Students, parents, school staff and leaders rallied in Olympia to fight for enrichment funding
Led by the WA Charters Action team, advocates rallied on the Capitol steps in a resounding call to action. We heard from Charter Champion, Representative Springer, former House Democratic Caucus Chair Eric Pettigrew, Rainier Prep Executive Director Karen Lobos, and three WA Charters student interns. Each shared powerful stories about what charter public schools mean for students and their futures. Our interns then led 22 legislative meetings throughout the day, sharing how critical state funding is to their schools and fellow students.
While all charter public schools have access to state per-pupil funding, they do not have access to local levy dollars, Local Effort Assistance, transportation, or facilities funding. For some schools, that gap is a quarter of their entire budget — money that is essential to the daily operations of every charter public school in Washington and that helps educators provide a high-quality public education to students.
Since the 2024–25 school year, dedicated funding has narrowed this gap. The Legislature has provided $1,500 per student to all of Washington’s charter public schools. But right now, that funding is at risk. It’s important to be clear: this is not “additional” or “new” money. Without these funds, there will be $0 for enrichment in the 2026–27 school year. This is about the Legislature’s continued commitment to charter public school students.
The 2026 lobby day was an incredible success! Thank you to the nearly 100 advocates who showed up to make their voices heard in support of charter public schools across Washington.
