Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Chehalis, recently toured Centralia schools to evaluate long-term facility needs and review past state-supported construction investments as part of the Washington Association of Maintenance and Operations Administrators’ 2025 legislative school visits.

The tour included Washington Elementary – a building district officials have identified as needing significant upgrades and replacement – and Fords Prairie Elementary, which opened in 2018 with support from the state School Construction Assistance Program, or SCAP.

Abbarno said seeing a modern school next to one that is decades overdue for upgrades highlights how strategic state investments impact students’ learning environments.

“A building like Fords Prairie shows what a modern learning space can offer students and teachers – better safety, improved technology capacity, and classrooms designed for today’s instructional needs,” said Abbarno, House Republican Caucus Chair. “Washington Elementary shows the other side of that coin – a facility that has served its community for years, but is now outdated, suffered flood damage, and remains susceptible to flood and earthquakes.”

He added that the visit underscored the importance of strong planning and collaboration moving forward.

“Centralia has done the hard work of building a long-term facilities plan, and that proactive approach is key to making smart decisions when we allocate state construction dollars,” Abbarno noted. “Our responsibility as lawmakers is to ensure districts like Centralia have a clear path forward – whether they’re modernizing a single building or preparing for a full campus replacement.”

The tour included representatives from WAMOA, OSPI, and statewide school facility and design groups, who provided additional context on maintenance, construction standards, and long-range planning.

Photo: Courtesy of The Chronicle

For more information on this visit, read the full article in The Chronicle