The Washington State PTA led by
Legislative Director Sherry Krainick and Capital Budget leads Susan Baird-Joshi
and Eden Mack came out strongly for increasing the commitment to funding K-12
capital needs. “If we are serious about addressing the needs brought up
in McCleary, we need to show a demonstrated commitment in the State Capital
Budget. There is currently a lack of quality facilities to support
the reduction of class size and expansion to all day kindergarten that is part
of the McCleary solution," said Director Krainick.
Sending in her comments on the
concerns in Lake Washington, Capital Budget lead Susan Baird-Joshi shared her
concerns with just being able to keep up with needs in her district.
"Since 2012, our district has been the fastest-growing school
district in King County. Current enrollment stands at more than 26,000 and it’s
projected to grow close to 30,000 by 2021-22. Existing classroom space will not
accommodate those growing numbers."
The challenges for capital funding
were also shared by Kelly Bowers from Seattle. She testified to the need
for ADA compliant facilities at her daughter’s middle
school. She was joined on the panel by Eden Mack who shared her
frustration with the lack of commitment to funding K-12 capital programs. Also
joining the legislative team in person and through delivered testimony was
Steve Nesich and Bertha Bonds.
The House voted the Capital Budget out of
Committee Tuesday morning and it is expected to pass out of the House by the
end of the week.
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