Jan. 8, 2026 — Bellevue, WA. Hundreds of leaders, students, parents, and teachers from the Lake Washington School District (LWSD) and other Eastside districts gathered at Newport High School for the “School Funding Crisis” town hall, calling on Washington state legislators to fulfill the state’s constitutional duty to fully fund K-12 education amid multi-billion-dollar shortfalls.
The event, held from 7-8:30 p.m., featured representatives from LWSD, Bellevue, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Northshore, Renton, Riverview, Shoreline, Snoqualmie Valley, and Tukwila districts. Speakers highlighted statewide gaps, including a $1.6 billion shortfall for 2025-2027 and $4.3 billion over four years from 2026-2029, as detailed by school funding expert Daniel Steele. Specific underfunding included $500 million for special education, $500 million-plus for materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC), and $90 million for transportation.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal addressed the crowd, stating,
“I hope to leave you in the next four minutes with an absolute conviction about one thing and one thing only — we are the fourth wealthiest state in the United States of America on a per-capita basis and we are woefully underfunding our schools.”
LWSD Superintendent Dr. Jon Holmen was among district leaders discussing impacts, alongside Bellevue Superintendent Dr. Kelly Aramaki, who called the lack of full special education funding “unconscionable.” Renton Education Association’s Julianna Dauble criticized the status quo:
“If public education is going to survive the next era of American history, we cannot keep going the status quo of funding in Washington state.”
She added,
“Teaching is hard, being a legislator is hard, but it’s not gonna get easier without the bravery and the courage of our elected leaders… The kids are watching.”
Attendees included Sen. Lisa Wellman (D-41), Rep. My-Linh Thai, Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-45), and Rep. Roger Goodman (D-45). Students shared testimonials, with Mercer Island High’s Lucy Dorer noting,
“It’s in our Constitution that fully funded education is a paramount duty of the state of Washington. I hope that people come away knowing that our state is not fulfilling that duty.”
The town hall linked to local pressures in LWSD, which faces a nearly $8 million deficit, prompting potential cuts to class sizes, preschool programs, professional development, and transportation. Superintendent Chip Kimball warned,
“If we simply cut the items that the state money now pays for, our class size in kindergarten would rise from an average of 19 students to an average of 27… Teachers would lose two days of pay.”
Public meetings on LWSD priorities are scheduled, including at Redmond High School.
Organized collaboratively by PTAs and districts, the event aimed to rally support ahead of the 2026 legislative session, with calls to fund the “Big 3” areas and reform policies. A LinkedIn post praised the team effort, and Lake Washington PTSA Council emphasized keeping the issue prominent.
