WA public schools need money. Our wealthiest residents should help

I have a message for Washington state’s thousands of hundred-millionaires and billionaires, 147 state legislators and one governor: Our public schools need more money, and our richest residents can and should give it to them.

In my 20-year career in the software industry, I’ve encountered a number of people on the wealthy-to-ultra-wealthy spectrum. I’ve been in some relatively small rooms (or Zooms) with billionaires. And while I am nowhere near the $50 million to $100 million threshold set by even the most aggressive wealth tax proposals, if the Seattle-based startup I work at is wildly successful, then someday I (and many of my co-workers) might be. So I feel qualified to make two observations about the wealthy.

First, they are generally good people who believe that they’ve made the world a better place, and in many cases they have. They may have some blind spots and struggle to see, accept and take responsibility for the negative side effects of their actions — but that’s true of pretty much everyone. Rather than painting them all as greedy villains, we should see them as they are: a diverse group who mostly want to live in thriving communities and are willing to do their part.

But my second observation is that past a certain point, more wealth stops improving happiness. That purchase of a third mansion, fifth luxury car or extravagant new toy or meal or vacation is like a sugar rush at best, or a dose of heroin at worst: a fleeting moment of empty pleasure that provides no lasting nourishment or fulfillment. In fact, when you have billions of dollars there is simply no way to spend it that significantly improves your life; all you can do is invest it. And when it comes to investments, nothing can compare to the long-term returns of public education.

As I watch my own children rise through Seattle Public Schools, I’m continually struck by how much of a difference every little bit of student support can make. A teacher’s extra time with a student who was falling behind can spark a lifelong love of mathematics. A librarian’s thoughtful recommendation can open new doors for a middle schooler struggling to find their unique path. A tutor’s patience can turn reading from a frustrating obstacle to a joyful passion. Every interaction could change a life, and every life could change the world.

But in Washington state our public school system has long suffered from chronic underfunding by our Legislature, and things are only getting worse. According to Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, our state “currently underfunds K-12 education by around $4 billion per year.” Districts across Washington are facing deficits with no easy solutions. Without major new investments there will be painful cuts throughout our state that erode or outright eliminate the very opportunities for students that can make public education so transformational.

Over the next few weeks lawmakers in Olympia will be deciding whether to enact new progressive revenue and ask the wealthiest to contribute more to our schools and communities. If they shy away from doing so and embrace austerity then we will be embarking on a downward spiral of disinvestment, declining service quality and flight from the public school system. Instead, lawmakers must have the courage to invest in our state’s youth, attract families and reaffirm a commitment to great public education.

So again, to the wealthy: Invest in what matters. To our elected officials: Embrace bold policy. And to everyone else: Demand that those in power do what it takes to lean in for our children. They’re worth it.

Kevin Litwack: is a software engineer, public schools advocate and parent of two (soon to be three) SPS students.

Originally published in The Seattle Times on March 11, 2025