After state lawmakers cut funding for the Transition to Kindergarten (TK) program during the current session, the state’s superintendent of public instruction is trying to preserve preschool slots for 4-year-olds from low-income districts and rural areas. More than 7,000 students are enrolled in TK this school year; the program is offered free in public schools in the year before kindergarten.
But that will change, as lawmakers reduced funding for roughly 2,000 slots for the upcoming school year. A plan published by OSPI (Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction) in April shows that about half of the districts offering the program will not lose any slots, and no district will lose the program entirely. TK is currently operating in 157 districts across the state.
Although Washington is considered one of the wealthiest states in the U.S., it has one of the lowest rates of public preschool coverage for 4-year-olds: about 70% do not attend. That is due in part to a decentralized funding system based on local property taxes, which creates inequality between wealthy and poor areas. Political disputes over budget priorities and the lack of federal mandates for universal preschool mean many families rely on private or family care options, which are costly and not accessible to all.
In its plan, OSPI prioritized preserving slots in programs that serve higher numbers of children from low-income families and tried to maintain access where low-income children have limited access to public preschool. “Poverty was the primary factor in making those decisions,” Superintendent Chris Reykdal said in an interview last week. His office is an elected position; he is chosen by statewide vote to serve a four-year term. While Reykdal can influence the budget through recommendations and public statements, final funding decisions rest with the Legislature and the governor.
As a result, the largest cuts will hit wealthy districts that have high local property tax revenue and can manage on their own. Issaquah School District will lose 73% of its state-funded slots, Peninsula (in the Gig Harbor area) will lose 72%, and Snohomish will lose 66%. Lawmakers concluded those districts could offset reductions with local resources and that limited state funds should be directed to areas with greater need. That decision drew criticism because TK was designed as a universal program, and its loss in affluent districts removes access for families who cannot afford private alternatives. Reykdal called the lawmakers’ move short-sighted, saying investments in preparing 4-year-olds for school pay off far more than later efforts to address gaps in middle school, high school, and college.
The impact of the new cuts on the broader early-learning system is unclear, in part because schools are now allowed to charge families income-based sliding fees for the program. Schools can use those fees or local funding to make up for reduced state dollars. It is not yet known whether districts will adopt such a fee model. Reykdal said he does not know of any district planning to do so, though a precedent exists — before full-day kindergarten received state funding, schools could charge fees.
At the same time TK funding has been cut, the ECEAP (Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program), which targets low-income children, is expanding through donations. Reykdal said he does not know of any districts planning to drop TK entirely, though he expects reductions as programs shrink. “Districts are saying: we’ll keep everything we can, because demand for 4-year-old learning is very high,” he emphasized.
Reykdal also pointed to state data showing children who attended TK were better prepared for kindergarten than those who participated in ECEAP. Comparing low-income students, 78% of TK graduates were ready for math versus 63% of ECEAP graduates, and for literacy nearly 86% versus 72%. However, the National Institute for Early Education Research noted that ECEAP meets more quality standards, including required family support services, unlike TK, which has no limits on class size or student-to-staff ratios.
Based on: State superintendent wants to preserve pre-K amid cuts