Students need classrooms that support and encourage learning. But too many students across Washington are trying to learn in overcrowded, dilapidated classrooms.
Our schools need more capacity to provide smaller class sizes and to ensure that classrooms are safe, healthy spaces to learn.
School districts use local bonds to finance new school construction and under current law, a local school bond measure needs at least 60% yes votes in order to pass. Many school bond measures are supported by a majority of voters, but fail because they don’t reach the 60% threshold.
From 2000 to 2015, 616 school construction bond measures have been placed on ballots around the state. 272 of these got over 50% of the vote, but failed because they didn’t reach the 60% requirement.
When bond measures fail, school districts are forced to use portables and old infrastructure.
It doesn’t have to be this way. If passed, House Bill 1941 and House Joint Memorial 4210 would ask the voters to amend the Washington Constitution allowing school district bond measures to pass with a simple majority.
School districts across the state are facing this problem. Today the House Education Committee held hearings on these measures.
Every kid deserves the opportunity to get a great education and that needs to start with appropriate classrooms.