OLYPMIA, Wash. - The Washington state Senate approved a measure Monday authorizing $544 million in bonds for school construction. The approval comes a day before several school districts vote on school construction funding of their own.
Included in the package is $10 million for safety upgrades that include installing panic alarms to alert local law enforcement of emergencies.
Typically the Legislature passes a construction bonding measure late in its annual session covering everything from parkland acquisitions to building upgrades.
However, Republicans in the Legislature are pushing a "fund education first" agenda that would allocate K-12 dollars separately in advance of other moneys. With two Democrats joining Republicans to form a one-vote majority in the Senate, the measure's passage on Monday can be seen as part of that broader effort.
