The  small crowd gathered today to hear Gov. Jay Inslee outside the Highline Public Schools Transportation Facility in Burien, included Mercer Island School District Superintendent Gary Plano and School Board member, Pat Braman. Inslee came to speak to school leaders about his budget plan for schools.

“We need a different route,” he said at the news conference.

“We’ve got some great educators in our state. But if we’re going to allow these great educators to do their job, we’ve got to fulfill our constitutional duty of fully funding education.”

Inslee’s budget proposal would put down a downpayment of more than $1 billion to fund state education by closing outdated tax loopholes. A special session in Olympia is scheduled for May 13 to address various state issues, including education funding.

“I will not compromise on our obligation to provide a quality education to every single one of our children,” Inslee told the audience.

Including Mercer Island administrators, educators and superintendents from throughout the state attended the meeting.