1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to reject the proposed education cuts in Governor Ferguson's budget and ensure full funding for Washington's schools, colleges, and universities before the legislative session ends on March 12, 2026. The proposed 3% cuts to Washington State University and the University of Washington, along with 1.5% reductions to community and technical colleges, would devastate institutions already weakened by years of underfunding. Chris Mulick of WSU testified that this would mark the fifth consecutive year of reductions, following the elimination of several hundred jobs in the past six months alone. These cuts force hiring delays, reduce course offerings, and increase workloads for remaining staff, directly harming students who depend on accessible, quality education. K-12 schools face equally troubling consequences. Tyler Muench of the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction warned that significant cuts to programs like Running Start and the cancellation of planned funding increases for rural school districts will have long-term impacts. His statement that "OSPI cannot continue to absorb cuts and still deliver services that Washingtonians expect and deserve" reflects the reality that our public schools are reaching a breaking point after last year's widespread reductions. Education is not a discretionary expense. It is the foundation of our state's economic future and the pathway to opportunity for thousands of Washington families. Cutting education funding while withdrawing $1 billion from the rainy day fund and redirecting $569 million in Climate Commitment Act proceeds demonstrates misplaced priorities. I urge you to advocate for alternative revenue solutions and protect education funding when the House and Senate release their budget proposals after the February 16 revenue forecast. Our students and their futures cannot afford another year of cuts.