Senate OKs bill for graduating students to take bridge year

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington Senate has passed a bill that would allow high school students set to graduate this year or next to stay in school for a “bridge year” to catch up on learning and participate in missed extracurricular activities. The bill passed the chamber on a 32-17 vote Wednesday and now heads to the House for consideration. Under the proposal, students who’ve met graduation requirements could defer their graduation and pursue a bridge year. They also could retake classes and boost grades that may have faltered during the pandemic, and districts would be required to expunge any Ds or Fs from a student’s transcript if they get a higher grade in the same class during their bridge year.