Jan 21, 2021 Newstalk KFLD 870 AM
Saying that some 32,000 Washington families have pulled their children from traditional K-12 public schools since the end of the 2019-2020 school year, a Washington State GOP House Rep says it's time for choice.
Rep Vicki Kraft, who reps the 17th District (Vancouver area) says her proposed bill would provide up to $7,000 for families whose children are being home schooled, online away from public, or in a private school. HB1215 has been sent to the Educational Committee for debate and review.
She said:
“There are different learning needs of different children. This bill will allow parents to be able to provide the best learning environment for their child.”
Kraft, in providing the data about the 32,000 families withdrawing children, public , says the traditional "zip code" provided public schools are not working. This is strongly tied to the dismal failure of distance learning, which even SPI Chris Reykdal admits is a "failure."
Between Richland, Pasco and Kennewick alone, based upon the last figures we have late fall going into winter, nearly 1,200 students (all grades combined) have formally withdrawn from their respective DIstricts. Those numbers are expected to have climbed even more since then. This does not include figures for Ki-Be, North Franklin, Riverview and Columbia Burbank.
The loss of students from 32,000 families is likely to result in a noticeable and worrisome reduction of Federal Educational funding. When those numbers of withdrawal students went over 10K last fall, and was approaching 12, state officials began to worry. The Feds allocate funding based in large part upon the number of your students.
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