Doctors, Educators, and Community Leaders Speak Out Against Initiative 2117, Warn Against Its Impacts on Kids and Schools Across Washington

 If Passed, I-2117 Would Jeopardize Approximately $290 Million to Expand Safe Routes to School, $175 Million for Clean, Modern School Buildings, End Funding for Program That Provides Washington’s Youth Under 18 with Fare-Free Transit Passes

Seattle, WA, September 10, 2024 – Doctors, educators, and community leaders gathered in the Delridge neighborhood of Seattle today to speak out against Initiative 2117 and warn that it would threaten the health of and safety of kids and schools across the state.

If passed, I-2117 would jeopardize hundreds of millions in funding for programs that improve energy efficiency and provide cleaner air by modernizing school buildings, replace polluting diesel school buses with clean electric school buses, improve safety for kids walking and biking to school, and provide free transit for youth throughout Washington state.

Over 450 organizations and Tribal Nations oppose I-2117 and have endorsed the No on 2117 campaign, including doctors and public health leaders, the American Lung Association, the Washington State Medical Association, the Children’s Alliance, Moms Rising, the Washington State PTA, labor unions, and environmental groups. You can view the full list of organizations opposing I-2117 here.

“One in 10 children in Washington struggle with asthma. Prolonged exposure to unhealthy, unclean air from older school buildings and diesel school buses exacerbates existing asthma and puts communities at higher risk of disease,” said Dr. Vin Gupta, a pulmonary/critical care physician. “Initiative 2117 cuts investments in clean, healthy, and safe school environments — it’s a bad deal for Washington kids, families, and educators.”

“Initiative 2117 is a deceptive, dangerous initiative that would hurt students, families, and educators across Washington. It guts investments that allow students and educators to learn and teach in modern, safe, and healthy environments,” said Andrew Eckels, President of the Seattle Substitutes Association, Washington Education Association member, and an educator at a high school in Seattle. “The Washington Education Association urges our members, families, and fellow workers across our state to vote NO on 2117.”

“For 45 years, Southwest Youth and Family Services has provided culturally relevant counseling, education, and family support services to youth and families in our community,” said Essence Russ, Executive Director, SWYFS. “Our building on Delridge is a hub for our community, however, the aging facility poses major challenges for us, especially as the summers get hotter and smokier and the air quality worsens.”

I-2117 would slash investments in programs that support students, families, and educators, including:

• Gutting more than $175 million for infrastructure improvements to make school buildings cleaner, more modern, and safer, including updated HVAC, air filtration, and air conditioning systems. Public health data shows that extreme heat and polluted air harm kids’ cognitive abilities, including in school buildings;
• Eliminating more than $20 million to help school districts across Washington transition from diesel to electric school buses. Diesel exhaust is the most harmful air pollutant in Washington; it contributes to asthma, lung diseases, and cancer;
• Cutting $290 million in funding for Safe Routes to Schools, which improves safety for children by enhancing pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure within two miles of elementary, middle, and high schools; and,
• Ending funding for the program that provides youth under 18 with free transit passes across the state.

To learn more about projects that would be cut by I-2117, visit Clean & Prosperous Institute’s Risk of Repeal map, which provides robust data on the impacts of the initiative, including transportation, air quality, and restoration for rivers, streams, and lakes.