January 30 was a special day for over 150 students who travelled to Olympia, Washington, to attend “Catholic Schools Day at the Capitol.” Representing Washington State Catholic schools, the students, teachers and administrators spent the day in Olympia visiting their lawmakers and learning more about legislation to improve school safety. Kristin Dixon, Superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Seattle, testified about Senate Bill 5514, a proposal to notify all schools—public and private—when there is an emergency.
The event, organized by the Washington State Catholic Conference (WSCC), was among many activities taking place for our Catholic schools during Catholic Schools Week.
“It was very special to see so many of our students in uniform walking around the state capitol interacting with Washington State policy makers,” said Fulcrum Interim Executive Director, Julie Coleman. Lieutenant-Governor Cyrus Habib, Senator Lisa Wellman, chair of the Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee, and Chris Reykdal, Superintendent of Public Instruction, were three
of the many legislators who presented. “We wanted to share the good news of Catholic schools with policymakers,” said Joe Sprague, Executive Director of the WSCC. “It is important for key policymakers to hear the positive story about Catholic schools. It is essential that they understand how inclusive our schools are, including for those with limited economic means, and the significant academic achievement and community support Catholic schools provide.”
There are 100 Catholic schools in Washington State, educating over 28,000 students.