered with school district superintendents from across the state to build a coalition around a set of school finance “policy possibilities,” building in part from legislative priorities of multiple associations and organizations of Washington’s educators (WASA, 2024; WEA, 2024; WSSDA, 2024a).
Led by Superintendents Kelly Aramaki and Trevor Greene, as well as Dean Mia Tuan and Professors Anthony Craig and David Knight, the first convening was held on July 1 and 2 with 12 superintendents. The group held the second convening on October 21, 2024, with the central purpose to refine their collective vision for establishing an ample and equitable K-12 funding system for all students. The group’s third convening was held March 10, 2025. The fourth convening will be held in the summer 2025.
Read more about the first convening, in the summer 2024, here: https://www.education.uw.edu/epal/?page_id=792
Link to op-ed discussing our first report: https://www.thestranger.com/guest-editorial/2024/09/11/79689361/how-to-end-the-class-war-on-washingtons-classrooms
Read more about the second convening, in the fall 2024, here: https://www.education.uw.edu/epal/?page_id=839
Read more about the third convening, in the spring 2025, here: https://www.education.uw.edu/ctp/sites/default/files/2025-08/Fujioka-Knight-etal_UW-Supt-Convening-part3.pdf
Read media coverage of the third convening here: https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/how-wa-superintendents-are-stepping-up-with-school-funding-rescue-plan/