OLYMPIA, WA – Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal is calling for the state to use revenue from a newly proposed income tax to pay for public schools and higher education.
He laid out his vision for spending the money on Thursday. His proposals come two days after lead Democrats in the House and Senate unveiled legislation that would levy a 9.9% tax on personal income over $1 million.
Estimates indicate the tax will raise around $3.5 billion a year.
Reykdal is calling for over $1.6 billion of new annual spending for education and $1.4 billion in cuts to property taxes — a key source of revenue for schools. Under his proposal, around $350 million in estimated income tax revenue would be left over each year, he said.
Reykdal said he wants to see the income tax approved, even if lawmakers don’t embrace his spending ideas.
“It would make enormous progress for the state,” Reykdal said.
Washington does not currently tax personal salaries or wages. The income tax bill remains a work in progress. Even assuming lawmakers approve the tax, it will likely face a lawsuit and be put on the ballot for voters to decide. And it’s not expected to generate payments until 2029.
Below is a breakdown of some of the spending Reykdal is advocating for.
K-12 education
The biggest chunk of Reykdal’s proposal, an estimated $861 million annually, would go to funding and expanding basic K-12 education. This includes about $306 million for special education. Currently, special education is funded at around $400 million a year.
“We are racing towards a constitutional crisis again in basic ed,” Reykdal said.
It’s not the first time Reykdal has made such a warning, suggesting the state could fall out of compliance with a state Supreme Court mandate to ensure ample funding for basic education.
“This is a lack of investment issue,” he added on Thursday.
Reykdal wants to increase overall education funding to help cover inflationary costs and to expand services, including $150 million for providing access to universal school meals. He’s also looking to direct $147 million from the income tax to a bucket in the state budget that covers school materials, supplies and operating costs. Substitute teachers, transportation and bilingual programs are among the other areas where he’s looking to funnel some of the cash.
Higher education
Reykdal stressed the importance of supporting young people pursuing college and other postsecondary degrees. The cost of higher education is the largest barrier, he said. He proposed $760 million to fund two years of college tuition or other technical or trade programs.
“Despite historic investments in financial aid for very low-income people, that’s not the bulk of folks who seek this support,” he said.
Dual credits
The proposal also calls for $57 million to fund college-level courses that high school students enroll in. Over a million Washingtonians have some college credit, but no degree. This funding would advance the state closer to its goal of 70% of adults ages 22 to 44 having a postsecondary credential.
Property tax
Reykdal proposed cutting $1.4 billion in property taxes a year for the first $300,000 of home ownership. As is, property taxes fund public schools, but Reykdal sees the income tax proposal as an opportunity to trade out funding mechanisms and save money for working-class families.
He said there’s time to work out where money from the income tax would go, but urged the state to “do something radically different” and “invest in a way that has never ever been done.”
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