Special education funding in Washington
How the funding works
Special education is not funded by a separate per-student amount. The state calculates a district's basic education allocation first, then applies an excess-cost multiplier for students eligible for special education services - the allocation sits on top of basic education rather than replacing it.
In 2025, E2SSB 5263 raised the multiplier and removed the enrollment cap that had previously limited how many students a district could claim it for. Whether the current rate covers actual costs remains actively debated in the Legislature.
Washington districts served 180,648 students with disabilities in 2024-25, about 16.3% of total enrollment.
Allocation versus actual spending
Both figures below cover the same thing: state special education programs 21, 22 and 26. Federally funded IDEA money (program 24) is excluded from both sides, so the comparison is like-for-like.
Statewide, special education
General fund only
233 of 315 districts spent more than allocated
Statewide that works out to $17,435 of general-fund spending per student with disabilities. 233 of the 315 districts with both figures published spent more than the formula allocated; the difference comes from local levy, federal or other revenue.
Where the gap is largest
Ranked by the per-student difference between spending and allocation. The extremes are mostly very small districts and charter schools, where a single student's placement can move the per-student figure by thousands of dollars.
| District | Funded students | Above allocation | Per student |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winlock School District | 730 | +$3.8M | +$5,239 |
| Skykomish School District | 41 | +$160K | +$3,957 |
| Rainier Valley Leadership Academy | 123 | +$416K | +$3,393 |
| Ocean Beach School District | 919 | +$3.1M | +$3,364 |
| Lake Quinault School District | 210 | +$613K | +$2,913 |
| Queets-Clearwater School District | 37 | +$106K | +$2,841 |
| Glenwood School District | 54 | +$144K | +$2,677 |
| Wishram School District | 91 | +$242K | +$2,662 |
Among districts with more than 10,000 funded students, where a single placement cannot skew the average:
| District | Funded students | Above allocation | Per student |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle School District No. 1 | 49,809 | +$103.8M | +$2,085 |
| Bellevue School District | 19,509 | +$31.1M | +$1,593 |
| Vancouver School District | 20,990 | +$24.1M | +$1,149 |
| Renton School District | 14,138 | +$15.7M | +$1,109 |
| Clover Park School District | 11,697 | +$12.8M | +$1,092 |
| Kent School District | 25,284 | +$26.1M | +$1,031 |
| Northshore School District | 22,137 | +$22.1M | +$1,000 |
| Mukilteo School District | 15,169 | +$14.5M | +$954 |
How to read these numbers
The spending side is general-fund only. It deliberately excludes federal IDEA money, because including federally funded spending on the cost side while comparing it against a state-only allocation overstates the state's shortfall - by roughly $254 million statewide.
These are reported actuals, not a needs assessment. A district spending above its allocation is evidence that the formula did not cover its costs that year, not a measure of what adequate services would cost.
Sources: OSPI Apportionment final extract for the allocation, F-196 actuals for spending, 2024-25. Full detail on Sources & Methodology.