Rep. Paul Harris’ bill that would enhance administration capabilities at Washington state charter schools overwhelmingly passed the House today on a vote of 89-9.

“This bill would make a big difference for charter schools in Washington,” said Harris, R-Vancouver. “Everyone is different and charter schools provide an excellent opportunity for students that learn differently to excel. However, we need to make sure these schools are set up for success. That’s what this bill is designed to do.”

House Bill 2853 would promote efficient administration of the Washington State Charter School Commission, by allowing the commission to hire an executive director. The person in this role could also hire employees to help the commission with its duties.

The idea for this bill was inspired from a meeting last year in which members of the House Education Committee discussed problems with some of the state’s charter schools after two of them failed.

“I strongly believe that had these two schools been set up for success from the beginning, they wouldn’t have failed,” said Harris.

The bill would help the charter school commission operate more effectively, with the assistance of the executive director. It would also ensure the right people are in place to help charter schools perform better and be successful.

“Ultimately, I believe every child should have the opportunity to excel in school, no matter how they learn,” added Harris. “Setting up our charter schools to achieve their intended purpose will help ALL students be successful. I’m very hopeful the Senate passes this bill on to the governor.”

The 2020 legislative session is scheduled to run for 60 consecutive days and end on March 12.