Supporters of allowing charter schools in Washington state have raised nearly $2 million from a handful of high-profile donors and say they are poised to submit the needed 241,153 valid signatures by the Friday deadline.
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Sponsors of an initiative to allow charter schools in Washington say they have almost enough signatures to qualify for the ballot — a speedy effort aided by nearly $2 million in donations from a handful of high-profile supporters.
Shannon Campion, a spokeswoman for the initiative, said sponsors plan to submit more than the required 241,153 valid signatures by the Friday deadline, completing the well-funded signature scramble.
Bill Gates has personally donated more than $1 million to the initiative, while fellow Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has kicked in $100,000. Mike and Jackie Bezos, parents of Amazon executive Jeff Bezos, have contributed $450,000.
The money has helped pay professional signature-gatherers who have worked outside grocery stores, farmers markets and community festivals over the past three weeks — a short time frame paralleled recently only by last year's liquor-privatization initiative.
If the signature drive is successful, it would give voters a fourth shot at approving charter schools. Charters are free public schools that operate independently of traditional districts and are allowed to use unconventional techniques and hire nonunion teachers.
In the 41 states where they exist, charters have sometimes outperformed regular schools.
Shannon Campion, a spokeswoman for the initiative, said sponsors plan to submit more than the required 241,153 valid signatures by the Friday deadline, completing the well-funded signature scramble.
Bill Gates has personally donated more than $1 million to the initiative, while fellow Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has kicked in $100,000. Mike and Jackie Bezos, parents of Amazon executive Jeff Bezos, have contributed $450,000.
The money has helped pay professional signature-gatherers who have worked outside grocery stores, farmers markets and community festivals over the past three weeks — a short time frame paralleled recently only by last year's liquor-privatization initiative.
If the signature drive is successful, it would give voters a fourth shot at approving charter schools. Charters are free public schools that operate independently of traditional districts and are allowed to use unconventional techniques and hire nonunion teachers.
In the 41 states where they exist, charters have sometimes outperformed regular schools.