Jacob Vela and Aaron Yared: Legislature should remove barriers to education, especially for low-income students

Across Washington state, school districts are grappling with a growing funding crisis, struggling to meet the needs of students and educators amid rising costs and resource shortages. Despite efforts to increase public education investment in recent years, the state’s approach to K-12 funding is falling short, leaving many districts – particularly those serving low-income communities – without the financial support they need. While some areas see improvements, the inequities in our funding system mean that the schools serving our most vulnerable students are still being left behind, unable to provide the equitable education every child deserves.

As Washington state seeks solutions to the funding crisis, we must view this moment as an opportunity to better support the students and communities with the greatest needs. We have long known that when students’ basic needs are met – whether it’s housing, transportation, or food security – they can focus more effectively on learning and achieving their potential. Right now, we have the chance to act on this knowledge, and we must recognize that some students face more significant challenges than others, and those challenges must be addressed to make meaningful progress. In particular, the increasing number of students experiencing homelessness is a glaring indicator of the systemic inequities that must be addressed.

Mental health, too, has emerged as a critical need; without proper support, students cannot fully engage in their education or develop the resilience needed to succeed in school and beyond. Despite increased recognition of the need to support student mental health, the limited state-level response to the youth mental health crisis leaves districts with inadequate support and resources. Meeting these needs should be seen not as an optional expense but as a fundamental investment in the future of our students and communities.

Despite not being resourced to meet student mental health needs meaningfully through state funding formulas, many schools have nonetheless stepped up to the plate to provide for their students. We must help these, and all, schools, to support their community.

As we look to meet the increases in student needs across the state, especially for our lowest-income communities, it is critical to remember that district housing values are the biggest factor in determining per-student state funding. Despite a growing body of research that says students from low-income families need more funding to access their education, less than 3% of state education funding is directed to support students from low-income families.

Students in low-income communities and students who are experiencing homelessness have higher rates of absenteeism, lower graduation rates, and lower levels of participation in postsecondary education because they face more barriers than their higher-income peers to accessing education. To achieve better educational experiences and improved outcomes for these students our approach to funding needs to reflect what school-building leaders across the state are already well-acquainted with: high-poverty communities and students experiencing homelessness need more support to be ready to learn. Whether it is having unmet mental health needs, coming to school hungry, or lack of access to other services, students living in poverty encounter additional barriers that must be accounted for in how we fund schools if we are to provide an equal ability to access education.

Our state is at a critical decision point. Our response at this moment can exacerbate inequities or take steps toward a resourcing approach that better reflects the needs of communities. The Legislature must take this opportunity to better align how we fund education to the actual needs of students. If legislators are truly serious about addressing historic and systemic inequities, those values must be reflected in how we respond to the current funding crisis.

Jacob Vela, of Tacoma, is chief policy officer at League of Education Voters and a parent of two young children. Aaron Yared, of Seattle, is the director of policy and advocacy at Building Changes.