Democratic candidates win big in State Executive races
OLYMPIA—Executive-level election results in Washington state are officially being tallied. Some races we can call early and others, we will have to wait as ballots are counted over the next several days. After the third day of results, Democratic candidates are leading all but one State Executive race. Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands has […]
WA State Democrats back Ferguson for Governor, establish 2024 platform
BELLEVUE—The Washington State Democrat party held its 2024 Convention at Bellevue’s Meydenbauer Convention Center from Friday, June 21 through Sunday, June 23, where it established its platform, nominated candidates, held workshops and training for delegates, and featured several prominent speakers within the party. The convention kicked off Friday with a welcome reception featuring Chair Shasti […]
State’s top superintendent instructs school districts to ignore new Parents’ Rights initiative
OLYMPIA—State Superintendent Chris Reykdal instructs school districts across Washington state to not make any changes to its existing policies and procedures as a result of Initiative 2081 (I-2081), establishing the Parents’ Bill of Rights, until the clarity is provided by the courts. Below is the press release from Superintendent Reykdal on June 5 in its […]
More than 500,000 children will get $120 in nutrition benefits this summer
OLYMPIA—May 13, 2024—More than 500,000 Washington children will receive funds this summer to help buy food through a new Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) program called SUN Bucks. In December 2022, the federal government authorized a permanent, nationwide Summer EBT program to support children’s access to food during the summer months. The Department of Social […]
WA high schools to observe Temperance and Good Citizenship Day
OLYMPIA—On Tuesday, January 16, public high schools throughout Washington will observe Temperance and Good Citizenship Day, an annual event created in 1923 to educate future voters about the importance of civic engagement. In partnership with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Office of the Secretary of State offers resources to support K–12 educators […]
Washington public school enrollment climbs by nearly 2,000 students
OLYMPIA, Wash., December 6, 2023—Today, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) announced that enrollment in the Washington public school system this fall has climbed by nearly 2,000 students when compared to fall of last school year. Approximately 1,092,977 students were enrolled at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year. The largest increases over […]
Washington students see high performance on national ACT Test
OLYMPIA—October 16, 2023—The College Board has released results from the 2023 ACT Test high school assessment. The data show that Washington’s students continue to perform in the top 15 states, and that Washington is 1 of just 5 states that has seen an increase in scores since 2021, the first “typical” year after the major […]
State Superintendent Chris Reykdal announces 2024 supplemental budget
OLYMPIA, Wash., September 28, 2023—Today, State Superintendent Chris Reykdal announces his 2024 supplemental budget priorities. Reykdal’s office will submit the proposals to Governor Inslee and the Office of Financial Management, and then the Legislature will consider the requests during the 2024 Legislative Session. As the school year gets underway across Washington, State Superintendent Reykdal is […]
State Supreme Court rules school funding is shared responsibility of state and local jurisdictions
OLYMPIA, Wash., September 9, 2023—The Washington Supreme Court ruled Thursday, September 7, the state is not required to fully cover school construction costs, dealing a blow to districts unable to raise the local tax dollars they need for new buildings and other facility upgrades. In its unanimous decision, the court said Washington’s constitutional mandate for […]
Dolly Parton to visit Washington to celebrate success of Imagination Library
OLYMPIA, August 6, 2023—On August 15, legendary icon, musician, and philanthropist Dolly Parton will visit Washington State to celebrate achieving statewide coverage of the Imagination Library. All Washington children from birth to age five can now register to receive one book every month, for free, from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. August 15 will also be […]