H-1239.3
HOUSE BILL 2026
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Dufault, Corry, Mendoza, and Manjarrez
Read first time 02/25/25. Referred to Committee on Finance.
AN ACT Relating to the fairness in education funding act; amending RCW 28A.150.410 , 28A.150.276 , and 28A.300.0401 ; reenacting and amending RCW 28A.320.330 ; adding a new section to chapter 28A.150 RCW; creating new sections; repealing RCW 28A.150.412 , 28A.150.413 , 28A.320.245 , 28A.500.010 , 28A.500.015 , 28A.500.040 , 28A.500.060 , 28A.500.900 , 28A.505.240 , 28A.545.010 , 28A.545.020 , 28A.545.030 , 28A.545.040 , 28A.545.050 , 28A.545.060 , 28A.545.070 , 28A.545.080 , 28A.545.090 , 28A.545.100 , 28A.545.110 , 28A.545.120 , 28A.545.130 , 28A.545.140 , 43.09.2856 , 84.09.037 , 84.52.053 , and 84.52.0531 ; and providing a contingent effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature acknowledges that every public school in Washington state should receive equal funding on a per-pupil basis, directly correlated to the number of students served. However, the legislature finds that schools in wealthier census tracts are better funded, providing their students with access to higher quality facilities and resources.
The legislature intends that every student, regardless of socioeconomic background or geographic location of residence within the state, should receive roughly equal priority and funding for the provision of education, as stated in the Washington state Constitution. Local levies, local capital funding, and local enrichment levies inherently favor schools in wealthy census tracts over those in high-poverty census tracts and should therefore be abolished and replaced with state funding that demonstrates to the public and to every public school student in the state that their education is valued, prioritized, and funded at the same level as every other public school and public school student in the state of Washington.