Senator Murray Visits with Maritime High School Students and Educators as Back-To-School Season Kicks Off

***PHOTOS AND B-ROLL OF THE EVENT HERE***

Senator Murray: “When we invest in our schools and students, we invest in our future—and programs like the ones here at Maritime High School play a really huge part in making that a reality.”

(Des Moines, WA) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, met with students and educators at Maritime High School in Des Moines, WA as back-to-school season kicks off. Maritime High opened in September 2021 as a collaborative project of Highline Public Schools, Northwest Maritime Center, Port of Seattle, and the Duwamish River Community Coalition, with the goal of preparing students for well-paid, meaningful, and lasting careers.

Senator Murray was joined by Dr. Ivan Duran, Superintendent of Highline Public Schools; Tremain Holloway, Principal of Maritime High School; Ryan Calkins, Seattle Port Commissioner; Jake Beatty, Executive Director of Northwest Maritime Center; Paulina Lopez, Executive Director of the Duwamish River Community Coalition; and Linda Farnsworth, Maritime High School PTA President.

“As our kids return to the classroom this fall, I’m working hard to ensure our schools and educators have the resources and support they need. I’m proud to have led the charge in delivering critical resources to schools via the American Rescue Plan, and passing the largest increase in federal K-12 funding for public schools in over a decade—and I’m continuing to stay laser-focused on ensuring we get our kids back on track, support their mental and emotional health, and make sure every single student in our state can get a quality, public education,” said Senator Murray. “When we invest in our schools and students, we invest in our future—and programs like the ones here at Maritime High School play a huge part in making that a reality.”

“Maritime High School is a great example of how we can create innovative options for students through partnerships with business and other organizations in our community,” said Superintendent Ivan Duran. “Maritime High School provides hands-on, career-focused learning for students who will become the workforce fueling our maritime-focused local economy into the future.”

As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS), Senator Murray has long fought to ensure every student gets a quality public education, recently securing a $1 billion increase for the primary source of federal funding for public K-12 schools—the largest increase in more than a decade. She also secured $433 million in new funding—totaling $14.2 billion overall—for special education state grant programs, which support nearly 7.7 million students and children with disabilities. Senator Murray is also a leader in expanding access to workforce development opportunities—securing an increase of $50 million for the Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship Programs in the recent funding package, to expand apprenticeship opportunities, including youth apprenticeships, across Washington state and the entire country.

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