Washington Kids Flunk Basics As Olympia Cuts Pre-K Lifeline

Washington likes to brag about being near the top of the heap on quality of life, but its kids are quietly slipping in school. A national data set now ranks the state in the lower tier on education, with most fourth- and eighth-graders missing basic proficiency marks. At the same time, Washington is scaling back early-learning slots just as districts say they are stretched thin, a combination that advocates warn could drag out recovery from pandemic learning losses for the youngest students.

What the KIDS COUNT data shows

According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book, Washington ranks 17th overall for child well-being but just 31st in education, a drop driven largely by weaker test scores and shrinking preschool participation. The Data Book reports that 68% of Washington fourth-graders were not proficient in reading in 2024 and 70% of eighth-graders were not proficient in math that same year. It also finds that 57% of children ages 3 to 4 were not enrolled in any school between 2020 and 2024, pointing to a sizable hole in early-learning access, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Early learning program shows gains - and faces cuts

State data indicate that Washington’s Transition to Kindergarten (TK) program is working as advertised on school readiness. OSPI's fall 2025 WaKIDS analysis found that 64.46% of former TK students were ready in all six domains, compared with 54.48% of classmates who did not attend TK. Even so, lawmakers trimmed TK in the latest budget. The plan signed this spring cuts about $27 million from the program and is expected to eliminate roughly 2,000 TK slots statewide, by state and district estimates, according to the Washington State Standard. Districts and the state superintendent have said local systems do not have the spare cash or space to absorb that loss, which they warn will ramp up short-term pressure on kindergarten classrooms.

Advocates warn of compounding harms

Advocates argue the timing could hit families hardest just as they are trying to regain lost ground. Soleil Boyd, executive director of Children’s Alliance, told reporters that shrinking early-learning access and a small but rising share of uninsured children could erode recent gains for low-income families and children of color. Those worries surfaced in coverage from OPB and in an analysis by Seattle Child, which noted that the share of Washington children without health insurance rose to 4% in 2024, up from 3% in 2019.

Where lawmakers and districts go from here

State leaders do have a new pot of money on the horizon. Washington’s recently passed “millionaires tax” is projected to generate roughly $3 billion a year for schools, child care and other services, although it still faces legal challenges, according to KUOW. Advocates including the Children’s Alliance say that kind of dedicated revenue could be used to restore TK and other early-learning slots. OSPI and district leaders counter that simply plugging the budget hole will not be enough, and that rebuilding lost capacity will require sustained funding streams and clear implementation plans so students can actually benefit.

For parents and local school officials, the questions are immediate and concrete: where four-year-olds will land next fall and how districts will shuffle staff and classrooms as dollars move around. The KIDS COUNT Data Book, OSPI’s readiness analysis and local reporting together lay out the choices ahead, and offer a sober reminder that pulling Washington’s students back from pandemic-era setbacks will take both money and time.