Next week, the Rotary Club of Seattle welcomes Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, who believes Washington’s public education system is at a pivotal moment—financially, academically, and politically.

As lawmakers in Olympia grapple with a projected $2.3 billion budget shortfall, Reykdal is urging a fundamental rethink of how Washington funds education and supports students from kindergarten through college. At the center of that debate is a proposed tax on high-income earners—often referred to as a “millionaires’ tax”—which Reykdal says could dramatically reshape educational opportunity across the state.

In recent interviews, Reykdal has been unusually direct about what’s at stake. He argues that Washington’s lack of an income tax has contributed to an “upside-down” tax code that leaves public schools facing persistent funding challenges. New revenue, he says, could be transformative if focused squarely on students and families.

Come listen to Reykdal’s vision for the future, which includes free school meals for all public school students and two years of free, in-state college tuition.

After the disruption brought on by the pandemic, there are signs of progress. Newly released state test scores show continued improvement in math and English language arts. Reykdal believes the question now is whether the state will build on that momentum—or allow financial barriers to slow it.

This Rotary program offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from the state’s top education official about how funding, policy, and student outcomes intersect—and what Washington’s civic leaders should be paying attention to as decisions move from Olympia to the courts and, potentially, to voters.