Yesterday, the State Supreme Court passed down its official mandate, and while we wait for the King County Superior Court to issue its final order, our nine schools are moving forward quickly with temporary stopgap measures that will enable schools stay open and ensure continuity for the more than 1,100 students attending them.
What the Court’s latest action makes clearer than ever is that there is great urgency for the Legislature to act swiftly to find a permanent solution that lifts students out of limbo.
Eight schools are actively exploring the Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) option as a temporary stopgap that would allow them to remain open and serving public school families while the legislative process to find a solution progresses. We are grateful to the Mary Walker School District for their partnership in this process and commitment to keeping doors open and kids in class—but want to be clear that the ALE process in no way results in a long-term solution.
WA Charters is also supporting First Place Scholars in its decision to convert back to a tuition-free independent school model—a model that was successful for years and made First Place the one the first schools to truly serve some of Washington’s most underserved populations. This pathway reduces the uncertainty that exists as result of the state Supreme Court ruling so that the school’s community can focus on student learning.
Together with a coalition of advocates, our primary focus continues to be ensuring that we do what is best for kids, and that means not allowing school to be disrupted mid-year, keeping schools open and doing all we can to ensure the Court’s foolish decision causes as little harm as possible to the students attending these nine schools.