There are 20,000 open computing jobs in Washington state. And yet there were only 1,200 computer science graduates at the university level here last year. Only 260 high school girls took the Advanced Placement computer science exam last year, along with just 48 black or Hispanic students. In fact, AP computer science wasn’t even offered at 93 percent of the state’s high schools.

My students at Mariner High School in the Mukilteo School District are all MESA (Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement) students, meaning they all come from communities that have been historically underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. More than 75 percent of Mariner’s 2,000 students are low income. With a solid STEM education, they could be candidates for those thousands of computer science jobs.

That’s why the Senate needs to pass and fund House Bill 1813, which would expand access to computer science in Washington’s public schools. The bill would establish education standards for computer science and match private funding to train teachers, while prioritizing investments to reach underrepresented students first. If lawmakers commit $1 million per year to the computer science education grant program, which would be a public-private partnership, they will help enable every Washington school to teach computer science by 2025.

These ideas not only make sense — they’re widely supported by voters across the state. According to a recent poll by Washington STEM, 90 precent of voters support expanding the number of K-12 public schools that offer computer science classes and 91 percent support helping more K-12 teachers teach computer science by giving them training and a computer science curriculum.

When I teach algebra 2, I often use project-based learning approaches to help students see the real world application of what they are learning. I also try to expose them to as many new things as possible that will help prepare them for college and good opportunities and jobs after high school, like engineering and computer science.

So, when I had the opportunity two years ago to help Washington MESA pilot a new module to help my students learn how to create mobile applications, I jumped at the chance. Since most of my students don’t have computers at home, I worked with my principal to open up the computer lab on Saturdays so my students could have more time to finish their apps. And the students were so excited to show up at school, even on Saturdays.

Two years later, I’m teaching the apps module I helped pilot along with 21 other MESA teachers across the state. The students love making the apps, and the teachers are eager to learn and teach computer science.

But many of us in the classroom need greater support, particularly ongoing and high-quality professional development, and more technology. These needs are particularly acute in schools serving underrepresented students like mine. Even in a state like Washington that creates so many STEM jobs, students like mine will never be exposed to computer science unless we can expose them during the school day.

I’m excited to see House Bill 1813 address these challenges and give underrepresented students greater access to computer science in school. And I am thankful and encouraged that the bill overwhelmingly passed the House. On behalf of students and teachers across the state, I urge the Senate to pass the legislation and send it to the governor’s desk for approval. Supporting and funding this legislation is a critical investment in our young people’s future.

Auliilani De La Cruz is a certified math teacher at Mariner High School in the Mukilteo School District and the Washington MESA Teacher of Year.