The cherry blossoms are out in Olympia. Legislators and lobbyists alike are sneaking into the sun for a few enjoyable minutes after weeks on the floor and in meeting rooms, debating and hashing out important policy decisions. But we\u2019re just two days away from \u201csine die\u201d \u2013 the official term for the last day of legislative session \u2013 on April 23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We know a lot about how things are shaping up for our policy priorities, but one area that\u2019s coming down to the wire is the Ninth Grade Success program funding. As you know, dedicated funding wasn\u2019t included in either budget proposal earlier this year. The proposals actually repurposed the federal funding schools were relying on \u2013 effectively eliminating the program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We expect a final, negotiated budget to be released Saturday at noon, and we\u2019ll know more then about the fate of the Ninth Grade Success funding. One thing is certain – this community did everything possible to elevate this to lawmakers.<\/strong> We are so grateful to all of you who signed our petition, called your legislators, and shared information about this proven and transformative program to raise high school graduation rates and support students to thrive in a pivotal year. Regardless of the outcome of this session, we are very appreciative of your advocacy. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n On the policy front, we\u2019re excited to share that a number of our priority bills are heading to the Governor\u2019s office for signature<\/strong> with bipartisan support!<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ll share another update next week with a breakdown of the final budget, and in a few weeks we\u2019ll offer a more comprehensive reflection on this legislative session. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re so grateful to each of you for sticking with us through this long session until the bitter end!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n