Rep. Richard DeBolt says it’s time to add classrooms statewide

February 25, 2016

The supplemental capital budget was released in the state House (Wed.).  Of top priority for lawmakers: adding classrooms to schools that many say have been long overdue. Ruth Johnson reports from Olympia.

Johnson:   The decision to allocate $200 million dollars didn't come without a great deal of research.

DeBolt: “If we're going put hundreds of millions of dollars into something, we better know how our investment is being spent.  We want to be good stewards of our money for our constituents. “

Johnson:  For two years, lawmakers looked at the problem of classroom shortages from multiple angles.  Representative Richard DeBolt, a Republican from Chehalis calls it a “broad look,” one with multiple objectives.

DeBolt:  “To bring down the price of construction, to make the buildings more energy efficient, to make them last longer, and to make them better learning environments.”

The monies will be pulled from the Budget Stabilization Account.  $200 million is just about one-half of one-percent of the total in the account.  DeBolt says that funding education construction is a wise investment in the future of Washington.

Ruth Johnson, Olympia.