“Washington’s updated capital budget includes much-needed funds to help ease severe overcrowding in Northeast Seattle schools,” state Rep. Gerry Pollet said today about the 2013-2015 biennial-construction budget passed in the closing hours of the special legislative session.
“Some of our youngest students are being taught to read on stages in cafeterias,” Pollet pointed out. “Frankly, it’s nothing short of scandalous that we have first-graders in portables without bathrooms — even as enrollment north of the Ship Canal is growing every year by the equivalent of three elementary schools.
“These new capital-budget funds represent the second year of significant legislative investment to ease overcrowding and reopen closed schools,” he added.
The $10 million in the capital budget for Seattle schools includes specific money to reopen Cedar Park Elementary School. Reopening Cedar Park will allow the district to alleviate growth in the Lake City and northeast Seattle neighborhoods. This should reduce pressure to build a 650-student school building on the same lot as Thornton Creek Elementary, as well as specific pressure on overcrowded schools.
Funding is also provided to replace Arbor Heights Elementary School in Southwest Seattle, recognizing the health and safety risks at this old building.
Last year, state Rep. Phyllis Gutierrez-Kenney (who is now retired) and Pollet worked to unite Seattle’s legislative delegation to convince their colleagues to provide funding to reopen Marshall School on Ravenna Boulevard Northeast. That move was the first state support for Seattle school construction in many years. It was also the first state support addressing severe overcrowding in North Seattle schools.
Pollet said the state’s school-construction formula for many years has been structured in a manner that penalizes Seattle as an urban district. As a result, Seattle has had to pay for school renovations and construction to meet needs that would in fact be funded in a suburban district. Pollet pointed out that state Rep. Jamie Pedersen, D-43rd Legislative District (Seattle), offered legislation this year to change the funding formula to provide a long-term solution.
“I thank every member of the Seattle legislative delegation for uniting to provide state support in the capital budget for Seattle’s schoolchildren,” said Pollet.
He noted that “this has been a tremendous effort, including support” from Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, D-43rd District (Seattle) and other Seattle legislators. Pollet also singled out “tremendous effort and support” from state Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-44th District (Snohomish), who chairs the House Capital Budget Committee, “in making sure that we passed a capital budget in the face of Senate Republican opposition.”