Reps. Sharon Tomiko Santos (D-Seattle) and Eric Pettigrew (D-Seattle) introduced legislation, HB 1860 that would break up the Seattle School District into two districts starting with the 2018-19 school year.
The bill will likely be referred to the House Education committee. It is tentatively scheduled for a public hearing the week of February 9.
The following is a joint statement from Reps. Sharon Tomiko Santos and Eric Pettigrew, Democrats from Seattle representing the 37th Legislative District.
We entered public service to work on solutions that eliminate inequality. Far too many students in Seattle schools are not given equitable opportunities to learn. Although as individual legislators we haven’t always seen eye-to-eye on education policy, we are in complete agreement on this point: something has to change for the students in South Seattle schools.
For several years, the Legislature has enacted accountability measures for students and teachers. Our proposal continues this great work and demands accountability from a district that has failed to produce better academic outcomes and opportunities for all students.
We look forward to having an open dialogue with students, parents, teachers, community leaders, and other policymakers to find the right solutions that give every student an opportunity to lead a successful life.