I released the following statement today:

Rep. Carlyle Secures $1 million for McClure Middle School

Capital budget money to upgrade building’s energy efficiency

OLYMPIA – State Rep. Reuven Carlyle (D-Queen Anne) today announced that $1 million in state funds is on its way to McClure Middle School to upgrade the energy efficiency of the 1960s-era building. Carlyle inserted the funding in the $3.2 billion two-year capital budget approved by the Legislature and now awaiting the expected signature of Gov. Chris Gregoire.

“I am so excited that McClure—a school on the march with an exciting future—will receive a major energy efficiency upgrade that will save extraordinary amounts of money and energy while helping kids for years to come,” said Carlyle, a first-term legislator who succeeded 36-year veteran lawmaker Rep. Helen Sommers. “As a member of both the energy and education committees in the House, I feel strongly that retrofitting schools for efficiency is a win-win for taxpayers and kids. That’s why I worked so hard on this issue and feel so good about the outcome for the McClure community,” said Carlyle.

School Board President Michael DeBell said, “We’re grateful to Rep. Carlyle for securing state resources to renovate McClure Middle School and increase its energy efficiency. This is directly in line with our goal of resource conservation.”

He noted the School Board adopted the Natural Resources Conservation Policy on November 2006 and that this analysis will further the district’s natural resource conservation work, with the resulting renovations complementing the window and roof upgrades already scheduled for the school through the voter-approved BTA II levy.

McClure Middle School serves roughly 600 students in grades 6 through 8. The building dates from the early 1960s. In addition to undergoing a comprehensive energy audit, school officials hope to use the funding for new building enhancements that will improve the facility’s energy efficiency. It won’t address the full extent of the building’s structural needs, but the funding will go a long way toward identifying and solving some of the most critical issues, officials say.

The biggest portion of money in the state’s capital budget goes to education-related projects. A total of $877 million is set aside for public schools and skills centers across the state. The McClure funding is part of an Energy Savings Performance Contracting demonstration project, a program coordinated by the Washington State Department of General Administration. More information about the program is available at http://www.ga.wa.gov/EAS/epc/whatis.htm.

A resident of Queen Anne, Carlyle is the father of four children, three of whom attend the local public schools John Hay Elementary and Salmon Bay School. He represents the 36th Legislative District, encompassing Belltown, Ballard, Queen Anne, Magnolia and Interbay.