School Districts Statewide Face Legislative Cuts to Critical Early Learning Programs

OLYMPIA—April 9, 2026—Following a proposal by Governor Ferguson, the 2026 Legislature reduced student access to a critical early learning program in the upcoming school year by cutting state funding by 25%.

Transition to Kindergarten (TK) is a legislatively authorized program for 4-year-olds who need additional preparation to be successful in kindergarten. This year, 157 school districts across the state are operating the program, serving more than 7,000 students. The Governor and Legislature’s funding reduction will result in nearly 2,000 fewer students having access to the program.

“These cuts are short-sighted,” said State Superintendent Chris Reykdal. “Year after year, our former TK students enter kindergarten better prepared than their peers. For some student groups—namely, students with disabilities and students who are low-income—the differences are staggering. These cuts are a complete failure in public policy, and voters should question whether policymakers are serious about results, accountability, and equity.”

Each year, students who participated in TK outperform their peers on the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS), which measures readiness across six developmental domains: cognitive, language, literacy, mathematics, physical, and social-emotional development.

“As student achievement in math and literacy decline across the globe, now is not the time to cut from programs that work,” Reykdal continued. “Instead of cutting critical funding, we should be doubling down on our investment and ensuring no student is denied access to a high-quality learning environment that prepares them for a successful start to their K–12 career.” 

“In my 30 years in education, I have never seen a more ill-advised and damaging cut to education funding,” he continued. “Despite how clear the data is, the Governor and legislative majorities still carried out this harm. School district leaders are struggling to understand why a successful, evidence-informed, program was targeted by the Democratic majorities. I have never seen this level of frustration from local school leaders, and it’s understandable.”

The Legislature directed the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to implement the reduction, and to prioritize funding for certain student groups and communities. On Wednesday, OSPI shared with school districts a preliminary analysis of funding levels in the 2026–27 school year.

In alignment with the legislative direction to prioritize funding for students and communities with the greatest need, OSPI created a funding methodology that:

• Ensures no school districts with existing TK programs would lose all funding,
• Prioritizes funding for districts serving high percentages of students who are low-income,
• Supports small and rural programs by ensuring each district with existing programs can serve at least one classroom (20 students),
• Reviews gaps in access to other state-funded early learning opportunities, and
• Considers districts serving high populations of students with disabilities and multilingual learners.

“These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet; this is our shared future,” Reykdal said. “As a parent, educator, and state leader who uses data and research to inform my decision-making, I’m in the business of lifting up programs that have demonstrated their effectiveness, not cutting them down.”

“Budgets are an expression of values,” he continued. “While the state budget grew by $2 billion this year, the Legislature and Governor cut early learning and early literacy programs at disproportionate rates. Our young people depend on policymakers to make every decision and every investment with their best interest at the forefront. Educators are doing that every day—can policymakers say the same?”