Covid Impact
Six Years Later, 63% of Washington Districts Haven't Recovered
Only 117 of 316 Washington school districts have recovered to pre-COVID enrollment levels. In 2026, even the recovery stalled.
Washington Education News & Data
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District Spotlight
Three Districts, 10,000 New Students: The Tri-Cities Boom
Pasco and Richland both grew 30% since 2010 while most of Washington lost students. Then all three Tri-Cities districts declined in the same year.
Demographics
141,000 Fewer White Students in 16 Years
White enrollment in Washington fell every year since 2010, a decline larger than Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma combined. The pandemic doubled the pace.
Special Populations
1 in 7 Washington Students Is Now an English Learner
Washington's English learner population nearly doubled in 16 years to 159,472. The growth reshaped suburban districts and agricultural communities alike.
Grade Shift
Kindergarten Down 16%, and the Worst Is Still Coming
Washington kindergarten enrollment fell 13,609 from its 2020 peak while Grade 12 hit a record 98,754. The pipeline inversion signals decline through 2032.
District Spotlight
Seattle Spent a Decade Building. Six Years Erased It.
Seattle added 9,000 students over a decade, then lost 5,153 since 2020. A shrinking kindergarten pipeline and $87M budget gap signal structural decline.
Enrollment
Washington Lost 9,099 Students and Three Years of Progress
After three years of post-COVID recovery, Washington's K-12 enrollment reversed course in 2025-26, dropping by the most since the pandemic year itself.
Demographics
White Students Now 47% of Washington's Schools
White enrollment fell below 50% in 2022 and keeps dropping. Hispanic, multiracial, and Asian growth reshaped the state over 16 years.
Enrollment
Washington Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
OSPI releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing a 9,099-student loss that erased three years of post-COVID recovery.