Dear Washington State PTA Member,
Students and families deserve to be safe and healthy in their school, homes, and communities, with a livable future for our children.
But unfortunately, what we are seeing in our state is concerning:
- Firearms are the second leading cause of death in children and 4.6 million children live in a home with at least one unlocked and loaded firearm. In Washington state, suicide (primarily by firearm) is the leading cause of death in youth ages 10-24.
- Seventy percent of school buildings are in high seismic areas. In these areas, schools built before 1975 have a moderate to very high life safety risk.
- School districts are neither funded nor required to keep safety plans and materials up-to-date.
- A warming climate and greenhouse gases increase dangerous air quality. Children and their developing lungs are particularly vulnerable to allergies and asthma, heat stroke and heat exhaustion, and disease transmitted by insects as the climate changes.
Please write your legislators and encourage your friends and community members to take a few minutes for the safety of our kids.
Click here to participate through the Action Network.
Visit our website for more information on WSPTA’s legislative priorities. If you would like to receive WSPTA Action Alerts directly, please sign up for the Action Network here.
Thank you for advocating for the 1.1 million students of Washington giving them the opportunity to reach their highest potential.
Thank you,
Lizzy Sebring, WSPTA Advocacy Director