Ballmer Group pledges up to 10,000 ECAP seats a year; state must pass legislation to receive funds

SEATTLE — The Ballmer Group pledged onstage at the Denise Louie Education Center to fund up to 10,000 new school-day seats in Washington’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program each year for the next decade, a philanthropic commitment officials said could amount to "about a $170,000,000 a year in new ECAP funding for the next decade." "We are committing to fund up to 10,000 new school day ECAP seats per year for the next 10 years," Andy Smith, Ballmer Group's Washington executive director, said at the Feb. 20 press event.

The gift is structured as a resource to the state, Ballmer Group officials said, and state leaders must still take formal steps before the money can be accepted and distributed. "We do need to go to the state legislature to get a piece of legislation adopted so we can receive these funds and move forward," Governor Bob Ferguson said, calling a…