Mayor Harrell Announces Every Child Ready Initiative and Bold Proposal to Renew Seattle’s Education Levy

by Callie Craighead on April 23, 2025

Transformative investments in Seattle youth and families will double access to affordable childcare, expand mental health and student safety services at schools, and create a new career pathway to enter skilled trades

Seattle – Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell joined Councilmember Maritza Rivera, the Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL), and a diverse coalition of education leaders, advocates, students, and families to announce his new Every Child Ready initiative and proposal to renew the Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) Levy, which is expiring at the end of this year.

The initiative aims to make every child Ready to Start kindergarten by investing in affordable, high-quality early learning opportunities, Ready to Learn in K-12 by creating safe, healthy school environments, and Ready to Launch into college and careers with free tuition at Seattle Colleges and job training opportunities.

“With rising costs for childcare and preschool, increased student mental health challenges after the pandemic, and federal funding supporting our education system under threat, this is a critical moment to reinvest in the health, safety, and success of Seattle’s youth and families,” said Mayor Harrell. “The Every Child Ready initiative includes transformative investments that will make Seattle one of the best cities in the nation to start and raise a family, supporting our children from cradle, to classroom, into college and beyond toward successful careers. With a renewed focus on childcare and early learning, this levy proposal will open doors to opportunity and ensure every child – no matter what neighborhood they are from – can reach their full potential in school and beyond.”

Some highlights of Mayor Harrell’s proposal include:

• Childcare Expansion: More than doubling access to affordable childcare slots to 1,400 a year and providing direct payments to support the retention of 5,000 childcare workers citywide.

• Nationally Acclaimed Preschool Program: Expanding the Seattle Preschool Program to 3,100 seats, improving access for families across the city.

• Youth Mental Health and Safety: Bolstering youth mental health services for Seattle students through new school-based health centers, expanded staffing, and telehealth support.

• Seattle Promise: Free tuition and expenses for up to two years at Seattle Colleges, available to all Seattle public school graduates.

• Apprenticeships and Workforce Development: Creating a new Path to Trades program to help graduates enter careers in skilled trades.

To renew the expiring FEPP levy, Mayor Harrell is proposing to levy a $1.3 billion property tax over six years, costing the median assessed value Seattle homeowner $0.61 per $1,000 assessed value, totaling about $654 a year.  Research continually shows that investments in early learning and education have long-term economic, health, and social benefits for children and society.

The Every Child Ready initiative has three priority investment areas: Ready to Start, Ready to Learn, and Ready to Launch.

Ready to Start

The $658.2 million investment will expand access to high-quality, affordable early learning and childcare opportunities for Seattle’s youngest learners and families, giving them the skills and support they need to be ready to start kindergarten and their academic journey.

Investments include:

• $452.6 million for preschool programming through the award-winning Seattle Preschool Program, adding 600 new preschool seats for a total of 3,100 children served every year.

• $154.8 million to expand access to affordable childcare through the Child Care Assistance Program,  creating 800 new subsidized childcare slots for a total of 1,400 children served every year.

• $32.3 million in prenatal-to-three supports to increase parental health and wellbeing and kindergarten readiness, benefitting 750 children annually.

• $18.5 million in workforce supports, including direct payments to 5,000 childcare workers to support retention.

Ready to Learn

The $506.7 million investment will provide K-12 academic and enrichment supports and prioritize student safety, mental health, and overall wellbeing, ensuring every child is ready to learn at school and feels supported in and out of the classroom.  

Investments include:

• $271.6 million for free expanded learning supports, including school-day, afterschool and summer programs, to keep more than 19,000 youth safe, healthy, and engaged in and outside of the classroom in partnership with schools and community-based organizations.

• $188.5 million for school health clinics and mental health services, including establishing 5 new school-based health centers and expanding access to in-person mental health services and telehealth for Seattle youth and young adults up to age 24.

• $46.6 million to expand school safety investments in and around schools in partnership with Seattle Public Schools (SPS) and community-based organizations.

Ready to Launch

This $82.4 million investment will equip graduates with the skills they need to succeed beyond high school and into adulthood, making sure they are ready to launch into college or the career path of their choosing.

Investments include:

• $66.2 million to sustain Seattle Promise, providing all graduating seniors from Seattle public high schools with up to two years of free tuition at Seattle Colleges and other school-related expenses. The program is estimated to serve 1,475 scholars annually.

• $14.0 million for Career Pathways, including a new Path to Trades program that adds  new apprenticeships and skill-building opportunities for graduates.

• $2.2 million for Path to UW, supporting successful academic transfers of Seattle Colleges’ students to the University of Washington to continue their studies towards a degree.

The initiative will also align existing City investments in programs serving the three initiative goals through levy investments to ensure a stable funding source for years to come, maximize program coordination, and drive positive outcomes for Seattle youth. As the city faces an uncertain economic outlook and reduction in federal funding, this will safeguard these investments through 2032.

Informed by extensive evaluation of the current levy and feedback from nearly 700 educators, childcare providers, and Seattle Promise scholars and alumnae, the proposal is the largest education levy since it was first passed by voters in 1990 – representing a bold vision and commitment to support children, youth, and families at every stage of life.

Mayor Harrell continued, “Rooted in our One Seattle values of equity and opportunity, this proposal will support working families, help more kids get off on the right foot, and empower the next generation of leaders in our city.  I’m grateful for the strong partnership with Councilmember Maritza Rivera on shaping this package and her shared focus of expanding childcare access and look forward to the Council’s process to move this investment in our city’s future forward.”

“This proposal builds upon Seattle’s decades-long legacy of investing in our children’s futures,” said Councilmember Maritza Rivera, District 4, Chair of Select Committee on FEPP Levy. “We are setting kids up for a lifetime of success by offering high-quality early learning programs, helping K-12 students thrive with academic and health supports, and paving the way to a bright future with universal access to a two-year college degree or a path to the trades. I want to thank the Mayor for the great collaboration and including my priorities, and those of my colleagues, in this package.”

Mayor Harrell announced the initiative at Tiny Tots Development Center in Seattle’s Othello neighborhood. The center opened in 2022 and received $2.4 million in financial support from HSD and DEEL. The center has 80 childcare seats and is in the same building as Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic Othello, a City partner and school-based health center provider at three SPS locations.

The City Council’s Select Committee on the Families, Education, Preschool and Promise (FEPP) Levy will review the mayor’s proposal and consider referral to voters for the November 2025 ballot.