Last week, U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, pressed House leadership to bring the Senate-passed Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act for a vote on the floor to ensure rural communities can continue to access vital funds for schools, infrastructure maintenance and emergency services.
Because Congress failed to extend Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program, the program is now behind schedule, a news release from the office of Gluesenkamp Perez stated. Educators and support staff have been laid off in Skamania County, the Wind River Middle School is slated for closure, and infrastructure projects have been canceled and delayed in Lewis County.
The SRS program is a bipartisan lifeline for rural communities that rely on timber revenue that has been limited by federal action and are highly impacted by federal lands. In Skamania County, only 1.8 percent of land can generate revenue for public services, and SRS funding accounts for 5.1 percent of the county’s budget.
Since its enactment, SRS has provided $7 billion in payments to more than 700 counties and 4,400 school districts across 40 states. In 2023, Cowlitz, Lewis and Skamania Counties received significant amounts of funding through SRS.
Full text of Gluesenkamp Perez’s letter to House Leadership can be found at shorturl.at/DvTxw.
In January, Gluesenkamp Perez urged House Leadership to pass SRS reauthorization before the program could no longer stay on schedule. Last year, she also pressed House leadership to include reauthorization in must-pass legislation before the end of the calendar year.
In February, Gluesenkamp Perez helped introduce the bipartisan Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act in the House, and she held a press conference with Skamania County leaders to underscore the need for reauthorization, the release stated.
“The Senate passed a bill to extend this vital program, and it’s shameful that Congress was sent home until September without first voting on it. On the first day of school, our kids will be returning to schools that are drastically reshaped, and in some cases not even their own due to closures,” Gluesenkamp Perez stated. “Frankly, folks in D.C. don’t know what it’s like to live in rural America or a timber community that has already faced decades of painful cuts to the basics. We love our land, we love our neighbors, and we love our heritage. We’re just urging our federal government to uphold its promise to our kids and to let us rebuild the self-sufficiency that comes with responsible stewardship of our woods.”
“Our students will have a very different year as they return in August. Gone are many staff members who made a difference in their lives and helped them thrive no matter their challenges. Many of the resources that supported their achievement and wellbeing have been cut or greatly reduced,” Dr. Ingrid L. Colvard, superintendent of the Stevenson-Carson School District, said. “Our students and community understand that the loss of SRS funds is responsible for many of these changes. They hold onto hope that our lawmakers will remember that their future is at stake and make these funds available without further delay.”
