# WA must return to its paramount duty: K-12 education

> Washington state faces education funding crisis as it risks losing national top performance in math and reading.
- Title: WA must return to its paramount duty: K-12 education
- Summary: Washington state faces education funding crisis as it risks losing national top performance in math and reading. Washington state must prioritize K-12…
- Keywords: k-12 education, state superintendent, education funding, math performance, reading performance, state constitution, school districts, inflation-adjusted funding, news, local, must, return
- Source: Seattletimes — https://seattletimes.com/opinion/wa-must-return-to-its-paramount-duty-k-12-education
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: wa, k-12 education, state superintendent, education funding, math performance, reading performance, state constitution, school districts, inflation-adjusted funding, news, local
## Student performance trends
Student performance on traditional assessments in math and reading have been declining globally for nearly 20 years.
## Washington's current standing
Washington students outperform peers nationally in reading and math but risk falling behind as 14 states now outperform us in eighth grade math.
## Constitutional duty
Kindergarten through 12th-grade education is the state’s constitutional paramount duty that must come before all other obligations.
## Funding gap
State investment has increased in nominal dollars but not kept pace with inflation or student needs.
## District financial strain
11 school districts receive state financial oversight while dozens more face budget shortfalls.
## Resource diversion
Districts divert local levy funds for innovation to cover gaps in basic education funding.
## Legal consequences
Washington state has faced two major lawsuits over basic education funding in the last 45 years.
## Key takeaway

Washington state must prioritize K-12 education funding to maintain national student performance leadership.