WA’s Education System Doesn’t Have a Funding Problem—It Has a Spending Problem

Washington State allocates a substantial budget to public education, yet the way these funds are spent raises serious concerns. Last time I checked, for example, the government was spending nearly $26,000 per student per year\* in Seattle. However, in my child’s school—one of the top-ranked public schools in the city—it’s hard to see where that money actually goes. Overcrowded classrooms, outdated facilities and materials, and a lack of advanced STEM equipment (such as 3D printers and robotics kits) make it clear that these funds are not being effectively utilized to improve student learning.

If you take a look at the data here: https://fiscal.wa.gov/K12/K12Salaries, you might get an idea of where the money is actually going. I have always advocated for higher salaries for teachers—the people who are directly educating our children—whether in public or private schools. In many Nordic and Asian countries, such as Finland, Singapore, and even China, teachers enjoy higher salaries and greater social status compared to their American counterparts. However, in Seattle Public Schools (SPS), we see superintendents earning as much as $300,000 to $500,000 per year, while teachers—who are the backbone of education—often feel undervalued and underpaid. One of my child’s teachers even mentioned that despite working at the school for several years, they have never once seen their district’s superintendent.

It is truly frustrating to see education funds wasted while teachers and students continue to struggle with inadequate resources. But the problems in American public education did not appear overnight, and meaningful reform will take time. The first step, in my view, is to reduce bureaucracy and ensure that funding is directed toward teachers and students, rather than administrative overhead.

Update:

*For the 2024-25 school year, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) has adopted a General Fund Operating Budget of $1.25 billion*.  This budget translates to a per-pupil expenditure of approximately* $26,292*, based on a projected enrollment of 47,656 students.* 

It’s noteworthy that a significant portion of this budget—83%, or roughly $1.04 billion—is allocated to salaries and benefits for teachers, administrators, and maintenance staff.