David Boze of the Washington Policy Center doesn’t believe the answer is all that complicated

David Boze
Washington Policy Center

From Vancouver WA to Moses Lake and from Puyallup to Toppenish, parents are not granting their school district’s levy requests.  Is the answer to “Why?” really all that complicated?

A Gallup poll shows that among Americans across the political spectrum, confidence in the government-run school systems is declining.

Confidence in public education has dropped from 41 percent in 2020 to 28 percent in 2023. Among Democrats, 43 percent say they have confidence in public schools. Only 14 percent of Republicans and 29 percent of Independents are confident the government-run schools are doing a good job.

“I have followed the state legislature and changes in education policy closely for years,” writes Liv Finne, Director for the Center for Education at the Washington Policy Center. “I have never seen the rising level of distrust and broad decline in reputation for public schools as I have seen during the current legislative session.”

Check out the full story in Newsbreak about levy failures and enrollment declines. After reading, comment below if you think you know why this is happening.

David Boze is the communications director at the Washington Policy Center.

---

Also read:

• 
  Opinion: ‘A more responsible approach must be sought’
  Ken Vance argues a $10 billion funding gap makes the phased I-5 Bridge approach fiscally reckless, not responsible.
• 
  POLL: Do patriotic displays like Yacolt’s road striping help strengthen community spirit?
  A Yacolt road striping project tied to America’s 250th anniversary is dividing opinion in Clark County.
• 
  Opinion: The challenges of getting the Brockmann mental health facility open
  A $42 million, 48-bed mental health campus near WSU Vancouver was completed in 2025 but never opened due to lack of state funding.
• 
  Opinion: Washington’s business exodus accelerates due to high taxes, regulations driving companies away
  Washington’s business relocation rate has nearly tripled since winter 2025, per an AWB survey.
• 
  Letter: Food service, public health, and the Men’s Share House question
  Peter Bracchi asks why Share House’s 96,987 annual meals face less public-health scrutiny than a waterfront restaurant.