Washington state dropped to 31st in national education rankings this year, down from 27th last year and 20th just over a decade ago, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2026 Kids Count Data Book. The report, now in its 37th year, tracks children’s economic well-being, education, health, and family and community life across all 50 states.
Washington’s Math & Reading Gaps Are Not Getting Smaller
The numbers driving the decline are not new. Seventy percent of Washington 8th graders are not proficient in math, and 68% of 4th graders are not proficient in reading. Both figures are drawn from 2024 data and appeared in last year’s report as well. Other updated education metrics in the 2026 report contributed to the four-spot drop in overall rankings.
“Superintendent Reykdal has continued to request resources from the Legislature that would close these gaps, and unfortunately, the Legislature continues to both underfund basic education and cut funding from programs with demonstrated evidence of success.”
Katy Payne, Chief Strategy Officer, WA Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, June 2026
Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction disputes parts of the framing. Katy Payne, chief strategy officer, said test scores have trended upward since a pandemic-era low, and that comparing pre-pandemic to post-pandemic scores skews the picture unfairly. Among the 11 states using the same testing vendor, Washington ranks second in English and fourth in math. Still, Payne acknowledged that 14 states statistically outperform Washington students in 8th-grade math.
Early Childhood Access Is Falling, Not Rising
A separate but compounding problem appears in the early learning data. The report found that 57% of children ages 3 and 4 in Washington are not enrolled in school, a one-percentage-point decline from the previous reporting period.
Soleil Boyd, executive director of the Seattle-based Children’s Alliance, attributed this in part to state Legislature rollbacks to pre-kindergarten programs and cuts to child care providers in the 2026 session. Boyd noted that pandemic-era instability contributed to reading and math shortfalls, making early intervention more urgent, not less. She called it “really encouraging” that a new state income tax on millionaire earners is directing some revenue toward these needs, though the legislative cuts offset that progress.
State funding remains the central point of conflict. Superintendent Chris Reykdal has repeatedly asked the Legislature for additional education resources. The Legislature has instead cut programs that Payne described as having demonstrated evidence of success.
What You Can Do Now
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Call your Washington state legislators at (360) 786-7573 (House) or (360) 786-7550 (Senate). Tell them to restore pre-K funding and stop cutting evidence-based education programs. The 2027 budget cycle begins in January 2027, and priorities are set now.
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Find your specific state lawmakers at leg.wa.gov and send a written message asking them to support full funding for basic education as defined under Washington’s McCleary obligations. The state Supreme Court’s 2012 McCleary ruling found the Legislature was constitutionally required to fully fund K-12. Underfunding remains a documented, ongoing issue.
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Contact the WA Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction at (360) 725-6000 and ask what district-level steps are being taken to close the math proficiency gap affecting 7 in 10 8th graders.
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Attend a local school board meeting and ask what early childhood access programs have been reduced due to state cuts. Find your district’s board schedule through your county’s school district website, or search the WA OSPI school directory.
Sources
Washington State Standard: WA Falls Again in National Education Ranking
Annie E. Casey Foundation: 2026 Kids Count Data Book National Rankings
Children’s Alliance: Washington State Child Advocacy Organization
WA Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction: Education Data and Policy
Annie E. Casey Foundation: Kids Count Data Center Washington State Profile
[Stat: 31st. Washington’s current national education ranking, down from 20th a decade ago.
Annie E. Casey Foundation 2026 Kids Count Data Book]