Apr 26, 2022 Board Meeting

[00:00:01]

ALL RIGHT. THIS REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING OF THE EDMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS CALLED TO ORDER.

[1. CALL TO ORDER-6:30 pm]

SO WE DEFINITELY HAVE A QUORUM.

[3. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT-6:33 pm]

BALDERAS TO PLEASE READ THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT FOR US.

THANK YOU, PRESIDENT KATIMS, WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF THIS PLACE, THE SNOHOMISH PEOPLE AND THEIR SUCCESSORS TO TULALIP TRIBES, WHO SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL HAVE TAKEN CARE OF, HUNTED, FISHED AND GATHERED ON THESE LANDS.

WE RESPECT THEIR SOVEREIGNTY, THEIR RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION, AND WE HONOR THEIR SACRED SPIRITUAL CONNECTION WITH THE LAND AND WATER.

BY ACKNOWLEDGING THESE HOMELANDS, WE COMMIT TO WORKING WITH TRIBAL NATIONS TO FURTHER THE EDUCATION AIMS THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED IN OUR CLASSROOMS AND IN OUR SCHOOLS.

THANK YOU. AND WOULD EVERYBODY, PLEASE RISE AND JOIN ME IN THE FLAG SALUTE.

[4. FLAG SALUTE-6:35 pm]

[5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA-6:37 pm]

DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE TONIGHT'S AGENDA AS PRESENTED? I MOVE TO APPROVE. I SECOND.

I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE IN A SECOND.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY.

ANY ABSTENTIONS? AND THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT IS ACCEPTED AS PRESENTED.

[6. SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS 6:40 pm]

SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JON STEWART, THE PRINCIPAL WHO CAN GET IT GOING.

THANK YOU FOR COMING.

GOOD EVENING, DR. BALDERAS, DIRECTOR KATIMS AND MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.

I AM JOHNNA STEWART AND I'VE BEEN THE PRINCIPAL AT BRIER ELEMENTARY FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WITH ME TONIGHT ARE TWO OF OUR FIFTH GRADERS.

MATHIAS [INAUDIBLE] AND BRANDON KOVAL, AND WE ARE PLEASED TO BE HERE THIS EVENING TO SHARE OUR LEARNING AND ACTION AT BRIER ELEMENTARY.

BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO THESE TWO FINE PEOPLE.

WE HAVE A VIDEO BECAUSE WE COULDN'T BRING ALL OF THE STUDENTS AT BRIER HERE WITH US TONIGHT.

SO WE BROUGHT THEM TO YOU VIA VIDEO.

[00:05:03]

AND I'M A TS.

WE ARE FIFTH GRADERS IN MISS GONZALES'S ROOM.

AND WE WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT PASSION PROJECTS.

OKAY. HI.

I'M BRENDAN, AND I'M MATTHIAS.

WE ARE FIFTH GRADERS IN MS. GONZALES'S ROOM. AND WE WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT PASSION PROJECTS.

WE WERE ABLE TO PICK OUR OWN TOPICS TO RESEARCH AND HOW TO PRESENT.

I REALLY LIKE BEING ABLE TO PICK MY OWN TOPIC RATHER THAN THE TEACHER PICKING IT.

I CHOOSE GOOGLE SLIDES AND OTHER CHOSE, MOVIE SKITS, SONG DEMONSTRATIONS AND [INAUDIBLE].

WE HAD OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM, BUT WE COULDN'T MAKE A PROPOSAL TO THE TEACHER WITH ANY IDEA WE WANTED.

ONCE WE HAD OUR TOPIC, WE SPENT TIME RESEARCHING IT AND WE TALKED ABOUT IDENTIFYING RELIABLE SOURCES AND SELECTING THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND WORKED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS APPROPRIATE FOR OUR AUDIENCE, WHICH INCLUDED YOUNGER STUDENTS.

AND MY TOPIC WAS LIVESTOCK, AND SOME INFORMATION I FOUND WAS GORY AND BLOODY.

I FELT THAT IT WASN'T APPROPRIATE FOR LITTLE KIDS, SO I DIDN'T PUT IT IN.

I AGREE WITH. I AGREE.

BUT HERE'S MY TOPIC WAS CARPENTER AND I HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO EXPLAIN HOW THEY STARTED THEIR COLONIES.

ONCE I HAD AN INFORMATION TO ABOUT MY TOPIC, I HAD TO WORK WITH IT AND SUMMARIZE IT IN MY OWN WORDS AND CITE SOURCES FOR OTHER RESEARCH AND NOTE TAKING PROCESS.

WE'VE CONFERENCE WITH OUR TEACHERS AND OUR OTHER CLASSMATES.

THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I USED GOOGLE SLIDES FOR A BIG PRESENTATION.

A TIP I LEARNED ABOUT PRESENTING WITH GOOGLE SLIDES.

AS YOU WRITE DOWN LESS, BUT YOU HAVE TO SAY MORE WHEN PRESENTING.

I CHOSE TO DO WEE VIDEO AND EDITED IT WITH VID.

WHEN SOMEONE CAME TO SEE MY PROJECT, I DID AN INTRODUCTION OF MYSELF AND GAVE INFORMATION ABOUT MY TOPIC AND I SHOWED MY VIDEO AND THEN ANSWERED SOME QUESTIONS. THEY LEAVE PRACTICE WITH THEIR PEERS AND GOT FEEDBACK ON HOW TO IMPROVE BEFORE WE PRESENTED IT TO OUR PASSION OUR PASSION PROJECT.

TO OTHER STUDENTS.

I HAD TO TALK FOR 6 HOURS BECAUSE WE PRESENTED SECOND FOR SIX.

[00:10:03]

ALL DAY PRESENTATIONS CAN BE EXHAUSTING.

MY FEET WERE REALLY TIRED.

I GREW FROM A [INAUDIBLE] IT WAS EXHAUSTING.

I DIDN'T LIKE TALKING IN FRONT OF PEOPLE, BUT THIS TAUGHT ME TO GET USED TO IT.

NOW I'M A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORTABLE TALKING.

I WANT TO DO MORE PASSION PROJECTS BECAUSE I GET TO LEARN ABOUT A TOPIC I'M INTERESTED IN.

I AGREE. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? THANK YOU GUYS, I HAVE A QUESTION.

SO, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU DOING SUCH A COMPLEX PROJECT AND ON A TOPIC THAT YOU'RE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT.

SO YOU WENT THROUGH ALL MANY STEPS.

YOU HAD TO THINK OF YOUR IDEA, DO YOUR RESEARCH, PUT IT TOGETHER INTO A PRESENTATION, GIVE YOUR PRESENTATION.

SO ALL OF THOSE PARTS OF THE WORK THAT YOU HAD TO DO.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART AND WHY? UH, FOR ME, IT WAS THE RESEARCH PART.

BECAUSE IT WAS THE PART WHERE WE ACTUALLY GOT TO LEARN STUFF AND IT WAS INTERESTING.

SAME AS MATHIAS.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECTS.

I'M SURE THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS WHO'D BE REALLY INTERESTED TO KNOW HOW CARPENTER ANTS DO BUILD THEIR NESTS, TOO.

I'M WONDERING, YOU USED GOOGLE SLIDES AND WE VIDEO WHEN YOU DID THE PRESENTATION, WERE YOU DOING THIS ON ZOOM OR WERE YOU DOING THIS IN THE CLASSROOM? IN THE CLASSROOM.

DO YOU THINK USING THE TECHNOLOGY, YOU COULD TAKE THAT TO DO PRESENTATIONS LIKE IN IN SPACES SUCH AS ZOOM? I'M NOT REALLY SURE ABOUT THAT.

ME NEITHER. BUT I BET YOU'RE GOING TO FIND THAT OUT SOON.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING AND SHARING WITH US.

AND IT SOUNDS LIKE ACROSS ALL OF THE GRADE LEVELS, THERE'S WONDERFUL THINGS GOING ON IN THE CLASSROOMS THERE AT BRIER.

SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.

I DO JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT BOTH OF THEM SPEAKING WAS NEW RIGHT.

AND HERE THEY ARE AT A BOARD MEETING TONIGHT.

SO DOESN'T THAT I MEAN, TALK ABOUT COURAGE AND LEARNING SKILLS? ABSOLUTELY. SO, JOHNNA.

AND NEXT, I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SHARE WITH US THE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.

I AM. THANK YOU.

SO. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO OUR PRIMARY FOCUS THAT WE CHOSE AT BRIER WAS TO REALLY FOCUS ON LITERACY THIS YEAR.

AS YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO READ AND COMPREHEND INFORMATION IS ESSENTIAL AND IT HAS SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON ALL OTHER ACADEMIC AREAS.

WE WERE KEENLY AWARE OF THE IMPACT THE COVID PANDEMIC HAS HAD ON STUDENT LEARNING, AND WE KNEW WE HAD GROUND TO MAKE UP.

WE HAVE USED IREADY DATA AS A KEY DATA POINT IN THE FALL.

50% OF OUR STUDENTS WERE AT OR ABOVE GRADE LEVEL, AND THAT BECAME OUR BASELINE.

WE SET A GOAL OF A MINIMUM OF 75% OF OUR STUDENTS REACHING STANDARD BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

BUT OF COURSE, OUR TRUE GOAL IS 100%.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

IN ADDITION TO OUR REGULAR TEACHING PRACTICES, WE WORKED HARD TO BE AS CREATIVE AS POSSIBLE TO IMPLEMENT ADDITIONAL INTERVENTIONS.

SOME KEY MOVES WERE REVIEWING THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT DATA TO DETERMINE NECESSARY INTERVENTIONS.

USING CERTIFICATED STAFF WHO HAD STUDENT TEACHERS TO RUN ADDITIONAL INTERVENTION GROUPS WHEN STUDENT TEACHERS WERE RUNNING THE CLASSROOM.

OUR CLASSROOM TEACHERS IDENTIFIED KEY AREAS TO TARGET AND OUR LIBRARY MUSIC AND PE SPECIALIST WORK TO IMPLEMENT AND OR REINFORCE THIS LEARNING IN THEIR LESSONS.

WE HAVE A VERY SMALL PARA GROUP AT BRIER ELEMENTARY, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO SQUEEZE OUT AN HOUR A DAY OF EXTRA INTERVENTIONS THE PAIRS WERE ABLE TO DELIVER OR TO HELP DELIVER, AND WE ADJUSTED THE INTERVENTIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR BASED ON THE ASSESSMENT DATA.

[00:15:05]

AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE, WE USED A VARIETY OF ASSESSMENT DATA TO INFORM OUR OUR PRACTICE.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

OUR FALL TO WINTER IREADY DATA AND IREADY DATA IN FOR WINTER WAS IN JANUARY SHOWS GROWTH.

WE HAVE MOVED FROM 50% TO 68% OF STUDENTS BEING AT OR ABOVE GRADE LEVEL.

WE HAVE MOVED FROM 16% BEING TWO OR MORE GRADE LEVELS BELOW TO 8%, AND WE SAW 11 TO 22% GROWTH IN ALL SPECIAL CATEGORIES DATA EXCEPT FOR TWO.

AND THE WAY I BREAK THAT DOWN, EVERYBODY BREAKS IT DOWN DIFFERENTLY.

BUT TWO OF 14 CATEGORIES AND THIS INCLUDES RACE, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, SPECIAL ED AND GENDER.

DUE TO THE SIZE OF BRIER AND OUR DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION BEING EASILY IDENTIFIED, I'M NOT GOING TO IDENTIFY THE TWO GROUPS TONIGHT.

WHILE WE ARE HAPPY WITH OUR PROGRESS, WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH OURSELVES TO ADDRESS THE LEARNING GAPS THAT STILL EXIST.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

THIS VISUAL ENVISION TWO MIXING CUPS AND AND THE BALL.

RIGHT, THE RIGHT PROPORTIONS FOR EACH PERSON.

SO THE OTHER PIECE THAT I WANT TO SHARE ABOUT OUR WORK AT BRIER ELEMENTARY IS OUR FOCUS ON ADDRESSING THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF STUDENTS.

IN ADDITION TO THEIR ACADEMIC NEEDS.

WE WORK HARD TO INFUSE INTENTIONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING THROUGHOUT OUR PRACTICE, AS WE BELIEVE THAT WHEN STUDENTS FEEL SAFE AT SCHOOL, WHEN THEY HAVE STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH STAFF AND WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND WHEN THEY KNOW THEY BELONG AND THEY ARE IMPORTANT ACADEMIC PROGRESS IMPROVES.

THIS IS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR WORK.

WE CANNOT TALK ABOUT ACADEMIC GOALS AND PROGRESS WITHOUT HONORING THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WORK.

I HOPE THIS INFORMATION GIVES YOU A LITTLE SNAPSHOT ABOUT THE WAY THAT WE WORK TO PUT OUR LEARNING INTO ACTION AT BRIER ELEMENTARY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, JOHNNA.

ARE THERE QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? DEBORAH, I HAVE A QUESTION.

IF YOU COULD GIVE SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW YOU USE RESTORATIVE DISCIPLINE? [INAUDIBLE] YES.

SO THAT IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE ADDRESS SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING AT BRIER IS WE TRY TO BASE OUR DISCIPLINE ON RESTORATIVE PRACTICES.

AND ESSENTIALLY THAT IS BECAUSE DISCIPLINE IS ABOUT TEACHING AND LEARNING.

KIDS ARE SUPPOSED TO MAKE MISTAKES.

AND THE JOB IS, IS THAT WE HAVE TO HELP THEM LEARN FROM THOSE MISTAKES.

AND SO AN EXAMPLE ABOUT THAT IS WHEN I HAVE TO TALK WITH A KID ABOUT DISCIPLINE.

RIGHT. A BEHAVIOR ISSUE.

WHAT WHAT WAS THE MISTAKE? WHAT WAS THE HARM THAT WAS DONE? WHAT WAS THE IMPACT THAT HAD ON SOMEONE ELSE? WHAT'S THE IMPACT ON THEM NOW? AND HOW DO WE REPAIR THE HARM? RIGHT. WE CAN'T TAKE AWAY WE CAN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED.

BUT WE CAN BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT HOW WE'RE REPAIRING THE HARM, WHETHER THAT'S A HARM WITH A RELATIONSHIP OR THE IMPACT OF A WHOLE CLASSROOM.

AND SO IT'S REALLY A LOT OF INTENTIONAL CONVERSATIONS, AND IT'S ALSO THE PIECE AROUND HOW DO THE CONSEQUENCES MATCH THE ACTION, RIGHT? AND SO IT'S HARD TO LIKE THINK OF A SPECIFIC EXAMPLES ON THE SPOT, BUT.

IT'S REALLY ABOUT LIKE IF SOMEONE CALLS A MEAN NAME, THEN IT MAY BE THAT WE'RE PULLING IF BOTH KIDS AGREE, LIKE WE PULL THE KIDS TOGETHER AND WE TALK ABOUT THIS AS THIS IS HOW IT HURT ME.

THIS IS WHAT I NEED FROM YOU TO MAKE IT BETTER.

RIGHT. AND SO IT'S REALLY HAVING THOSE INTENTIONAL CONVERSATIONS.

AND THAT'S ONE ASPECT OF THAT CONTINUUM, RIGHT? BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PRE TEACHING OF BEHAVIORS AND ROUTINES AND EXPECTATIONS TO REALLY LAUNCH THE FOUNDATION OF THAT WORK AS WELL.

THANK YOU. THIS ISN'T AS MUCH A QUESTION AS A COMMENT.

I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT I FIND YOUR IREADY SCORES TO BE ACTUALLY PRETTY IMPRESSIVE WHEN YOU LOOK AT BASICALLY HALF OF THE KIDS STARTING BELOW GRADE LEVEL AND TO GET ALMOST HALF OF THEM, IT LOOKS LIKE ON TRACK OR AHEAD WHEN YOU DID IT AGAIN IN THE WINTER.

SO I'LL BE INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT YOUR SPRING NUMBERS SHOW, BUT I THINK THAT REALLY SHOWS THAT YOUR STAFF IS DOING A LOT OF REALLY GOOD WORK THERE.

I CAN DEFINITELY SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE.

TRYING TO GET THOSE KIDS UP TO GRADE LEVEL HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT THIS YEAR.

SO I'M ACTUALLY JUST LOOKING AT THESE JUST VERY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING THERE.

THANK YOU. I'M INCREDIBLY PROUD OF THE TEAM THAT I WORK WITH BECAUSE IT IS A VERY DEDICATED TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS WHO REALLY PUSH THEMSELVES TO DO

[00:20:07]

AND WHEN I SAY WE'RE NOT DONE YET, WE'RE NOT SATISFIED WITH 68%.

WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, SO WE'VE GOT WORK TO DO AND WE'VE GOT ABOUT EIGHT WEEKS TO DO IT IN.

EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT'S IMPRESSIVE WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING AND I THANK YOU FOR BRINGING STUDENTS ALSO.

THANK YOU, STUDENTS, FOR COMING TOO.

THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING US.

SO I HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION.

I ECHO EVERYTHING THEY SAY.

GREAT JOB. GREAT JOB, STUDENTS.

GREAT JOB FACULTY AND STAFF.

I'M CURIOUS, BASED ON YOUR MID-YEAR REVIEW, ARE YOU MAKING SOME ADJUSTMENTS IN YOUR STRATEGIES THAT YOU'RE USING FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR, AND IF SO, IN WHAT WAY? YEAH, WE LOOKED AT THE MID-YEAR DATA POINTS AND THEN READJUSTED THE LEARNING GROUPS AND THE EXTRA INTERVENTION GROUPS TO MAKE SURE WE WERE TARGETING STUDENTS WHO NEEDED IT AT THAT POINT IN TIME.

AND SO FOR US, THAT'S BEEN A BIG PIECE AS BEING ABLE TO USE THESE EXTRA INTERVENTION TIMES THAT WE WERE ABLE TO CRAFT.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE PIECE THAT I MENTIONED ABOUT SPECIALISTS IMPLEMENTING IT IN THEIR PRACTICE, THAT WAS DONE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, BUT IT WAS ALSO DONE AT THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR. SO REALLY TRYING TO KEEP THAT CONVERSATION GOING ABOUT WHAT STUDENTS NEED IN ADDITION TO GOING INTO CONVERSATIONS NOW.

NOT TO STRESS ANYBODY OUT, BUT THERE'S ONLY EIGHT WEEKS OF SCHOOL LEFT.

AND IN OUR WORLD, THAT'S NOT VERY MUCH TIME.

RIGHT. AND SO REALLY THINKING ABOUT, OKAY, WHAT IS THAT PROGRESS THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE REALLY IN THE NEXT SIX WEEKS? RIGHT. AND SO TARGETING OUR FOCUS THERE AND HOW DO WE ALSO HELP REACH OUT TO FAMILIES FOR THE SUMMER WILL BE ON THAT NEXT PIECE.

SO THOSE ARE SOME PIECES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FROM MIDYEAR AND AS WE APPROACH THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.

THAT SOUNDS GOOD AND GOOD LUCK ON GETTING ALL THAT DONE BECAUSE I KNOW YOU GET NEAR THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, IT'S HARDER TO KEEP.

YOU GUYS STAY FOCUSED AND KEEP ALL YOUR FRIENDS FOCUSED TOO, TO THE VERY END.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THAT.

YOU ALL OF WHAT YOU DO.

WE APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS OUR SUPERINTENDENT REPORT, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO

[7. SUPERINTENDENT REPORT-7:00 pm]

I THANK YOU AND I'LL BE BRIEF. JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS THAT HAD OCCURRED OR WILL OCCUR.

WE HAD A STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE LAST WEEK THAT WAS REALLY GREAT TO SEE 275 KIDS GET TOGETHER.

ISABELLA HAD A LITTLE LEAD ON THAT AS WELL.

ONE OF OUR STUDENT ADVISORS REALLY WANT TO THANK DR.

VERGARA AND HIS DEPARTMENT FOR THE WORK AND BROUGHT IN COMMUNITY AND A LOT OF GREAT NETWORKING FOR KIDS, BUT JUST REALLY INSPIRATIONAL.

SO WE HAD THAT IN DOWNTOWN EDMONDS.

IT WAS JUST A REALLY GOOD DAY.

THE SPRING SPORTS ARE IN FULL SEASON, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO IN TERMS OF BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, TRACK AND FIELD AND TENNIS AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF. SO YOU'RE YOU'RE GOING TO GET SOME KID FIX.

JUST GO TO ONE OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS OR MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND JUST WATCH KIDS PERFORM OTHER THAN IN THE CLASSROOM, SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR KIDS TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN ATHLETICS AND ACTIVITIES.

WHAT WE SAW TODAY WAS THE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PROCESS THAT'S BEEN CHANGED OVER THE TIME THAT'S BEEN HERE.

SO WE WANT TO THANK OUR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT TEAM THAT A LOT OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE IN THE BACK, IN THE VERY BACK THAT HELPED WITH THAT PROCESS IN TERMS OF CONTINUING TO REFINE HOW WE WORK WITH OUR SCHOOLS TO BE MORE IMPACTFUL AND FOCUS, AND ALSO WORKING WITH OUR SCHOOL LEADERS IN TERMS OF JUST ENSURING THAT WE'RE COLLABORATING WITH EACH OTHER.

I MEAN, THE ONE THING THAT EDUCATION WHEN I FIRST STARTED 30 PLUS YEARS AGO, IT WAS A VERY ISOLATED PROFESSION WHERE YOU WERE IN YOU'RE IN YOUR CLASSROOM DOOR SHUT AND NO ONE EVER CAME IN.

AND THAT'S CHANGED OVER THE TIME AND FOR THE POSITIVE, WHERE THERE WAS A LOT MORE POSITIVE FEEDBACK.

AND JUST AGAIN, WE WANT OUR TEACHERS TO GET BETTER AND OUR PRINCIPALS TO GET BETTER.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO.

ALSO, WE'LL LET THE BOARD KNOW THAT WE HAVE OUR STRATEGIC PLAN THAT'S CONTINUE TO BE REFINED.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SESSION THIS FRIDAY WITH STAFF TO COME UP WITH MORE METRICS THAT I KNOW THAT WILL PRESENT TO THE BOARD, HOPEFULLY NEXT MONTH.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD'S BEEN ASKING FOR.

SO HOPEFULLY HAVE A STEADY SESSION FOR THE BOARD IN TERMS OF REVIEWING THOSE AND GET YOUR INPUT AS WE CONTINUE THAT PROCESS.

[00:25:02]

WE HOPE TO BRING THOSE KIDS BACK.

BUT IN OUR BUDGET AND OUR BUDGET PROJECTIONS, PROJECTIONS, WE'RE STILL SHORT SOME STUDENTS.

AND AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S NATIONWIDE OVER WITH COVID ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THERE IS ABOUT 3 MILLION KIDS ACROSS THE U.S.

THAT LEFT PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

SO SOMETHING THAT WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO BRING THESE KIDS BACK.

I KNOW SOME OF THE YOUNGEST LEARNERS STAYED HOME, ALMOST LIKE A REVERSE GAP YEAR, REVERSE GAP HERE FOR OUR KIDS AND HOPE TO BRING THOSE KIDS BACK AND BE ABLE TO GET THEM IN OUR, YOU KNOW, IN FRONT OF GREAT TEACHERS AND GREAT SCHOOLS AS YOU SAW BRIER TODAY.

SO THANK YOU, PRESIDENT KATIMS AND REST OF THE BOARD.

THANK YOU, DR.

BALDERAS. AND COULD SOMEONE IN THE BACK MAYBE JUST CLOSE THE DOOR AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT AMBIENT NOISE? YES.

[8. APPROVAL OF MINUTES-7:05 pm]

THE FIRST ONE IS APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 12TH REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING.

DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE? I MOVED TO A PROOF SECOND.

I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 12TH REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY.

ANY ABSTENTIONS.

AND THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 12TH REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING ARE APPROVED.

THE SECOND IS THE MINUTES, IS A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 29TH SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD.

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? I MOVED TO APPROVE. SECOND, I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 29TH SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY.

ANY ABSTENTIONS, AND THE MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 29TH SPECIAL SESSION PASS ARE APPROVED.

[9. CONSENT AGENDA-7:10 pm]

TONIGHT, WE HAVE SEVEN ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

THREE OF THEM ARE FOR FIELD TRIPS FOR OUR STUDENTS.

THREE OF THEM ARE RELATED TO PERSONNEL, AND ONE OF THEM IS OUR MONTHLY BILLS AND VOUCHERS FOR THE LAST MONTH. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR TONIGHT? SO MOVED. SECONDI HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR TONIGHT.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR THE NIGHT.

PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY.

ANY ABSTENTIONS.

AND THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR TONIGHT IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED.

[10. PUBLIC COMMENTS-7:20 pm]

THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION OF THE AGENDA IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS TO ADDRESS THE SCHOOL BOARD.

ITEMS BROUGHT FORWARD DURING THIS PORTION OF THE MEETING ARE NOT TYPICALLY ACTED UPON BY THE BOARD AT THIS TIME, BUT MAY BE FOLLOWED UP BY THE BOARD, THE SUPERINTENDENT AND OR STAFF AT A LATER TIME.

THOSE SUBMITTING PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR BOARD MEETING ARE ALLOWED TO GIVE THEIR COMMENT IN ACTUALLY THREE DIFFERENT WAYS.

ONE IS IN PERSON, ONE IS VIRTUALLY, OR PEOPLE CAN SUBMIT A WRITTEN COMMENT THAT IS THEN ATTACHED TO THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING.

THE BOARD ALSO ACCEPTS WRITTEN COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS AT ANY TIME THROUGH EMAIL AS WELL.

WE READ EACH COMMENT AND EMAIL WE RECEIVE AND WE APPRECIATE THE TIME AND EFFORT THAT IT TAKES FOR THOSE WHO WRITE THEM.

WHILE WE [INAUDIBLE] PUBLIC COMMENTS, PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO 3 MINUTES.

IF A COMMENT BECOMES TOO LENGTHY, WE MAY NEED TO INTERRUPT IN ORDER TO ALLOW EACH PERSON EQUAL TIME.

WE ALSO ASK THAT THOSE WHO ARE MAKING A PUBLIC COMMENT DURING A BOARD MEETING TO PLEASE MAKE THEIR STATEMENTS IN A CIVIL MANNER.

[00:30:06]

ONE VIRTUAL COMMENT AND THEN WE HAVE, I BELIEVE, FIVE WRITTEN COMMENTS.

SO FOR THE IN-PERSON COMMENTS, WHICH WE DO, FIRST, BECAUSE YOU TOOK THE TIME AND EFFORT TO COME, WHICH WE APPRECIATE.

THE FIRST PERSON IS REBECCA CANALE.

DID I SAY THAT CORRECTLY? OKAY, REBECCA.

HELLO. MY NAME IS REBECCA.

THIS IS CHRISTY AND TINA.

AND WE ARE INTENSIVE SUPPORT PEER EDUCATORS AT MAPLEWOOD.

I RECENTLY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE OUR CONCERNS AT A SMALL LISTENING SESSION WITH OUR ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT AND WANT TO SHARE THOSE CONCERNS WITH THE WIDER EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMUNITY.

BEFORE I BEGIN, I WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT OUR PRINCIPAL IS A WONDERFUL ADVOCATE FOR US AND IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS SITUATION.

SHE SUPPORTS US IN EVERY WAY SHE CAN, BUT SHE CANNOT FIX THESE PROBLEMS FOR US.

THEY MUST BE ADDRESSED AT A HIGHER LEVEL.

WE DON'T WANT HER OR ANYONE ELSE WHO IS TRYING TO SUPPORT US TURNED INTO A SCAPEGOAT.

WE WANT A MEANINGFUL RESPONSE AND WE WANT TO SEE CHANGE.

OUR MOST PRESSING CONCERN IS THE LACK OF SUPPORT WHEN WE ARE SHORT STAFFED, WHICH IS A CONSTANT ISSUE.

MAPLEWOOD HAS HAD OVER 100 UNFILLED SUBSTITUTE PARA POSITIONS THIS YEAR.

THIS IS AN ALMOST DAILY OCCURRENCE THAT IS UNSAFE FOR BOTH STUDENTS AND STAFF.

LET ME EXPLAIN WHY.

THE CLASSROOM WE WORK IN AND THE ROOM NEXT DOOR HAVE MEDICALLY FRAGILE STUDENTS WHO REQUIRE A LOT OF PHYSICAL SUPPORT AND SUPERVISION IN ADDITION TO THEIR ACADEMIC NEEDS.

WE HAVE STUDENTS WITH LIFE THREATENING SEIZURE DISORDERS WHO REQUIRE FULL TIME SUPERVISION IN CASE THEY HAVE A SEIZURE.

WE HAVE CHILDREN IN OUR ROOMS WHO STOP BREATHING UNEXPECTEDLY AND WHO HAVE CHOKED ON THEIR OWN SALIVA.

THESE STUDENTS HAVE ONE ON ONE SUPERVISION WRITTEN INTO THEIR CARE PLANS TO KEEP THEM SAFE WHILE THEY ARE AT SCHOOL.

IN ADDITION, WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO HAVE RUN FROM THE CLASSROOM AND TRIED TO LEAVE SCHOOL AND STUDENTS WHO COULD HURT THEMSELVES OR ANOTHER STUDENT IF NOT PROPERLY SUPERVISED.

WHEN WE ARE UNDERSTAFFED, WE HAVE TO MAKE AWFUL CHOICES.

DO I STAY WITH A STUDENT IN A WHEELCHAIR WHO I AM SUPPOSED TO BE MONITORING FOR SEIZURES OR GO AFTER THE CHILD WHO JUST SLIPPED THROUGH THE GATE AND IS RUNNING TOWARD THE PARKING LOT? IT IS DANGEROUS WHEN OUR PROGRAMS ARE SHORT STAFFED AND THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES ARE FRIGHTENING.

A FEW YEARS AGO IN FLORIDA, A STUDENT WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE FULL TIME PARA SUPPORT CHOKED TO DEATH ON HIS LUNCH BECAUSE HIS PERIL WAS ASSISTING ANOTHER STUDENTS.

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WAS ORDERED TO PAY THE FAMILY $2 MILLION BECAUSE THE STUDENT DIED DUE TO NEGLIGENCE.

WE HAVE HAD CLOSE CALLS LIKE THAT SITUATION AT MAPLEWOOD.

WE MUST TAKE OUR STUDENTS HEALTH CONCERNS AND OUR PROGRAM STAFFING NEEDS SERIOUSLY.

OUR STUDENTS NEED AND DESERVE TO BE TAUGHT, SUPERVISED, FED AND TAKEN TO THE RESTROOM ON A PREDICTABLE SCHEDULE, REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF STAFF WE HAVE AVAILABLE.

EVEN OUR PROGRAMS THAT ARE FULLY STAFFED ARE ONLY ADEQUATELY STAFFED ON PAPER.

IN OUR OWN CLASSROOM, WE HAVE MANY ESSENTIAL TWO PERSON DUTIES LIKE MOVING STUDENTS IN AND OUT OF THEIR WHEELCHAIRS FOR TOILETING AND PHYSICAL THERAPY, BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS AND GRAVITY TUBE FEEDINGS.

AND OUR FIVE STAFF MEMBERS NEED A TOTAL OF FOUR AND A HALF HOURS FOR BREAKS AND PLANNING TIME.

SO EVEN WHEN WE ARE FULLY STAFFED, WE RARELY HAVE ENOUGH ADULTS IN THE ROOM WHEN SOMEONE IS ABSENT WITHOUT A SUB, IT CAN BE CATASTROPHIC, SEVERELY IMPACTING BOTH THE SAFETY OF THE ROOM AND THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.

WE'VE HAD DAYS WHERE WE WERE DOWN TO TWO PARAS IN OUR ROOM.

THE TEACHER AND THE OTHER TWO PAIRS WERE OUT WITHOUT SUBS, AND SOME PARENTS CHOSE TO KEEP THEIR STUDENTS HOME RATHER THAN SEND THEM TO SCHOOL BECAUSE WE LITERALLY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH STAFF TO CHANGE THEIR CHILD'S DIAPERS.

THIS IS NEGLIGENT, UNSAFE AND UNFAIR TO OUR STUDENTS.

IT STARTS WITH A TIMER GOES.

IS IT CHRIS? ARE YOU CHRIS? YES. THANK YOU, CHRIS.

YOU. THIS IS UNFAIR TO OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

IT IS ILLEGAL AND I BELIEVE IMMORAL TO FAIL TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH ONE ON ONE PARA SUPPORT WHEN IT IS WRITTEN INTO THEIR IEPS.

THE INDIVIDUALS OF DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT IS SUPPOSED TO ENSURE THAT CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES HAVE ACCESS TO A FREE AND APPROPRIATE PUBLIC EDUCATION.

IF A STUDENT CANNOT COME TO SCHOOL BECAUSE WE CANNOT EVEN CHANGE THEIR DIAPERS, LET ALONE EDUCATE THEM, WE ARE VIOLATING THEIR RIGHTS.

THIS IS NOT WHAT EQUALITY LOOKS LIKE.

HOW WOULD YOU PARENTS WHO ARE LISTENING FEEL IF YOU KNEW THAT YOUR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS HAD TO STAY IN DURING RECESS BECAUSE WE COULDN'T SAFELY TAKE THEM

[00:35:01]

IN THE PAST, WHEN WE WERE WHEN WE COULD NOT SAFELY STOP OUR CLASSROOM, OUR TEACHER COULD CALL A SPECIAL ED MANAGER AND ONE OF THE DISTRICT FLOATS WOULD BE SENT TO KEEP OUR ROOM GOING. THESE DISTRICT FLOATS WERE PARAS WHO KNEW OUR CLASSROOMS AND HAD EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH STUDENTS WITH DIFFICULT BEHAVIORS AND PHYSICAL NEEDS. THESE DISTRICT FLOATS NO LONGER EXIST.

AND WE NEED THEM BACK DESPERATELY.

OUR CLASSROOMS CANNOT SAFELY FUNCTION WITHOUT ENOUGH STAFF.

HOW MANY DAILY UNFILLED ABSENCES HAVE THERE BEEN ACROSS THE DISTRICT THIS YEAR? AND BECAUSE OF THIS, HOW MANY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES HAVE BEEN MISSED? HOW MANY PREVENTABLE INJURIES HAVE HAPPENED? WE HAVE SOME OF THE MOST DIFFICULT JOBS IN THE DISTRICT.

DURING OUR REGULAR DUTIES, WE ARE BIT BRUISED, SCRATCHED, STRANGLED, GROPED AND ASSAULTED.

SOME OF US HAVE HAD OUR NOSES BROKEN.

OUR HEARING IS DAMAGED BY SCREAMING, OUR HAIR IS RIPPED OUT.

WE TEAR MUSCLES, STRAIN OUR BACKS AND EVEN BREAK BONES WHILE DOING OUR JOB.

WE GO HOME AND TAKE IBUPROFEN, AND PASS OUT BECAUSE WE'RE EXHAUSTED.

WE GET UP, TAKE SOME MORE IBUPROFEN AND GO BACK TO WORK.

MANY OF US SPEND OUR OWN PERSONAL TIME GOING TO PHYSICAL THERAPY TO HAVE WORKPLACE INJURIES TREATED AND SPEND OUR OWN MONEY ON MASSAGE THERAPY TO HELP MANAGE PAIN LEVELS SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK.

TWO OF US ARE CURRENTLY INJURED AND IN PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR WORKPLACE INJURIES, BUT THEY KEEP SHOWING UP BECAUSE THERE'S NO ONE TO TAKE THEIR PLACE.

WE DO THIS JOB BECAUSE WE LOVE IT.

WE LOVE OUR STUDENTS.

WE LOVE CELEBRATING THEIR HARD WON SUCCESSES.

WE LOVE WORKING WITH OUR WONDERFUL IS TEAM.

THE HUMOR AND LOVE THAT OUR STUDENTS BRING TO US EVERY DAY IS WONDERFUL.

WE ARE SO PROUD OF THEM WHEN THEY BEGIN RESPONDING TO OUR BEHAVIOR PLANS AND LEARNING HOW TO MANAGE YOUR FEELINGS.

WE CHEER THEM UP WHEN THEY BEGIN TO LEARN NEW SKILLS.

I FINISHED. TINA, GO AHEAD.

THANK YOU. WE CHEER THEM UP WHEN THEY BEGIN TO LEARN NEW SKILLS, BUT IT IS ALSO REALLY HARD AND OFTEN HEARTBREAKING.

WE DO THIS DIFFICULT WORK BECAUSE WE CARE DEEPLY AND WANT OUR STUDENTS TO BE SAFE AND HAPPY, CARED FOR AND EDUCATED.

WE DON'T JUST TEACH ACADEMICS.

WE TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO COMMUNICATE, MAKE FRIENDS, PLAY, AND HAVE APPROPRIATE SOCIAL INTERACTION.

WE'VE TAUGHT KIDS HOW TO WALK, HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN BODIES, AND HOW TO USE THE BATHROOM INDEPENDENTLY.

WE FOLLOW PLANS LAID OUT BY TEACHERS, PARENTS, DOCTORS, NURSES, PHYSICAL THERAPISTS, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS, SPEECH THERAPISTS, BEHAVIORAL SPECIALISTS WE ADMINISTER TO FEEDINGS, MONITOR FOR SEIZURES, GIVE EMERGENCY SEIZURE MEDS AND EPIPEN INJECTIONS.

WE USE SUCTION MACHINES TO CLEAR AIRWAYS.

WE CHANGE DIAPERS AND CLEAN BODIES.

ALL OF THESE THINGS MUST HAPPEN DAILY, SO SUPPORT IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.

ON DAYS, WE ARE SHORT STAFFED.

OUR STUDENTS DESERVE A SAFE, CARING, HIGH QUALITY LEARNING ENVIRONMENT TO THRIVE IN.

THEY STRUGGLE AND WORK SO HARD FOR EVERY BIT OF PROGRESS THEY MAKE.

THEY DESERVE THE EQUITY, ENGAGEMENT AND EXCELLENCE OUR DISTRICT PROMISES RIGHT ON OUR HOME PAGE.

THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE WHEN WE ARE CHRONICALLY UNDERSTAFFED.

IF YOU STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DO, TAKE OUR NEXT UNFILLED STAFF SUB POSITION.

THERE WILL BE ONE TOMORROW.

SPEND THE DAY WITH US, MEET OUR WONDERFUL STUDENTS, AND SEE THE EXCELLENT WORK THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO.

SHOW THE SAME DEDICATION TO THESE STUDENTS THAT WE DO.

TREAT THEM LIKE THEY ARE AND HAVE VALUE AND DESERVE TO LEARN IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT, JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER STUDENT IN THE DISTRICT. IF OUR PAY WAS ADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR HOW HARD WE WORK.

THE TOLL AND THE TOLL THIS JOB TAKES ON US.

WE WOULD NOT BE SHORT STAFFED.

THINK ABOUT THIS.

A STARTING TEACHER WILL MAKE AT LEAST $69,000 A YEAR AND CAN MAKE UP TO $125,000 A YEAR WITH THE RIGHT EXPERIENCE IN EDUCATION.

SPECIAL ED PARAS START AT ABOUT $30,000 A YEAR.

IF A PARENT HAS ONE CHILD TO SUPPORT, THEY QUALIFY FOR FOOD STAMPS ON THAT INCOME.

WOULD ANY OF YOU SIGN UP FOR THAT JOB I JUST DESCRIBED FOR THAT PAY? IF WE CAN MANAGE TO STAY AT OUR JOBS FOR 20 YEARS, WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING AS MUCH AS 35,000 A YEAR.

[00:40:06]

WE HAVE BEEN TOLD TO EXPECT A CONTINUED SUBSTITUTE SHORTAGE THIS NEXT YEAR.

WE CANNOT FUNCTION LIKE THIS.

WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THERE'S NO FUNDING TO GIVE US THE PAY INCREASE WE DESERVE.

UNTIL YOU CAN PAY US A LIVING WAGE, YOU WILL ALWAYS STRUGGLE TO FILL POSITIONS AND WILL CONTINUE TO LOSE VALUABLE STAFF WHO CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO STAY.

OUR PAYCHECK SHOULD COMMUNICATE RESPECT FOR THE DIFFICULT AND HIGHLY SPECIALIZED WORK THAT WE DO.

OUR UNION IS IN BARGAINING RIGHT NOW, AND IT IS TIME TO TREAT US LIKE THE VITAL PART OF EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT FAMILY THAT WE ARE.

THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO NEED TO ASK YOU TO FINISH IN ONE SENTENCE, PLEASE.

OUR. SIR.

OUR DISTRICT PROMISES EQUITY, ENGAGEMENT AND EXCELLENCE, AND WE CAN'T EVEN GUARANTEE HAVING ENOUGH STAFF TO TAKE OUR STUDENTS TO THE RESTROOM.

WE CAN AND MUST DO BETTER.

[APPLAUSE] I WANT TO THANK THE THREE OF YOU AND ALL YOUR COLLEAGUES FOR THE VALUABLE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO FOR OUR STUDENTS.

THE NEXT PERSON WHO IS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK IN PERSON IS TONY SHAPIRO.

GOOD EVENING. I'LL TRY TO GET THE MIC RIGHT THIS TIME.

LAST TIME IT WAS.

IT DIDN'T WORK PROPERLY, BUT I HOPE I'M COMING THROUGH NOW.

GOOD EVENING. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE I WOULD LIKE TO POSE A FEW QUESTIONS TO THE BOARD REGARDING SPECIFIC LEGISLATION THAT IS GOING TO TAKE EFFECT THIS JULY.

I'M REFERRING SPECIFICALLY TO HOUSE BILL 1901, PASSED BY BOTH HOUSES AND SIGNED INTO LAW BY THE GOVERNOR IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS.

BEING IN THE EDUCATION ARENA.

I PRESUME YOU ALL ARE AWARE OF THIS BILL AND PERHAPS YOU MIGHT ENLIGHTEN THE PUBLIC AS TO YOUR INDIVIDUAL POSITIONS AND PERHAPS EVEN A BOARD POSITION ON THIS BILL.

FOR THOSE OF US OUTSIDE THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, HOWEVER, THIS LEGISLATION MAKES IT ILLEGAL FOR PARENTS TO SAY ANYTHING CONTRARY TO THEIR CHILDREN IN THE PRIVACY OF THEIR HOME. REGARDING SOCIAL ISSUES TAUGHT IN OUR SCHOOLS, LIKE A BOY CAN BECOME A GIRL BY CHOICE.

THE FACT THAT ANY HUMAN BEING BEING ENDOWED WITH AN X Y CHROMOSOME WILL NEVER GIVE BIRTH TO A BABY IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE TO ANY PERSON WITH A MODICUM OF SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING.

YET IT LEADS ONE TO BELIEVE THAT EVEN THIS LEVEL OF SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING IS NOT BEING TAUGHT TO OUR CHILDREN.

THIS LAW CAN CAUSE ME AS A PARENT TO BE THROWN OUT OF MY HOUSE FOR A YEAR OR MORE.

ONCE CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES IS INFORMED BY THE SCHOOL AND THEN BROUGHT BEFORE A JUDGE WHO CAN THEN RULE, I BROKE THIS LAW SOLELY FOR STATING THE SCIENTIFIC FACT TO MY CHILD.

THIS LEADS ME TO A SECOND QUESTION REGARDING THE CREATION OF HEALTH CLINICS WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS, WHICH IS ON YOUR AGENDA TONIGHT AND IS IN THE FUNDING PROCESS TO BE INSTALLED AT MEADOW DALE HIGH SCHOOL.

WHAT ARE THE DIRE HEALTH NEEDS THAT OUR STUDENTS CURRENTLY HAVE WHICH NECESSITATE THE INSTALLATION OF THIS CLINIC? THIS MORNING I CALLED THE SNOHOMISH COUNTY COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES AND WAS PATCHED THROUGH TO AN INDIVIDUAL INVOLVED WITH THIS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS CLINIC.

WHEN ASKED IF PUBERTY BLOCKERS WERE GOING TO BE DISPENSED AT THESE CLINICS, HE SIMPLY HUNG UP ON ME.

WHY AREN'T FUNDS BEING EXPENDED TO TEACH THE BASICS OF EDUCATION? LIKE WHAT SEX GIVES BIRTH TO THIS WORLD, WHICH OUR CHILDREN NEED TO SURVIVE AS ADULTS IN OUR ECONOMY AND IN THE SOCIETY.

ONE IS LED TO BELIEVE THE PRIORITIES OF THIS BOARD AND THEREFORE THIS DISTRICT AND STATE ARE OUT OF KILTER WITH THE REALITIES OF OUR WORLD AS WELL AS SCIENTIFIC FACT. BUT THEN MAYBE ELECTIONS ALL HAVE CONSEQUENCES.

THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] NEXT, WE HAVE A VIRTUAL COMMENT FROM ANDY NOFZIGER MEADOWS, ANDY, ARE YOU THERE?

[00:45:10]

HI. I'M ANDY NOFZIGER, PRESIDENT OF THE EDMONDS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION.

AND I URGE YOU TO VOTE NO ON ANY PROPOSED REDUCTION IN FORCE.

RISK IS UNNECESSARY, AND IT WILL FURTHER DAMAGE THE REPUTATION OF OUR DISTRICT AND THE COMMUNITY AND TO POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES.

FIRST, PLEASE REVIEW THE STAFFING DATA FROM THE PAST FEW YEARS.

IT WILL SHOW EDMONDS HAS A PATTERN OF MAKING VERY CONSERVATIVE ENROLLMENT PREDICTIONS LEADING TO UNDER ALLOCATING STAFF TO BUILDINGS IN THE SPRING.

IN THE FALL AFTER SCHOOL STARTS AND WE SEE EXTREMELY LARGE CLASSES, WE HAVE TO TRY TO HIRE MORE TEACHERS.

CLASS RECONFIGURATIONS CAN HAPPEN AS LATE AS MID-OCTOBER.

THIS DISRUPTS STUDENT LEARNING AND THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN STUDENTS, CLASSMATES AND TEACHERS.

MOUNT LAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL IS ONE EXAMPLE.

IN THE 2021 SCHOOL YEAR, 1.3 FTE WAS ADDED AFTER THE INITIAL PROJECTION.

IN THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR, 2.5 FTE WAS ADDED AFTER THE INITIAL PROJECTION.

YOU WILL SEE THIS PATTERN IN MANY OF OUR SCHOOLS.

WE'RE STUCK IN THIS ABSURD CYCLE BECAUSE THE DISTRICT CHOOSES AN UNREASONABLE MODEL TO ALLOCATE STAFFING.

LOOK AT THE PROJECTED CLASS NUMBERS FOR NEXT YEAR BASED ON INITIAL STAFFING ALLOCATIONS.

AND ONCE AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE PLENTY OF ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS, OVER 30 STUDENTS AND SECONDARY CLASSROOMS IN THE HIGH THIRTIES AND LOW FORTIES.

IF THE DISTRICT CHOSE TO PREDICT ENROLLMENT AND ALLOCATE STAFFING MORE REALISTICALLY IN THE SPRING, WE WOULD NOT HAVE A SURPLUS OF STAFF.

SECOND, IF BY CHANCE OUR ENROLLMENT DOES COME IN LOW AND WE DON'T HAVE STAFF ATTRITION OVER THE SUMMER, THE DISTRICT STILL HAS MILLIONS IN UNSPENT FEDERAL ESSER DOLLARS TO COVER THE EXPENSE OF EMPLOYING STAFF.

INSTEAD OF [INAUDIBLE], THESE STAFF COULD BE USED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING BECAUSE OF LEARNING DISRUPTIONS DUE TO COVID.

RATHER THAN SPENDING ESSER DOLLARS ON SUMMER SCHOOL AFTER STUDENTS HAVE FAILED, YOU COULD PROACTIVELY SPEND MONEY TO SUPPORT THEM DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR AND TRY TO PREVENT THEM FROM FAILING. MANY DISTRICTS ARE USING ESSER MONEY TO CREATE FOCUS SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS.

THIRD, WE HAVE A TEACHER SHORTAGE.

OUR NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS ARE NOT RECEIVING TEACHERS WHO RECEIVE A RISK.

NOTICE FROM EDMONDS WILL NOT WAIT TO BE RECALLED IN THE CURRENT HOT JOB MARKET.

THEY WILL BE SNAPPED UP BY NORTH SHORE, MUKILTEO, EVERETT OR OTHER DISTRICTS.

WE'VE DONE A BETTER JOB HIRING BIPOC EDUCATORS THE PAST FEW YEARS AND RISK WILL UNDO MUCH OF OUR PROGRESS IN THAT AREA.

A RISK WILL ALSO DAMAGE THE REPUTATION OF OUR DISTRICT, MAKING IT LESS LIKELY FOLKS WILL APPLY TO WORK HERE.

LAST MONTH, THE ESD WAS IN THE NEWS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, TELLING THE BOARD THEY FEEL ABANDONED BY DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION.

WE DON'T NEED THE ESD IN THE NEWS THIS MONTH FOR BEING THE ONLY DISTRICT IN THE AREA TO [INAUDIBLE].

AND LET'S NOT FORGET, WHEN THE BOARD VOTED TO TERMINATE THE BUS DRIVERS FOR THE 2021 SCHOOL YEAR, THEY DID NOT SIT AROUND WAITING TO BE RECALLED.

AND NOW WE HAVE A DRIVER SHORTAGE THAT'S NEGATIVELY IMPACTING OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.

THE SAME WILL HAPPEN WITH TEACHERS.

SO IF YOU CARE ABOUT EQUITY, ENGAGEMENT AND EXCELLENCE, LOOK AT THE DATA FROM PAST YEARS.

LOOK AT YOUR MILLIONS OF FEDERAL ESSER DOLLARS AND LOOK AT THE LONG TERM IMPACTS OF A RISK AND DO THE RIGHT THING.

DON'T AUTHORIZE A REDUCTION IN FORCE.

THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU, ANDY. IN ADDITION TO THOSE COMMENTS, THERE WERE FIVE WHO ARE ALL PARENTS.

BUT THERE'S ANOTHER THERE'S ANOTHER 30 MINUTE SET ASIDE LATER IN THE AGENDA FOR PEOPLE WHO SIGNED IN.

SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS SHARE THE JUST A SUMMARY OF THE FIVE WRITTEN COMMENTS THAT WERE PROVIDED FROM PARENTS. THESE WERE ALL INDEPENDENTLY DONE.

THEY'RE CLEARLY NOT A PART OF A GROUP THAT HAD ANY COMMON TERMINOLOGY, BUT THEY ALL WANTED TO SAY THAT THEY DIDN'T FEEL THAT THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING REPRESENTED THEIR POINT OF VIEW AS PARENTS.

AND SOME OF THEIR COMMENTS IN THEIR WRITTEN COMMENTS SAY, TEACH OUR CHILDREN THE ENTIRETY OF OUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY, INCLUDING HOW IT WAS BUILT ON SLAVE LABOR AND THE INSTITUTIONAL RACISM THAT STILL EXISTS.

THEY EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR THE RESPECT AND ONE PARENT IN PARTICULAR EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR THE RESPECT AND SUPPORT HER TRANSGENDER CHILD HAS RECEIVED IN

[00:50:02]

ANOTHER ONE SAID, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THESE ARE JUST SUMMARY STATEMENTS.

WE HAVE MANY CHILDREN WHO ARE GENDER DIVERSE, AND THIS PARTICULAR PARENT IS THANKFUL THAT THESE CHILDREN HAVE A SAFE LEARNING SPACE IN OUR DISTRICT.

AND THE FIFTH ONE ALSO WELL ACROSS ALL OF THEM, WHAT THEY SAID WAS THAT THE PARENTS WHO SPOKE AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING DO NOT REPRESENT THEM OR THE PARENTS, AND THEY'RE IN OUR COMMUNITY BUT REPRESENT THOSE PEOPLE, INDIVIDUAL PERSONAL BELIEFS WHICH SHOULD NOT BE USED TO INFLUENCE THE EDUCATION FOR ALL OUR STUDENTS.

SO ALL OF THOSE FIVE COMMENTS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THEIR ENTIRETY, WHICH ARE MUCH BIGGER THAN THIS ON THE AGENDA.

AND WE WILL HAVE A LATER SEGMENT FOR ADDITIONAL PARENT COMMENTS FOR ANYBODY ELSE WHO WANTS TO SIGN UP.

[11. REPORTS-7:50 pm]

IF I CAN HAVE STAFF COME UP AND BE PREPARED TO WALK THROUGH THIS, I THINK DR.

VERGARA, YOU UP FIRST ON THIS ONE.

[INAUDIBLE] PLEASE. THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING. BOARD MEMBERS.

SUPERINTENDENT. STUDENTS.

COMMUNITY STAFF.

VICTOR VERGARA SECRETARY.

DIRECTOR OF EQUITY AND STUDENT SUCCESS.

AND WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE GOOD NEWS.

DR. BALDERAS SHARED A LITTLE ABOUT THE CONFERENCE, BUT LAST WEEK WAS A BIG DAY FOR US.

WE STARTED ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF THINKING AND PLANNING AND DREAMING WITH OUR FIRST ANNUAL STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE AND DREAMS COME TRUE.

AND IT CAME TRUE.

AND LAST WEDNESDAY WE HAD OUR FIRST ANNUAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE.

WE HAD ABOUT 275 STUDENTS, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ATTENDING AT THE EDMOND CENTER FOR ARTS.

AND WE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO HAVE OUR DOLORES HUERTA, OUR AMERICAN LABOR LEADER AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE NATIONAL FARMWORKERS ASSOCIATION, IS A KEYNOTE.

SHE IS 96 YEARS OLD AND SHE HAS ONLY FIVE EVENTS PER YEAR.

AND SHE, THANKS TO OUR STUDENTS, THEY COMMUNICATE WITH HER.

AND SHE DECIDED TO COME AND BE WITH US LAST WEDNESDAY.

IT WAS REALLY ENERGETIC TO SEE DOLORES HUERTA IN FRONT OF OUR STUDENTS AND FOR HER TO ENGAGE OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR ONE HOUR, REALLY TALKING ABOUT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR STUDENTS AND REALLY TALKING ABOUT BRINGING TRANSFORMATIONAL AND SUSTAINABLE CHANGES WITHIN THEMSELVES, THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR COMMUNITY. AND IF WE GO TO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO WATCH A SHORT VIDEO.

[00:55:11]

ALSO, I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT WE HAD A BIG TEAM THAT WAS BEHIND THE SCENES DOING THE WORK, MEETING PRETTY MUCH WEEKLY FOR A LONG TIME.

AND I WANT TO PUBLICLY, PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE LETICIA WILLIAMS, MEGAN GUILLEN, ELIZABETH PUGA, DIFFERENT GROUP OF STUDENTS, TEACHERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ADMINISTRATORS THAT SPEND HOURS AND HOURS FOR THESE EVENTS.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF THEM.

AND NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. ALSO, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AFTER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CONFERENCE TO TAKE US TO TAKE DOLORES WIRTH AND VISIT COLLEGE PLACE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, A GROUP OF ABOUT 30, 35 PARENTS WERE WAITING FOR HER AND ALSO STUDENTS.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, SOME STUDENTS HAD THEIR QUESTIONS READY TO GO AND WAS A REALLY, REALLY GOOD, GOOD TIME AND GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STUDENTS AND OUR FAMILIES TO SPEND TIME WITH DELORES HUERTA. SO REALLY PROUD OF THAT.

WE START WITH 275 STUDENTS.

OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE THIS AN ANNUAL EVENT AND HOPEFULLY GET TO 1000 STUDENTS PRETTY SOON.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOOD EVENING, BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND AUDIENCE.

I'M HERE JUST TO SHARE A COUPLE OF QUICK UPDATES.

THE FIRST ONE, JUST SOME PHOTOS.

I KNOW DR. BALDERAS WAS SPEAKING ABOUT OUR STUDENT ATHLETES IN SPRING SPORTS.

AND IF YOU'VE LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW THIS SPRING, IT'S BEEN A PARTICULARLY ROUGH SPRING FOR OUR STUDENT ATHLETES, BUT THEY PERSEVERED AND WE JUST HAVE SOME GREAT, GREAT OPPORTUNITIES TO SEE OUR STUDENTS IN ACTION IN BASEBALL AND FASTPITCH AND TRACK AND FIELD AND SOCCER.

JUST REALLY OUTSTANDING TO SEE OUR STUDENTS COMPETING AND PARTICIPATING IN THESE ATHLETIC COMPETITIONS.

LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

I WANTED TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A QUICK UPDATE ON PAPER TUTOR.

WE ARE IN OUR FIRST FULL WEEK OF LAUNCH AND WE'VE ALREADY HAD 116 TUTORING SESSIONS THAT STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO.

AND I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF DATA FROM THE DASHBOARD.

YOU CAN SEE THAT MOST STUDENTS THAT ARE ACCESSING PAPER RIGHT NOW ARE NINTH GRADERS, AND THEN USAGE SEEMS TO FALL TO LATER IN THE DAY BY HOUR AND THEN ALSO DAYS OF THE WEEK.

SO FAR, WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY ACCESSING LATER IN THE WEEK AND THEN OUR MOST COMMONLY REQUESTED SUBJECTS SO FAR HAVE BEEN MATH.

YOU CAN SEE THAT ALGEBRA, GEOMETRY AND ALGEBRA TWO HAVE BEEN THE AREAS WHERE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN REQUESTING SOME TUTORING SUPPORT.

AND THEN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

AND IN TERMS OF GETTING ACCESS TO PAPER, WE'VE REALLY DONE WE'RE REALLY WORKING HARD TO GET INFORMATION OUT TO OUR STUDENTS.

TODAY, OUR AMAZING COMMUNICATIONS TEAM WAS ABLE TO GET LINKS TO PAPER ON ALL OF OUR SCHOOL WEBSITES, AND YOU CAN GET THERE BY GOING TO THE STUDENT LIFE TAB ON EACH SCHOOL'S WEBSITE.

AND THEN THERE'S A LINK TO A PAPER TUTOR WHICH TAKES YOU DIRECTLY TO THE LOGIN PAGE.

AND THEN FROM THERE OUR STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO JUST LOG IN WITH THEIR GOOGLE CREDENTIALS AND THEY TAKE IT TAKES THEM RIGHT TO TUTOR TO PAPER TUTOR.

WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON GETTING THESE POSTED ON TEACHER CANVAS PAGES AND WE WILL ALSO GET THEM POSTED ON TEACHER EMAIL SIGNATURES.

SO WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE IN MANY WAYS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT.

AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS TO BROADCAST OUT TO OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITIES THE IMPORTANCE AND HOW TO ACCESS PAPER AS A TUTORING RESOURCE.

SO I'LL STOP THERE AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUICK QUESTIONS.

OTHERWISE, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MARTA.

DR. SCHWAB, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THE COST.

IS THE COST A SET FEE OR IS IT BASED ON NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ARE USING THE SYSTEM? IT'S A SET FEE BASED ON A TOTAL.

SO WE ENROLLED ALL OF OUR STUDENTS IN GRADES NINE THROUGH 12, SO ABOUT APPROXIMATELY 6000 STUDENTS.

AND THAT COST IS BASED ON THAT NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WE GO.

AND SO IF WE WERE TO GO UP AND ADD MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS NEXT YEAR, THE COST COULD GO UP SLIGHTLY.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO ENROLL A NUMBER THAT SMALLER WITHOUT DOING IT BY NAME AND HAVING A LOWER FEE? I DON'T KNOW.

THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I CAN CERTAINLY FIND OUT.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, I WAS JUST CURIOUS ON THE LOGISTICS OF HOW IT WORKS.

SO WHEN A STUDENT LOGS IN AND THEY REQUEST HELP, DO THEY GET LIKE A ONE ON ONE TUTOR THAT POPS UP FOR THEM? AND THEN I SAW THE ESSAY REVIEW ON THERE TO DO.

THEY JUST SUBMIT A PAPER AND GET LIKE REMARKS BACK AS THEY'RE ONE ON ONE FOR THAT.

JUST SORT OF WHAT THE LOGISTICS OF THAT ARE.

YEAH. SO IN TERMS OF IF I LET'S SAY I'M MATH, I NEED HELP IN MY MATH CLASS.

I CLICK ON MY MATH CLASS AND THEN REQUEST A TUTOR IN MATH AND THEN WITHIN TUTOR CLAIMS US WITHIN 2 TO 3 MINUTES.

YOU ARE CONNECTED WITH THE TUTOR.

IT'S A CHAT BASED TUTORING SESSION, SO THERE'S NOT ANY VIDEO OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

IT'S ALL DONE OVER CHAT, BUT THE TUTOR THEN WORKS WITH YOU AND YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO UPLOAD.

LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'RE DOING A WORKSHEET OR A PROBLEM.

[01:00:02]

WITH REGARD TO THE ESSAY REVIEW, YOU SUBMIT YOUR ESSAY AND THEN TUTORS WILL REVIEW THE ESSAY AND THEN SUBMIT IT BACK TO YOU WITH FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS FOR REVISIONS AND AS WELL AS GRAMMATICAL CORRECTIONS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

THANK YOU. THIS SEEMS LIKE AN INCREDIBLE RESOURCE.

I'M WONDERING, DO ALL THE STUDENTS ARE THEY AWARE THAT THIS IS AVAILABLE? WE'RE WORKING ON IT. THAT'S BEEN THE WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON GETTING COMMUNICATION OUT.

WE JUST HAVE TO CONTINUE TO SPREAD THE WORD AND MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS KNOW EVERY SINGLE STUDENT IN SECONDARY HAS ACCESS TO PAPER TUTORS.

WE JUST NEED TO HELP THEM GET CONNECTED WITH IT.

I JUST HAVE A SUGGESTION TO GET IT OUT TO THE PARENTS AS WELL THROUGH PEACHJAR OR SOMETHING, BECAUSE I CERTAINLY WILL GO HOME AND TELL MY KID ABOUT IT.

ABSOLUTELY. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

IT IS, YEAH. IT'LL BE AVAILABLE IN THE SUMMER.

YEAH. WE HAVE WE HAVE A WE HAVE A ONE YEAR CONTRACT WITH PAPER AND WE'LL WORK NEXT YEAR TO EXTEND THAT.

BUT, BUT YEAH IT GOES ON THROUGH THE SUMMER.

IT IS WORKING. THANK YOU.

NEXT, WE'LL HAVE A REPORT ON THE SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTERS.

I THINK ACTUALLY MY FIRST REPORT IS ON THE COVID LANDSCAPE.

OH, WELL, THEY'RE GOING TO DO DOUBLE DUTY, SO I'M GOING TO DO DOUBLE DUTY TONIGHT.

THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. I'M MARA MARANO-BIANCO, I'M THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES HERE AT EDMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT.

I AM FILLING IN FOR DANA GEASLEN THIS EVENING AND SO I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE AS TO OUR COVID LANDSCAPE.

SO HERE AT IN SNOHOMISH COUNTY, OUR CASE COUNT IS CURRENTLY 151 OVER ONE 100,000 IN THE LAST 14 WEEKS. AND THAT HAS GONE UP SLIGHTLY TO THE POINT NOW THAT WE ARE CONSIDERED BY THE CDC IN A HIGH RISK ZONE AGAIN.

BUT LUCKILY OUR HOSPITALIZATION RATE HAS DECREASED AND OUR DEATH TRENDS ARE DECREASING.

SO IT'S NOT AS A HIGH CONCERN AS WHAT WE HAD SEEN WITH DELTA OR EARLIER ON WITH OMICRON POSITIVITY RATE IN THE COUNTY IS 7.3%. SO FOR EVERY PERSON THAT GETS TESTED, 7.3 OF THOSE TESTS BECOME POSITIVE IN SNOHOMISH COUNTY.

SO I DID DO A LITTLE SLEUTHING REGARDING THE VARIANT UPDATE BECAUSE AS WE KNOW OMICRON HAS HAD A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OF IT. AND SO RIGHT NOW THE SECOND VARIANT OF OMICRON CALLED BA TWO IS PREDOMINANTLY ALL THE CASES WITHIN SNOHOMISH COUNTY AT 87%.

WE ARE SEEING A SLIGHT INCREASE IN WHAT THEY CALL BA 2.121, WHICH IS A FAMILY OR AN OFFSPRING OFF BA TWO AT 10% IN THE EAST COAST OF OUR COUNTRY, WE ARE SEEING LARGER NUMBERS OF BA TWO, 1.1 AND WE ARE STILL SLOWLY STARTING TO SEE THAT INCREASE HERE IN THE WESTERN PARTS OF OUR STATE AND OMICRON IS STILL AROUND AT A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF 3%.

SO A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ASKING ME.

SO TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THESE VIRUSES.

WELL, YES, THEY ALL ARE FROM THE SAME VIRAL FAMILY OF OMICRON, BUT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT GENETIC CODE.

SO THIS IS WHY IT CAN GET A LITTLE SLEUTHING AT TIMES.

HOWEVER, WE'RE STILL LESS SEVERE THAN DELTA, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE OMICRON STRAIN IS MORE HIGHLY INFECTIOUS.

NOW, WASHINGTON DOH IS WATCHING TWO NEW VARIANTS, BA FOUR AND BA FIVE, WHICH ARE CURRENTLY IN AFRICA AND IN EUROPE.

BUT AT THIS TIME, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION HAS NOT SEEN ANY CHANGES IN ITS EPIDEMIOLOGY OR SEVERITY IN THESE VARIANTS.

SO THEY ANTICIPATE IT'S GOING TO BE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE ALREADY SEEN WITH OMICRON, WHERE THE SEVERITY RISK IS LOWER AND HOWEVER, IT'S HIGHLY, MORE HIGHLY INFECTIOUS, SO AND MORE CONTAGIOUS.

SO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO IN SAYING THAT, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT ANY FAMILY AND STAFF THAT ARE HAVING SOME SYMPTOMS THAT COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH COVID TO LET US KNOW WE CAN GET THEIR TESTS DONE TO VERIFY WHETHER THEY ARE COVID POSITIVE OR NOT.

WE STILL HAVE RAPID TESTS AND PCRS WITHIN THE DISTRICT AND WE DO HAVE A CENTRALIZED LINE WHICH IS 425-431-1900 TO GET THAT TESTING SCHEDULED.

OR YOU CAN DO IT AT ANY OF YOUR LOCAL SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES AS WELL.

NOW, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO UPDATE YOU IS JUST OUR EDMONDS LANDSCAPE.

[01:05:04]

WE'RE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT THE COUNTY IS EXPERIENCING.

NOW OUR DISTRICT, WE HAVE HAD A REPORT OF 314 CASES OF COVID WITHIN THE LAST 14 DAYS, WHICH IS NOT SURPRISING. WE WERE ANTICIPATING A BIT OF A POP UP IN OUR NUMBERS DUE TO SPRING BREAK.

PEOPLE WENT AWAY, ENJOYED THEMSELVES AND UNFORTUNATELY BROUGHT BACK MORE THAN JUST SOUVENIRS.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING.

AND YOU CAN SEE OUR SCALE THERE IN REFLECTION TO OUR CASES HERE IN OUR DISTRICT.

NOW, IN REGARDS TO PCR TESTS, WE HAVE PERFORMED 323 TESTS IN THE LAST 14 DAYS.

AND LIKE I SAID, OF THOSE 7.4% HAVE BEEN POSITIVE.

AND WITH OUR RAPID TEST, WE DON'T ENTER NEGATIVE OR NEGATIVE TEST DATA, BUT THROUGH THAT SYSTEM WE HAVE HAD 18 POSITIVE CASES.

SO ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME AT ALL REGARDING COVID AND OUR LANDSCAPE? SO ONE QUICK QUESTION.

THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE. YOU REALLY CONDENSE THIS INTO SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY MANAGEABLE TO UNDERSTAND HERE.

I'M WONDERING IF THE HEALTH DISTRICT HAS ADDRESSED THE INCREASE OF PEOPLE DOING HOME TESTING AND IF THAT, LIKE HOME TESTING AND YOU'RE POSITIVE, BUT IT'S NOT REPORTED IN THIS DATA OR IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT? YEAH, WE RECOGNIZE THAT MAYBE NOT EVERY HOME TEST IS GETTING REGISTERED WITH SNOHOMISH HEALTH DISTRICT, SO THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT SOME OF THESE NUMBERS ARE UNDERREPORTED. YEAH, DEFINITELY.

OKAY. ONE THING TO CLARIFY, I THOUGHT THAT THE TESTING IN THE SCHOOLS WAS FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF.

BUT YOU SAY THAT PARENTS AND FAMILIES OF STUDENTS AND STAFF.

WE ARE GETTING TESTED IN THE SCHOOLS, CORRECT? WE ARE GETTING SOME FAMILIES WHO ARE REQUESTING TESTING BECAUSE THEY'VE RUN OUT OF THEIR OWN HOME KITS AND WE ARE MORE THAN OPEN TO TEST THOSE FAMILY MEMBERS IF NEEDED.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

I NOTICED THE HOSPITAL RATES.

OKAY. I NOTICED THE HOSPITAL RATES ARE RELATIVELY LOW.

IS THAT RELATIVELY LOW? CORRECT. AND SO.

OH, GO AHEAD. SO SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS, RIGHT? THAT'S EXCELLENT NEWS.

AND THIS IS WHY PUBLIC HEALTH IS NOT REALLY WORRIED AT THIS TIME BECAUSE OF THE SEVERITY OF THESE VARIANTS.

ONCE WE START PUTTING A STRAIN ON OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEM LIKE WE DID WITH DELTA, THAT'S WHEN THAT'S WHEN COVID BECOMES OF A CONCERN TO OUR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE THEN WE MAY NOT HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO SERVICE THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY NEED IT.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

AM I UP NEXT AGAIN? THANK YOU. YES. NOW, NOW WE WILL START A NEW REPORT.

HERE WE GO. THANK YOU.

AND I BELIEVE I HAVE SOME GUESTS THAT ARE JOINING ME THROUGH ZOOM.

EXCELLENT. EXCELLENT.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

LET'S GET STARTED.

SO IF YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

EXCELLENT. SO THIS IS JUST A QUICK UPDATE FROM WHEN WE LAST VISITED YOU BACK IN DECEMBER, IT SEEMS LIKE SO LONG AGO.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAD A BIT OF A COVID SITUATION IN JANUARY THAT KIND OF PUT OUR WORK A LITTLE BIT BEHIND SCHEDULE.

BUT AT THIS TIME, WE'RE STILL INVESTIGATING SOME OF THOSE INPUTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN REGARDS TO OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUNDING.

HOW ARE WE GOING TO STAFF THIS, WHAT KIND OF MEDICAL PROVIDERS WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT? WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTERS, WE REALLY NEED TO REACH OUT TO STUDENTS AND FAMILIES AND STARTING A DIALOG THERE WITH OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.

LOOKING AT OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH HEALTH SERVICES, THAT MEANS ME AS A PROGRAM ARE BUILDING STAFF AND OUR COMMUNITY IN GENERAL AND THEN LOOKING TRULY AT WHAT IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S NEEDED, WHAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES ARE NEEDED TO GET THIS PROJECT UP AND RUNNING.

SO WE'VE STARTED MOVING IN THIS DIRECTION AND COLLECTING SOME OF THAT INFORMATION AND STARTED MOVING FORWARD WITH SOME OF THESE STEPS.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO AS YOU RECALL FROM OUR LAST PRESENTATION IN DECEMBER, WE HAD HIGHLIGHTED THE NORTH END OF OUR DISTRICT AS AN AREA OF NEED, BASICALLY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER IN THAT AREA TO SERVICE SOME OF OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN NEED IN THAT AREA.

SO WE ARE FOCUSING ON MEADOWDALE HIGH SCHOOL.

WE DID DO A TOUR OF THE BUILDING WITH OUR PARTNERS, BOTH VERDANT AND COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS OF SNOHOMISH COUNTY, TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE ON THIS SITE.

AND WE CAME UP WITH A BIT OF A STRATEGY AND PLAN.

[01:10:04]

AND THIS IS A TEMPORARY INTERNAL SPACE AT MEADOW DALE HIGH SCHOOL.

WE WERE ABLE TO FIND A SMALL ROOM THAT WE COULD UTILIZE, AND WE ARE ANTICIPATING OPENING THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST IN 2022 AND PROVIDING SERVICES THAT ARE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE OFFER IN OUR BACK TO SCHOOL SERVICE, MEDICAL SERVICES, ENVIRONMENT.

THESE SERVICES COULD INCLUDE IMMUNIZATIONS.

AS WE KNOW, OUR CURRENT LAW INDICATES THAT A STUDENT HAS TO BE IN COMPLIANCE TO BE ABLE TO EVEN START SCHOOL.

SO HAVING THIS UP AND RUNNING BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS COULD BE A HUGE ADVANTAGE TO MAKING SURE WE CAN GET OUR STUDENTS IN THEIR SEATS ON THAT VERY FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.

IT WOULD ALSO SUPPORT SOME OF THE FALL SPORTS BY PROVIDING ATHLETIC MEDICAL ASSESSMENTS FOR OUR STUDENTS, AS WELL AS WE HAVE IDENTIFIED DENTAL NEEDS IN PART OF OUR DISTRICT.

AND SO THAT COULD HELP SUPPORT STUDENTS GETTING DENTAL NEEDS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THEY'RE NOT MISSING SCHOOL BECAUSE OF DENTAL PAIN.

AND THEN OBVIOUSLY, WE ARE FULLY AWARE OF SOME OF THE MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS WITH SOME OF OUR STUDENTS TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN PROVIDE SOME TELEHEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT THROUGH THIS ENVIRONMENT.

AT THIS POINT, I'M HAPPILY CAN ANNOUNCE THAT THERE WON'T REQUIRE ANY EXTRA FUNDING TO GET THIS FIRST PHASE UP AND RUNNING.

CHC IS PLANNING ON HELPING TO SUPPORT THIS PHASE ONE START UP AND FROM A SCHOOL DISTRICT, ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS CLEAN UP THAT ROOM A LITTLE BIT, COVER SOME WIRES AND WE'RE READY TO GO.

SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

OK, PHASE TWO, AND THIS IS WHERE I ALSO LIKE SOME OF OUR PARTNERS TO MAYBE INTRODUCE THEMSELVES BEFORE WE START TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PHASE TWO.

SO ZOE AND LISA, IF YOU'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

OH, YEAH. I HOPE FOLKS CAN HEAR ME.

MY NAME IS ZOE REESE FROM BURTON HEALTH FOR THE PUBLIC HOSPITAL DISTRICT IN SOUTH SNOHOMISH COUNTY.

SO WE SHARE A SERVICE AREA WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES AND VERY EXCITED TO BE PARTNERING TO BRING THIS EVIDENCE BASED MODEL INTO EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS OF SNOHOMISH COUNTY.

AND I'M ALSO VERY PLEASED TO HAVE ALISSA PIKE BRINGING ME AS WELL.

ALISSA WAS THE LONGTIME SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTER PROGRAM MANAGER AT NEIGHBOR CARE HEALTH, WHICH IS A THE LARGEST OPERATORS WILL BE SERVICES IN WASHINGTON STATE AND SERVE IN THE STATE ALLIANCE AND IS WORKING WITH VERDIN AS A CONSULTANT.

HELP SUPPORT A PHASE TWO IMPLEMENTATION AND WE'LL BE PARTNERING WITH NCC AS WELL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, ZOE.

SO JUST TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PHASE TWO, WE ARE LOOKING THEN AT A MORE PERMANENT EXTERNAL SITE AT MEADOWDALE HIGH SCHOOL.

THAT WAY IT'S MORE ACCESSIBLE TO OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL AS JUST OUR STUDENTS.

AT THIS POINT, WE'RE TARGETING A GOAL OF FEBRUARY 2023.

NOW, A LARGE PART OF THAT WOULD BE LOOKING AT FUNDING A RELOCATABLE, WHICH IS A LOVINGLY PORTABLE AND WITH WET SERVICES, MEANING THAT THERE'S CLEAN WATER AVAILABLE WITHIN THAT PORTABLE.

AND THERE'S ALSO A PIPELINE FOR WASTEWATER AS WELL.

AND THAT STARTUP COST IS WHAT IS GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO GET THIS UP AND RUNNING.

AND THANK YOU, MATT FINCH, FOR BEING HERE.

HE HELPED PUT THE BUDGET TOGETHER FOR THE EXPECTED COSTS FOR GETTING THAT UP AND RUNNING, AND THAT INCLUDES THE COST OF THE ACTUAL RELOCATABLE, ALL THE MOVEMENT OF POSSIBLE PIPING OF WATER AND THINGS OF LIKE OF THAT NATURE, WHICH IS AROUND 800,000.

NOW, CHC IS IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING IN A FUNDING PROPOSAL TO SNOHOMISH COUNTY TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN.

THEY DO HAVE SOME FUNDS AVAILABLE AND THEY WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE IDEA OF FUNDING THE VERY FIRST SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTER IN SNOHOMISH COUNTY.

NOW, WE AS A DISTRICT DID PROVIDE A SUPPORT LETTER AS WELL AS VERDANT IN THE PROCESS OF SUBMITTING THIS FUNDING PROPOSAL.

NOW EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT IS ALSO WORKING WITH VERDANT.

THANK YOU, ZOE, TO SUPPORT THE PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT DESIGN AND THE COORDINATION OF SOME OF THE SUPPORT TO GET THIS UP AND RUNNING.

AND THAT'S WHO SHE ALLUDED TO IN PROVIDING SUPPORT IN THE COORDINATOR THAT THEY HIRED BY THE NAME OF ALISSA.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

AND I THINK THAT'S IT. THERE WE GO.

OH, HERE WE GO. NEXT STEPS.

SO IN OUR NEXT STEPS, WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT HOW NOW WE'RE GOING TO FORMALIZE PHASE TWO WITH THE APPROACH IN OUR PARTNERS.

FIRST OF ALL, IF WE DO GET FUNDING, WE'LL HAVE TO START LOOKING AT AND EVEN WITH PHASE ONE, WE'LL HAVE TO FORMALIZE A LITTLE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT.

[01:15:01]

SO EXPANDING THAT NOW TO A SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTER AND THEN LOOKING AT HOW WE FINALIZE SOME OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND FOR EDMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT TO CREATE A SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTER.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS KIND OF DOCUMENT.

I'VE GIVEN YOU A BIT OF A ROUGH DRAFT IN DECEMBER.

I'VE UPDATED THAT WITH OUR MOST CURRENT HEALTHY USE SURVEY DATA, SO I'M EXCITED TO GET SOME FORMAL DOCUMENTS UP AND RUNNING AND THEN WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS TO DEVELOP A COMMUNICATION AND ACTION PLAN SO THAT WE CAN START LOOKING AT DOING SOME COMMUNITY FORUMS, CREATING TIMELINES FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF OUR INFORMATION TO OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY, AND THEN AGAIN ORGANIZING MEETINGS WITH OUR LOCAL HEALTH PROVIDERS TO INTRODUCE THE FACT THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT STARTING UP A SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTER HERE AT EDMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THEN ALSO FORMALIZING THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT THE CLINIC WILL BE PROVIDING.

THERE WE GO. SO THAT'S THE UPDATE AND KIND OF OUR NEXT STEP.

ANY QUESTIONS? MARA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS.

ARE THERE QUESTIONS? JUST JUST TO CLARIFY, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WOULD BE THE EDMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT ITSELF WOULD NOT BE SPENDING MONEY TO IMPLEMENT THESE IN GENERAL BECAUSE IT'S NOT PART OF THE EDUCATION PROCESS.

BUT WE WOULD BE DOING THINGS SUCH AS PROVIDING SPACE, WHICH WE WOULD BE DOING IN AUGUST, OR PROVIDING A PLOT OF LAND FOR THE PORTABLE TO GO ON, AND PERHAPS THINGS LIKE UTILITIES AND ELECTRICITY AND INTERNET AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

BUT WE WOULD NOT BE PART OF THE THE BASIC FUNDING FOR THE CENTER ITSELF.

SO THEY WOULD ALL BE DONE WITH THE HEALTH DISTRICT AND [INAUDIBLE], IS THAT CORRECT? CHC WOULD BE THE MOST RUNNING PARTNER.

WE WOULD PROVIDE THINGS IN-KIND, LIKE YOU SAID, SPACE, POSSIBLY SOME UTILITIES, POSSIBLY SOME I.T.

SUPPORT AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

BUT MOST OF OUR ABILITY AT THAT POINT WOULD BE MORE OF AN IN-KIND SUPPORT.

ZOE, WOULD YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD TO THAT? NO, I THINK THE QUESTION BEING KIND OF WHAT WOULD BE ONGOING FINANCIAL IMPACT OF THE DISTRICT.

AND THAT REALLY, TRULY IS JUST THE SPACE AND PARTNERSHIP.

I THINK WHEN WE ARE ON SITE AT MEADOWDALE, REALLY THE GOAL IS JUST HAVING THE SITE STAFF AND THE TEACHERS ADMINISTRATORS TO BE A REAL CHAMPION OF GETTING STUDENTS TO ACCESS THAT SERVICE, ALLOWING THEM TO GET WHAT THEY NEED THERE TO AVOID MISSING FULL DAYS OF SCHOOL OR OTHER ISSUES THAT COME UP WITH NOT HAVING ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE. SO REALLY, IT'S TRULY BEING A CHAMPION OF THE HEALTH CENTER IS WHAT WE NEED THE SCHOOL AND PROVIDING THAT SPACE FOR THEM TO OPERATE.

I THINK MATT CAN PROBABLY SPEAK MUCH MORE SPECIFICALLY TO THE PLOT OF LAND PIECE AND THE TEMPORARY COPY ROOM, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE INCREDIBLY MINIMAL IF THERE WERE THOSE KIND OF SMALL PIECES OF UTILITIES OR SOMETHING THAT WERE IMPACTED MOVING FORWARD.

JUST ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT.

HOPEFULLY YOU CAN HEAR ME OKAY? YEAH TO ZOE'S POINT.

YEAH, PHASE ONE IS VERY MINIMAL IMPACT.

I DON'T FORESEE REALLY MUCH AT ALL IN TERMS OF COST TO THE DISTRICT.

PHASE TWO IS STILL TO BE DETERMINED.

THE PRELIMINARY COST THAT MARA HAD SHOWN EARLIER WILL REALLY HELP IDENTIFY WHAT FURTHER COSTS WILL ACTUALLY INCUR FOR THE THE BUILD OUT OF PHASE TWO.

BUT I IN IN IN WHOLE I DON'T REALLY FORESEE MUCH OF A COST TO THE DISTRICT.

SO YEARS AGO, I WAS A GAL WITH THE SNOHOMISH COUNTY JUVENILE COURT.

SO WHEN KIDS WOULD END UP IN DEPENDENCY, I WOULD GO INTO COURT AND ADVOCATE FOR THEM.

AND WHAT WE WOULD SEE A LOT IS KIDS WHO MAYBE HAD A LOT OF REFERRALS, A LOT OF INTAKE REFERRALS, BUT THEY WOULDN'T IT WOULDN'T RISE TO THE LEVEL OF NEGLECT FOR THE STATE TO GET INVOLVED. AND THEN FINALLY SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN.

PARENTS WOULD GET ARRESTED OR SOMETHING ELSE, AND SO THEY'D GET INTO STATE CARE.

AND THE FIRST TIME THEY WOULD GO TO THE DOCTOR, IT WOULD BE CHRONIC HEALTH CONCERNS.

THINGS OF THE PARENTS JUST DID NOT TAKE CARE OF CAVITIES, LICE, ALL THESE THINGS THAT DIDN'T RISE TO THE LEVEL OF INTAKE BUT WERE DEFINITELY AFFECTING THE CHILD.

AND THIS MAY NOT BE A QUESTION YOU HAVE THE ANSWER TO TODAY, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SINCE THESE WILL BE ON SCHOOL GROUNDS AND TEACHERS ARE GOING TO BE THE ONES THAT HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THESE CHILDREN WHO MAY BE FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS AND SUFFERING.

WHAT ROLE WOULD THESE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS PLAY IN GETTING CHILDREN WHO NEED HELP BUT AREN'T DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE PARENTS WHO ARE ON BOARD WITH GETTING THEM THAT HELP?

[01:20:03]

SO WE DO NEED PARENTAL CONSENT AND OR GUARDIAN CONSENT OR AD LITEM SUPPORT AND CONSENT AND GETTING SOME OF OUR MORE OLDER STUDENTS INVOLVED IN THE SERVICES.

SO WITH THAT PARENTAL CONSENT TO RECEIVE SERVICES, THEN WE CAN START ENGAGING AND PROVIDING SERVICES TO THAT STUDENT.

I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY OR CLARIFY IN QUESTION.

THIS DOES NOT TAKE THE PLACE OF OUR SCHOOL NURSES? NO, IT DOES NOT.

SO ACTUALLY, WHAT WE HAVE SEEN WITH SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTERS IS THE SCHOOL NURSE IS ACTUALLY A GREAT CONDUIT TO THE SERVICES FOR THE SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTER.

SO IT REALLY HELPS THE NURSE IN AUGMENTING THE RESOURCES AND SERVICES TO BE ABLE TO OFFER TO FAMILIES AND STUDENTS.

I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THIS MOVING FORWARD AND KNOW THAT WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTERS TO OUR ALLIES IN OLYMPIA, OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES WERE ALL VERY SUPPORTIVE.

AND IF THEY CAN ASSIST IN ANY WAY, THEY HAVE MADE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE, PARTICULARLY REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS.

THANKS SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING.

MARA, I HAVE ONE QUESTION.

LAST CLARIFYING QUESTION.

THANK YOU. AND I ALSO REALLY WANT TO THANK THE VIRDEN PARTNERS SO MUCH.

MY QUESTION IS, IS THIS HEALTH CENTER, WILL IT ONLY BE FOR ACCESS BY MEADOWDALE HIGH STUDENTS OR BY OTHER STUDENTS AS WELL? AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL HAVE TO DISCUSS AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR AGREEMENTS.

HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE IT TO HAVE TO HAVE ALL OUR STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THE CENTER, ESPECIALLY ONCE IT'S AN EXTERIOR CENTER AS OPPOSED TO AN INTERIOR CENTER. I KNOW DAVE SHOCKLEY WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED WITH SO MANY PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH THE BUILDING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO WE ARE GOING TO BE VERY COGNIZANT AT THE BEGINNING.

LUCKILY, WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT PLACING IT HAS AN EXTERIOR DOOR ADJACENT TO THE ROOM.

SO THAT'LL BE EASY ACCESS WITHOUT HAVING FAMILIES GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE BUILDING TO ACCESS THE AREA THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THE INTERNAL SITE FOR PHASE ONE, BUT IDEALLY PHASE TWO, DEFINITELY OPENING IT UP TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING OUR COMMUNITY.

SO MY EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH HEALTH CENTERS IN THE PAST IS IT'S JUST THE GOAL WOULD BE TO BE OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY.

HAVE A WALKING CLINIC REALLY.

IT'S LIKE ANY CLINIC.

IF YOU HAVE AN EARACHE AFTER HOURS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE SOMEWHERE.

YOU GO TO THE SCHOOL. IT JUST PROVIDES ANOTHER AVENUE OF SERVICE, NOT FULL SERVICE, BUT IT PROVIDES ANOTHER AVENUE OF SERVICE ALSO FOR OUR FACULTY.

WHAT I KNOW IS ABOUT SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTERS IN THE PAST IS IT BECOMES AN AVENUE FOR THE FACULTY SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE THE SCHOOL.

THEY CAN JUST WALK DOWN DURING THEIR PREP AND ACTUALLY GET CHECKED OUT AS WELL.

SO IT'S A SERVICE FOR THE COMMUNITY IN THAT AREA.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. AND THANK YOU, ZOEY, ALYSSA AND MATT, FOR BEING HERE VIRTUALLY WITH US THIS EVENING.

ABSOLUTELY. WE APPRECIATE VIRDEN AS A PARTNER IN MANY WAYS.

[12. NEW BUSINESS 8:15 pm]

THE FIRST ITEM IS A SINGLE READING TO APPROVE THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE NORTHWEST EDUCATIONAL SERVICE DISTRICT 189 FOR THE SNOHOMISH COUNTY DETENTION CENTER FOR THE 22-23 SCHOOL YEAR.

DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOVE TO APPROVE.

SECOND. I'VE HEARD A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH NORTHWEST DSD 189 FOR THE SNOHOMISH COUNTY DETENTION CENTER FOR THE 22-23 SCHOOL YEAR.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. I THINK DR.

BALDERAS WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER IN MY JUST SORT OF CURSORY READING OF THIS.

IT LOOKS LIKE ESSENTIALLY WHAT THIS DOES IS IF AN EDMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT STUDENT IS INCARCERATED FOR SOME REASON, THE DISTRICT WILL CONTINUE TO PAY FOR THEIR EDUCATION WHILE THEY'RE INCARCERATED. IS THAT THE BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF THIS? YES. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.

I'D LIKE ALLISON TO HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE, PLEASE.

AYE. AYE.

AYE. AYE.

AYE. AND THE MOTION PASSES.

[01:25:05]

I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT AUTHORIZATION FOR THE PRIOR ELEMENTARY FALL PROTECTION AND GUTTER REPLACEMENT PROJECT.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. I'LL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.

AYE. AYE.

AYE. AYE.

AYE AND THE MOTION PASSES.

THE NEXT ITEM IS A FIRST READING WITH NO ACTION TO BE TAKEN TONIGHT ON REVISED POLICY 3520 REGARDING STUDENT FEES, FINES AND CHARGES, DO I HEAR MOTION? OH, THERE ISN'T MOTION.

THIS IS JUST DO I HEAR ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS? I HAVE A QUESTION.

IN THE POLICY WHILE THE INTENT IS TO NOT CHARGE, NOT KEEP STUDENTS FROM GETTING GRADES OR TRANSCRIPTS IF THEY HAVE FEES, FINES OR CHARGES, IT DOES NOT EXCLUDE THE FACT THAT A STUDENT'S DIPLOMA COULD BE KEPT FROM THEM.

AND THE WORDING IS THE THE DIPLOMA MAY BE KEPT FROM THEM, NOT THE ACTUAL WORDS, BUT THAT'S THE INTENT. AND MY QUESTION IS, HOW IS THAT DECIDED? HOW TO MAKE WE MAKE SURE THAT DECISION IS DONE EQUITABLY? WHY IS THE DIPLOMA SOMETHING THAT COULD BE WITHHELD AND HOW LONG WOULD IT BE WITHHELD? IT'S THAT PIECE OF THE POLICY THAT MAKES ME NERVOUS AND QUESTION WHY A STUDENT WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET THEIR DIPLOMA.

AND WHAT LEVEL OF DAMAGE OR LOSS WOULD INCUR THAT KIND OF CONSEQUENCE? SO PREVIOUS TO THIS POLICY REVISION, ALL DISTRICTS WERE ABLE TO WITHHOLD GRADES AND TRANSCRIPTS.

SO THIS CURRENT CHANGE IS TO SAY THAT, NO, YOU MAY NOT WITHHOLD GRADES OR TRANSCRIPTS AND BUT YOU CAN STILL YOU MAY STILL WITHHOLD A DIPLOMA.

WE ARE WORKING ON ONCE THE BOARD APPROVES THE POLICY, IF THEY APPROVE THE POLICY, WE WOULD WORK ON A PROCEDURE THAT WOULD DETAIL WHEN A DIPLOMA WOULD BE HELD WITHHELD.

AND OUR INTENT IS MORE IF IT WAS LIKE MALICIOUS AND WILLFUL DESTRUCTION AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, A DROPPED CHROMEBOOK OR A LOST LIBRARY BOOK.

YEAH. AND I WOULD JUST ADD THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT RECORDS FOR A STUDENT ARE THE OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT AND THE GRADES.

THE DIPLOMA, IN TERMS OF IMPORTANCE IS, WELL, I UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE AND THE SYMBOLISM OF THE DIPLOMA.

WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT WE DO NOT WITHHOLD THE STUDENTS TRANSCRIPT BECAUSE THAT'S THOSE ARE WHAT WE SEND ON TO COLLEGES AND TO MOST EMPLOYERS THAT ASK FOR SOME KIND OF PROOF OF GRADUATION FROM HIGH SCHOOL.

SO AND AGAIN, I DON'T PRETEND TO KNOW WHAT THE THINKING WAS BEHIND WHY THEY LEFT THE DIPLOMA IN AS THEY MAY BE WITHHELD.

BUT WE WOULD CERTAINLY JUST NEED TO DEVELOP A SET OF PROCEDURES AROUND THAT SO THAT WE ARE EQUITABLE IN HOW WE WOULD BE APPLYING THAT.

THANK YOU. AND I'D BE VERY CURIOUS.

I'D BE VERY CURIOUS ALSO TO KNOW WHAT THE DATA ARE IN OUR HISTORY OF THIS, HOW MANY STUDENTS HAVE HAD THEIR DIPLOMA WITHHELD BECAUSE OF THIS? AND AT WHAT LEVELS OF COST OF DAMAGE OR LOSS? HAS THERE BEEN A DIPLOMA WITHHELD? AND FOR WHAT PERIOD OF TIME ARE THERE CHILDREN WHO NEVER RECEIVED IT BECAUSE OF IT? I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THE DATA ON OUR HISTORY ON THAT BECAUSE WHILE I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A POLICY THAT'S COMING FROM THE STATE IN TERMS OF THEIR CHANGE, OR I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHERE THIS CHANGE COMES FROM.

IT'S A CHANGE TO THE REVISED CODE OF WASHINGTON.

PARDON. IT'S A CHANGE TO THE REVISED CODE OF WASHINGTON.

SO THAT WAS TO INCORPORATE IT INTO THEIR NEW UPDATED LEGAL.

LEGAL. WELL, WOULD IT LEGALLY NOT BE ALLOWED? SO WOULD IT LEGALLY NOT BE ALLOWED FOR US TO ALSO SAY DIPLOMAS CAN'T BE WITHHELD?

[01:30:08]

BUT WE CAN BE YES, WE CAN CHOOSE NOT TO WITHHOLD ANY DIPLOMA.

AND IN A VERY DECENTRALIZED SYSTEM AS EDMONDS I AM YOU KNOW,[INAUDIBLE] IS GOING TO BE SPEAKING, BUT IT'S PRETTY HARD PROBABLY TO GET DATA BACK FROM THE NINETIES AND THE ODDS JUST BECAUSE IT'S VERY DECENTRALIZED.

EVERY SCHOOL PROBABLY DID IT BY THEMSELVES, I'M ASSUMING.

YES, EXACTLY. AND CERTAINLY WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE HAVE SOME DATA THAT WE CAN POINT TO TO SAY HOW MANY RECORDS WERE WITHHELD.

BUT GOING BACK MUCH FARTHER THAN THAT, IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT TRICKY TO FIND THAT.

AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.

BUT PART OF THE DECENTRALIZATION IS WHAT BRINGS UP THE POSSIBILITY OF INEQUITIES.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO NOT HAVE MORE OF.

WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE LESS OF.

SO UNLESS WE CAN HAVE A PROCEDURE THAT IS VERY SPECIFIC BY AMOUNT OR TYPE OR HOWEVER IT IS OF DAMAGE AND LOSS THAT WOULD RESULT IN THAT, IN MY VIEW, WOULD NEED TO BE VERY CLEAR SO THAT IT WOULD BE EXECUTED IN A WAY THAT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY SYSTEMATIC ACROSS ALL OUR SCHOOLS.

I'D ALSO BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING IF THEY'RE MORE STUDENTS OF CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS WHO'VE HAD THEIR DIPLOMA WITHHELD VERSUS OTHERS.

OKAY. SO IS THAT THE WILL OF THE BOARD? I HEARD ONE BOARD MEMBER.

DO I? WHAT ARE THE REST YOU THINK? CAN YOU [INAUDIBLE] NOW THAT WE'RE HAVING THE CONVERSATION ABOUT IT, I THINK THAT I APPRECIATE THIS BEING BROUGHT FORWARD SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.

I DO THINK THAT BEFORE I WANT TO DO A FINAL VOTE ON THIS, I'D LIKE TO SEE A DRAFT POLICY.

I KNOW THAT WE DO NOT APPROVE THE PROCEDURE.

I MEAN, BUT GIVEN THE EQUITY CONCERNS THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THE PROCEDURE BEFORE I DO A FINAL VOTE ON THIS ONE. AND I DIDN'T CATCH ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU WANTED SPECIFICS ON THE BREAKDOWN.

YOU'RE ASKING FOR THE WILL OF THE BOARD? YEP. OH.

SO I WAS ASKING FOR IF IT'S BEEN IF A DIPLOMA HAS BEEN WITHHELD DIFFERENTLY PROPORTIONATELY FOR THE DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE USEFUL INFORMATION TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION.

AND ALSO FOR THE WHAT REASON? WERE THE COST LEVELS ABOUT THE COST TO THE DISTRICT, THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE OR THE EGREGIOUS NESS OF WHATEVER THE STUDENT MIGHT HAVE DONE? WERE THEY EQUIVALENT? OR IS THERE A WIDE RANGE OF THE WAY THIS HAS BEEN INTERPRETED AT EACH SCHOOL? I THINK MORE INFORMATION HELPS US MAKE A REALLY WELL INFORMED DECISION AS WE CHANGE THIS POLICY, RECOGNIZING THAT IT IS OUR [INAUDIBLE] IS TRIGGERING THIS.

AND I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH DIRECTOR KATIMS REGARDING THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO BE VERY CONSISTENT IN OUR APPROACH IN TERMS OF HOW WE DEAL WITH THIS AND BEING VERY TRANSPARENT IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES UNDERSTAND WHAT WE COULD DO AND WHAT WE WILL DO.

BUT AGAIN, THROUGH A REVIEW OF THE BOARD.

ABSOLUTELY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE CHANGING TIMES IN TERMS OF JUST NOT BEING ASSET BASED VERSUS DEFICIT BASED, IN TERMS OF HOW WE HANDLE KIDS AND ENSURING THAT THERE'S MORE EQUITY IN TERMS OF KIDS THAT CAN MAYBE HAVE MORE MEANS THAN OTHERS AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT'S RIGHT.

SO AS FOR ALL KIDS.

FOR ALL KIDS. SO I'M SURE THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT TALKING TO GREG SCHWAB, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE'S WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS MAKING SURE THAT IT'S CONSISTENT THAT WAY.

ONE CAMPUS IS TREATED DIFFERENTLY THAN ANOTHER CAMPUS.

YEAH, ONE THING YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT IS IF WE DELAY THIS, I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN THE TRANSCRIPTS GO OUT, BUT RIGHT NOW, UNTIL WE APPROVE THIS POLICY, IT'S GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTED FOR TRANSCRIPTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

SO IT MIGHT BE BETTER TO CHANGE THE POLICY TO TODAY TO AGREE WITH STATE LAW.

BECAUSE WE'RE IN NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW RIGHT NOW.

AND BUT FURTHER DISCUSSION, BECAUSE WE MAY WANT TO REVISE A POLICY AGAIN TO REMOVE THE GRADUATION SITUATION.

BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE I'D RATHER HAVE THE POLICY CHANGE NOW TO AT LEAST GET THE OTHER PARTS OF IT OUT.

FIRST READ. OH, THIS IS THE FIRST READING [INAUDIBLE], ISN'T IT? NEVER MIND. I TAKE THAT ALL BACK.

NO, BUT YOU UNDERSTAND, THOUGH, I THINK WE SHOULD PASS IT EVEN IF WE HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS NEXT TIME.

I'M WONDERING IF OUR STUDENT ADVISORS HAVE ANYTHING THEY WANT TO WEIGH IN ON THIS.

[01:35:06]

YEAH. OKAY.

SO I THINK WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, JUST I'M REMINDED BECAUSE I ACTUALLY WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO BECAUSE, ONE, I THINK THERE IS QUITE AN EQUITY ISSUE IN TERMS OF FINES IN GENERAL, BECAUSE LET'S SAY YOU'RE ON FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH OR WHATEVER IT IS.

THERE ARE A LOT OF SUPPORTS OUT THERE FOR THAT, BUT A LOT OF STUDENTS DON'T KNOW THAT.

RIGHT. SO LIKE, IF YOU ARE IN AN ACTIVITY AT SCHOOL, OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL, WHICH LITERALLY INCLUDES SPORTS.

LIKE ANYTHING.

I'M JUST WHATEVER POPPING TO THE TOP OF MY HEAD RIGHT NOW.

BUT LIKE, IF YOU'RE IN AN ACTIVITY, YOU NEED TO HAVE AN SD CARD.

HERE'S LIKE HERE'S A REALLY PREVALENT EXAMPLE.

AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CARD AND DURING AN ACTIVITY, YOU GET FINE.

SO IT'S THOSE THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T CHECK AND GRADUATION COMES ALONG AND IT'S LIKE, OKAY, YOU CAN'T GRADUATE IF YOU HAVEN'T FILLED OUT A FINE.

WELL, FOR SOME PEOPLE, BUT LIKE FINE OF $50 OR WHATEVER IT IS, IT SOMETIMES IS NOT ATTAINABLE FOR WHATEVER REASON.

AND IF YOU DON'T REACH OUT TO YOUR COUNSELOR, IF YOU'RE NOT PROACTIVE ABOUT IT, YOU CAN SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS.

AND THAT'S ONE OF MY BIGGEST FEARS IS LIKE, OKAY, HERE'S A RANDOM FINE THAT I FORGOT TO PAY.

I DIDN'T CHECK.

AND THEN THERE'S JUST THE IDEA OF YOU COULD LITERALLY NOT HAVE YOUR DIPLOMA FROM THIS ONE.

FINE, EVEN THOUGH EVERYTHING ELSE IS FINE.

SO I THINK THAT [INAUDIBLE] THERE DEFINITELY IS AN EQUITY ISSUE.

AND I APPRECIATE THE PRESIDENT [INAUDIBLE] BROUGHT THAT UP BECAUSE IT IS OUT THERE AND IT'S NOT REALLY SOMETIMES THE ISSUE IS NOT JUST FOR LIKE THE MOST EGREGIOUS OF THINGS, IT'S MINOR THINGS.

AND I THINK STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW THE SUPPORT THEY HAVE BECAUSE THEY CAN GO TO COUNSELORS AND GET THOSE FINES WAVED IN MANY CASES.

BUT ALSO, JUST LIKE IF YOU DON'T, THERE IS AN EQUITY ISSUE THERE AND YEAH.

YEAH, I AGREE WITH [INAUDIBLE].

AND I MEAN, ALSO TODAY, I ACTUALLY HAD A MEETING WITH ALL THE STUDENTS IN MY SCHOOL THAT ARE TAKING IB TESTS, AND PRIOR TO THIS MEETING, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.

YEAH. IF YOU DIDN'T PAY FOR ONE TIME, THEN YOU COULD HAVE THE IB DIPLOMA OR SORRY YOU COULD HAVE YOUR DIPLOMA, YOUR IB DIPLOMA AND YOUR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA TAKEN AWAY FROM YOUR AND NOT PROVIDED TO YOU.

AND IT'S ALSO LIKE NO ONE WAS REALLY AWARE OF THAT AT ALL.

SO ALSO TELLING STUDENTS AND HAVING SEEN TO BE AWARE OF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS PREVALENT RIGHT NOW.

JUST BEING AWARE OF IT WOULD BE VERY NICE.

AND ALSO WHAT SHE JUST SAID SHOWING THE STUDENTS THE RESOURCES THAT THEY HAVE IN CASE THEY ARE UNABLE TO PAY THOSE FINES THEMSELVES.

JUST BEING AWARE.

THANK YOU.

IF I MIGHT MAKE A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, THE POLICY ITSELF IS FINES, FEES AND ETC., BUT AN UNPAID FEE IS NOT A FINE.

SO WE WOULDN'T WITHHOLD TRANSCRIPTS OR IN THE PAST WE WOULDN'T WITHHOLD FRONT UNPAID FEE.

IT'S ONLY WHAT QUALIFIES AS A FINE, WHICH IS USUALLY A LOST OR DAMAGED BOOK, SOMETHING PROPERTY DESTROYED, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.

SO. IF YOU'VE GOTTEN GUIDANCE OTHERWISE, THEN THAT SCHOOL IS INCORRECT AND WE CAN HELP CLARIFY.

THANK YOU. I WAS ACTUALLY SAID TO DIRECTOR NOBLE HERE A FEW MINUTES AGO, AND NOW IT SEEMS AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO MENTION IT.

I CAN GUARANTEE THAT I OWE THE DISTRICT MONEY WHEN I GRADUATED, WHETHER IT BE A FEE, A FINE, SOMETHING ELSE [LAUGHTER] LOST LIBRARY BOOKS, SOMETHING.

AND I NEVER HAD A PROBLEM GETTING TRANSCRIPTS OR DIPLOMAS.

AND THAT RAISES TWO QUESTIONS.

ONE IS, IF I WAS A BLACK KID, WHAT I'VE HAD THAT PROBLEM, MAYBE, MAYBE NOT.

I DON'T KNOW. WE SHOULD PROBABLY LOOK AT THAT.

ALSO, THOUGH, IF IT'S A POLICY IN WRITING, BUT WITHOUT TEETH, WHY DO WE EVEN HAVE IT? IT SEEMS LIKE A THING THAT WE JUST HOLD OVER PEOPLE'S HEADS LIKE, HEY, YOU MAY NOT GET YOUR DIPLOMA AND THEN, WELL, OKAY, WE'LL GIVE IT TO YOU.

YOU KNOW, LIKE, WE REALLY SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS CLEAR SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THE GUIDELINES ARE.

AND FOR ME, THAT'S WILLFUL HIGH VALUE DESTRUCTION.

YOU KNOW, OTHER THAN THAT, LIKE, I DIDN'T HAVE ISSUES IN SCHOOL BECAUSE I INTENTIONALLY DAMAGED ANYTHING.

I JUST DIDN'T CARE.

I WAS 17. I JUST DIDN'T CARE.

SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S A VERY BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO THINGS.

SO. [INAUDIBLE] SO, MR. SMITH, YOU'RE THE ONE THAT HAS SO YOU'RE THE ONE THAT HAS THE $2,000 FINE FOR FOR THE MISSING ANIMAL FARM BOOK? ANIMAL FARM BOOK.

[01:40:02]

SO MAYBE IF WE COULD SEE THAT NOW, THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.

I CERTAINLY RESONATE WITH DIRECTOR NOBLE'S CONCERNED THAT IF THIS TAKES TIME AND WE'RE GETTING NEAR THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, WE DON'T WANT GRADES OR TRANSCRIPTS WITH.

AND NOW ACTUALLY IS THE TIME, RIGHT, FOR TRANSCRIPTS TO GO TO COLLEGES? IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW.

SO. FRIDAY MEMO FOR THE BOARD.

WE CONCLUDE THE POLICY AND KIND OF SEE HOW MUCH INFORMATION WE CAN GATHER FROM OUR SCHOOLS AND INCLUDE THAT IN A FRIDAY MEMO.

I WOULD SAY IF WE COULD COME TO SOME UNDERSTANDING QUICKLY ON THE WHOLE THING, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

BUT IF NOT, I THINK DIRECTOR NOBLE HAS A GOOD POINT THAT WE DO SORT OF A VERSION A AND THEN A VERSION B OF THIS WHERE WE DO CAN DO AN AMENDMENT OR REVISION SO THAT WE DON'T LET KIDS HAVE GRADES OR TRANSCRIPTS BE WITHHELD AT THIS CRITICAL TIME IN THIS SCHOOL YEAR FOR FOR THIS, UNTIL WE HAVE SOME CONSISTENT.

THAT THEY CANNOT WITHHOLD GRADES OR TRANSCRIPTS BECAUSE IT WOULD BE CONTRARY TO THE RCW KNOWING THAT YOU HAD NOT ADOPTED THE POLICY.

BUT.

OH, SO EVEN WITHOUT OUR ADOPTING THE POLICY, IT'S A LAW AND WE WOULD TELL ALL OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL? SCHOOLS. BUT WE ARE ABSOLUTELY WORKING ON MESSAGING TODAY TO SAY THAT NO MATTER WHAT THE BOARD DOES, THIS WE CANNOT DO BECAUSE OF THE LAW CHANGE. AND THEN THAT GIVES YOU TIME TO DECIDE ON THE DIPLOMA ASPECT AS WELL AS THE PROCEDURE LANGUAGE.

OH, THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW.

IS EVERYBODY GOOD WITH THAT THEN? OKAY. THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.

I THINK JUST ONE JUST A QUICK COMMENT ON KIND OF LOOKING ON THE DATA ON HOW THIS IS BEING USED.

AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU COME UP WITH THIS, BUT WHAT I'M CURIOUS IS HOW OFTEN STUDENTS HAVE BEEN TOLD YOU WON'T GET YOUR TRANSCRIPT OR YOU WON'T GET YOUR DIPLOMA UNLESS YOU TURN IN YOUR COMPUTER OR WHATEVER THE THING IS.

HOW OFTEN DOES THAT WORK? MEANING THEY SUDDENLY GET THE MONEY OR THE COMPUTER ARRIVES AND SO HOW OFTEN IS IT REALLY USEFUL IN RECOVERING OUR ASSETS? SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE, 13 YEARS OF IT.

I MEAN, WE DID I MEAN, WE DID RECOVER FINES.

SO IT WAS ONE OF OUR HIGHEST REVENUE GENERATING TIMES OF THE YEAR WAS AROUND GRADUATION, PROM AND GRADUATION.

[LAUGHTER] HONESTLY, I MEAN, IT REALLY WAS BECAUSE WE HAD STUDENTS THAT WE KNEW, YOU KNOW, WE WE WANTED WE WANTED THEM TO GO THROUGH AND BE ABLE TO GO TO PROM NUMBER ONE NUMBER TWO BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH THE CEREMONY.

AND SO WE WE USE THAT AS A WAY TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO IF THEY LOST A LIBRARY BOOK AT SOME POINT DURING THEIR CAREER TO HELP US RECOVER THE LIBRARY BOOK.

BUT WE ALSO KNEW THAT WE HAD STUDENTS THAT THAT COULDN'T PAY.

AND THEN WE HAD WE HAD OTHER WAYS THAT WE COULD SUPPORT THOSE STUDENTS AS WELL.

SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE MADE SURE THAT EVERYBODY WHO COULD WHO NEEDED HELP GOT THE HELP THEY NEEDED THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS OR OTHER THINGS THAT WE JUST WOULD ADD.

WE HAD DONATION ACCOUNTS THAT WE WOULD USE TO COVER THE COST OF STUDENTS CAN PAY FOR IT.

SO BUT IT WAS A WAY TO TO AGAIN RECOVER THOSE THOSE ITEMS BECAUSE THE THING I WOULD ALWAYS TELL STUDENTS IS I CAN'T WITH A FEE, I CAN WAIVE A FEE.

BUT WHAT I CAN'T DO IS WAIVE IF YOU LOST A TEXTBOOK.

I CAN'T WAIVE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S A GIFT OF PUBLIC FUNDS.

AND SO WE'VE GOT TO FIND SOME WAY FOR YOU TO TO RECOVER THAT LOST ASSET.

SO BUT IT DID HAVE SOME IMPACT IN TERMS OF OUR ABILITY TO RECOVER SOME OF THOSE ITEMS THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO GET OTHERWISE.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? THANK YOU, GUYS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT PIECE IN THIS SAGA.

NEXT ON NEW BUSINESS [LAUGHTER] IS FIRST READING WITH NO ACTION FOR REVISED POLICY 6970, WHICH IS THE NAMING OF SCHOOLS, FACILITIES AND TEAMS AND USE OF SCHOOL MASCOTS, IMAGES OR LOGOS.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YEAH, THIS IS KAREN.

I'M JUST REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THIS ONE MOVING FORWARD.

AND I'M WONDERING IF IN THE POLICY WE CAN REFERENCE THE BILL AT THE BOTTOM THERE.

IT JUST MIGHT BE USEFUL TO HAVE THAT REFERENCE TO THE THE LEGISLATION THAT PROHIBITING THE INAPPROPRIATE USE OF NATIVE AMERICAN

[01:45:02]

SO I'M A LITTLE CURIOUS FOR THE AS A RESULT OF THIS, WE HAD ONE LOGO CHANGE AND THAT WAS FOR SEAVIEW.

AND I'M WONDERING, DID WE HAVE INPUT FROM OUR LOCAL NATIVE AMERICAN JURISDICTION ON THIS BEFORE THE DECISION WAS MADE ON WHAT TO DO? WE DID NOT BECAUSE WE READ THE NEW LAW AS YOU NEEDED PERMISSION TO MAINTAIN A LOGO.

AND PERHAPS WE MADE THE WRONG ASSUMPTION, BUT WE BELIEVED THAT WE WOULDN'T FIGHT FOR AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LOGO TO RETAIN IT SO THAT WE WOULD WE WOULD REACH OUT TO THE TRIBE IF WE HAD WANTED TO KEEP IT.

AND BUT THUS WE THOUGHT THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW WAS TO CHANGE IT.

AND I CAN READ THE SUMMARY OF THE BILL, IF YOU LIKE, SO THAT IT'S EXACTLY WHAT SHE SAYS.

WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THEM.

MAY NOT.

THE SUMMARIES UNLESS SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS ARE MET BEGINNING JANUARY 2020, PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAY NOT USE NATIVE AMERICAN NAME SYMBOLS, IMAGES AS SCHOOL MASCOTS, LOGOS OR TEAMS. BUT DOESN'T IT SAY WITHOUT INPUT? [INAUDIBLE] SAYS THEY CAN IF THEY HAVE PERMISSION TO THE LOCAL TRIBE.

YEAH THE CONDITIONS ARE THEY HAVE TO CONSULT.

RIGHT. SO MY REACTION IS, YOU KNOW, IT MAKES SENSE EXCEPT IN A SENSE IN A CASE WHERE THE NATIVE AMERICAN LOCAL NATIVE AMERICAN JURISDICTION FEELS LIKE IT'S A CELEBRATION FOR THEM AND NOT PEJORATIVE IN ANY WAY THAT THEY MIGHT WANT TO HAVE THAT AS A SYMBOL OUT THERE.

AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THEIR INPUT ON ANY SITUATION LIKE THIS SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST MAKING A DECISION OFF THE TOP OF OUR HEADS.

OKAY. SO, I MEAN, IT JUST SOUNDS LIKE FOR SEAVIEW.

WE DIDN'T QUITE FOLLOW THROUGH ON THE PROCEDURE, BUT MAYBE WE NEED TO JUST BE MORE CLEAR IN THE FUTURE.

WE CAN CERTAINLY CLARIFY THAT AT THIS TIME.

WE HAVE NO REMAINING LOGOS OR NAMES OR IMAGES.

SO IT WOULD ONLY BE IF WE WANTED TO IMPLEMENT SOMETHING NEW SO.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS ON THAT? OKAY. SO THIS IS WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.

THE NEXT ITEM ON NEW BUSINESS IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SINGLE READING FOR THE ELECTION OF DR.

REBECCA MINER AS OUR 2022-23 INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT.

AND I'D LIKE TO JUST SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC THE PROCESS THAT WE FOLLOWED AND SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THIS. ABOUT SIX WEEKS AGO, DR.

BALDERAS ANNOUNCED HIS INTENTION TO RESIGN HIS CURRENT POSITION AS SUPERINTENDENT IN THE DISTRICT.

SINCE THAT TIME, THE BOARD HAS BEEN HARD AT WORK TO FIND AN INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT TO FILL THIS POSITION FOR A YEAR UNTIL WE ARE ABLE TO CONDUCT A FULL SEARCH FOR A PERMANENT SUPERINTENDENT. I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE USED.

WE DID HIRE A SEARCH FIRM TO HELP US DO VETTING OF CANDIDATES.

HOWEVER, IN ORDER TO SAVE TIME, WE DID MUCH OF THE IDENTIFICATION AND RECRUITING OF CANDIDATES OURSELVES BY CLEARLY IDENTIFYING THE CHARACTERISTICS WE WERE SEEKING IN OUR CANDIDATES.

AS I'VE ENUMERATED IN PREVIOUS IN A PREVIOUS BOARD MEETING, WE KNEW THAT WE WERE INTERESTED IN FINDING SOMEONE WHO NOT ONLY KNOWS WASHINGTON STATE, SNOHOMISH COUNTY AND OUR AREA, BUT ALSO HAS HAD EXTENSIVE POSITIVE EXPERIENCE AS A SUPERINTENDENT.

WE REACHED OUT TO OUR NETWORK OF CONTACTS, INCLUDING THE DIRECTOR OF THE NORTHWEST EDUCATIONAL SERVICE DISTRICT, THE PRESIDENT OF THE WASHINGTON STATE SCHOOL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION, PREVIOUS SUPERINTENDENTS FROM THE WESTERN WASHINGTON AREA AND OTHERS.

WE COLLECTED RESUMES AND REFERENCES FROM CANDIDATES WHO INDICATED AN INTEREST IN COMING TO EDMONDS FOR THIS INTERIM POSITION.

AND WE CONDUCTED INITIAL ONE ON ONE INTERVIEWS WITH SEVERAL.

WE ALSO CONDUCTED PEOPLE WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY WORKED IN THE WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY WORKED WITH THE CANDIDATES, INCLUDING SOME FORMER EDMONDS EMPLOYEES.

WE THEN SELECTED THE TOP TWO CANDIDATES FOR IN-DEPTH 90 MINUTE INTERVIEWS WITH THE BOARD, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IF NEITHER MET OUR NEEDS, WE WOULD CONTINUE THE SEARCH.

WE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO INCLUDE ALL STAKEHOLDERS IN THIS PROCESS, WHICH OF COURSE WE WILL DO NEXT YEAR WHEN WE CONDUCT THE SEARCH FOR A PERMANENT

[01:50:05]

WE DID THIS BY ASKING SEVEN STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, SIX STAFF GROUPS, AND ONE PARENT GROUP TO SUBMIT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ON KEY ISSUES THAT MATTER TO THEM AND TO INCLUDE RESPONSES THAT THESE GROUPS WOULD DEEM AS EXCELLENT RESPONSES.

ALL SEVEN GROUPS RESPONDED, GIVING US SOME GREAT, GREAT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS, WHICH WE REALLY APPRECIATE.

IN FACT, WE WERE ABLE TO USE QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY ALL THE GROUPS, AND WE TOOK THE PERSPECTIVES OF THESE GROUPS INTO ACCOUNT AS WE LISTENED TO THE CANDIDATES RESPONSES ON THE INTERVIEWS. BASED ON THIS PROCESS, WE'RE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE DR.

REBECCA MINER AS OUR CHOICE FOR INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT.

DR. MINER SERVED AS SUPERINTENDENT OF THE SHORELINE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR SEVEN YEARS AND A SUPERINTENDENT OF THE WHITE PASS SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THREE YEARS BEFORE THAT.

ADDITIONALLY, SHE HAS SERVED AS AN ADMINISTRATOR OVERSEEING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES AND ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL, A HIGH SCHOOL LANGUAGE ARTS TEACHER AND A MIDDLE SCHOOL SPANISH TEACHER AND SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER.

ALL IN THE VANCOUVER SCHOOL DISTRICT.

PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED WITH DR.

MINER SPEAK VERY HIGHLY OF HER.

WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT DR.

MINER WILL PROVIDE STABILITY TO THE DISTRICT BY LEADING AND SUPPORTING THE WORK OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND KEEPING THE DISTRICT MOVING FORWARD IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.

CONTINGENT ON THE VOTE OF THE BOARD.

SO DO I HEAR A MOTION? A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ELECTION OF DR.

MINER AS OUR 2022-23 INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT.

THIS IS KAREN SO MOVED.

I SECOND.

I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR ANY DISCUSSION? I THINK YOU COVERED IT. OKAY.

I'LL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.

AYE. AYE.

AYE. AYE.

AND WE'RE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT DR.

REBECCA MINER WILL BE OUR INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT FOR THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR.

[13. DISCUSSION]

I'M SO PLEASED THAT WE HAVE AT LEAST RITIKA AND ISABELLE HERE, AND I BELIEVE THAT TWO OTHERS MAY BE AVAILABLE VIRTUALLY.

ALLISON, IS THAT RIGHT? ROSHNI IS AVAILABLE.

EXCELLENT. THANK YOU.

AND I WAS THE ONE WHO ASKED FOR THIS.

I HAVE A CONCERN THAT WE WHILE YOU GUYS ARE FANTASTIC, WE LOVE YOU.

IT HAS NOT BEEN REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.

AND I, FOR ONE, AM CURIOUS TO FIND OUT WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO BECOME A STUDENT ADVISOR.

WHAT HAS KEPT YOU GUYS WHO HAVE CONTINUED TO COME TO COME AND HOW WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF RECRUITING AND SUPPORTING YOU GUYS? OKAY. THE SIMPLE ANSWER WOULD BE, I DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE I SAY THAT ABOUT EVERYTHING.

FOR SOME REASON, I'VE DONE A LOT OF THE THINGS I'VE DONE AND CONTINUE TO.

BUT IN SERIOUSNESS, I THINK THE THING THAT HAS KEPT ME GOING IS KNOWING THAT KNOWING THE WORK THAT THE BOARD DOES IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND AFFECTS PEOPLE LIKE AFFECT STUDENTS OF EVERY BACKGROUND AND THE SCHOOL BOARD IS A REALLY COOL WAY TO GET INVOLVED WITH MAKING SURE THAT OUR VOICES ARE HEARD, WHERE THE DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE, BECAUSE, YES, YOU GUYS ARE LOVELY AND A LOT OF YOU HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH THE DISTRICT, WHETHER YOU HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE IN THE SCHOOLS OR YOU VOLUNTEER OR YOU HAVE HAD STUDENTS, BUT NOTHING BEATS THE ACTUAL EXPERIENCE OF STUDENTS WHO ARE DOING IT ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS.

AND PEOPLE WHO ARE CREATING POLICIES AND TRYING TO HELP THE SYSTEM CAN'T TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON UNLESS THERE'S REPRESENTATION FROM STUDENTS, WHICH IS KIND OF WHAT HAS KEPT ME GOING, I THINK, IN TERMS OF WHAT COULD HELP MOTIVATE, DEFINITELY HANGING ON TO THE ZOOM ASPECT BECAUSE BOARD MEETINGS CAN GO FOR A WHILE AND ALSO HOMEWORK TENDS TO PILE ON.

SO KEEPING THAT IN PLACE.

AND THEN I THINK ALSO I KNOW A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO THAT THE SCHOLARSHIP METHODS EXISTED WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THAT WAS AN INCENTIVE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE WHEN I HEARD ABOUT IT.

AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S NO LONGER A THING, BUT I THINK SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT OF LIKE WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, PROMOTING IT AS A INCREDIBLE WAY TO BEEF UP YOUR COLLEGE APPLICATION, THEY WORK FOR ME.

[01:55:07]

AND THEN MAYBE CONSIDERING INVOLVING MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS TOO.

I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, BUT THAT ALSO WIDENS THE REPRESENTATION.

AND THEN AT EVERY SCHOOL, JUST CONTINUING TO PROMOTE IT, NOT JUST IN THAT ORIGINAL THING IN THE BEGINNING WHERE IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WE NEED TO [INAUDIBLE] WE'RE JUST CONTINUE PROMOTING IT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND THEN FINDING A WAY TO INCENTIVIZE THE THE EXPERIENCE, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, SOME SORT OF INCENTIVE FOR AFTER SCHOOL OR I KNOW WHEN THE LEGISLATIVE THINGS [INAUDIBLE] START TO START AGAIN THAT MIGHT BE ANOTHER INCENTIVE.

ONE COMMENT. SO, ISABEL, BEFORE I FORGET, I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS RITIKA'S COMMENT ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP.

THIS UPSETS US A LOT.

IT TURNS OUT THAT THE REASON WHY WE'RE NO LONGER ABLE TO DO THAT IS IT'S AGAINST THE LAW, SO DON'T TELL ANYBODY.

BUT WE HAD BEEN DOING IT BEFORE AND WE WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BECAUSE IT'S A GIFT OF PUBLIC FUNDS.

WE HAVE ACTUALLY INTENTIONALLY AND REPEATEDLY REACHED OUT TO THE FOUNDATION FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ASKING IF THEY COULD PICK THIS UP AND HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED AN AFFIRMATIVE ANSWER TO THAT.

I'M INTERESTED IN REACHING OUT TO SOME OTHER FOUNDATIONS, AND IF ANYBODY OUT THERE IS LISTENING TO THIS WHO REPRESENT OTHER FOUNDATIONS OR GROUPS WITHIN THE DISTRICT THAT HELP SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS, I WOULD REALLY HOPE THAT PEOPLE WOULD HELP US GIVE THIS BECAUSE IT'S A MOTIVATOR, BUT IT'S ALSO SOMETHING YOU DESERVE FOR DOING THIS.

THIS IS A LOT OF WORK AND EFFORT, AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT, VALUABLE FEEDBACK MECHANISM FOR US TO HAVE YOUR VOICES HEAR.

AND YOU NEED TO BE GIVEN THE KIND OF VALUE ADDED ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT A SCHOLARSHIP, EVEN A SMALL SCHOLARSHIP, WOULD HELP PROVIDE. SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW IT IS OF CONCERN THAT IS OF CONCERN TO US, AND WE'RE TRYING TO MITIGATE IT.

DIRECTOR KATIMS, I WONDER IF THERE'S A LEGAL WAY FOR US TO GIVE STUDENTS A STIPEND FOR THEIR WORK.

SO PER MEETING, AS WE GO.

I CAN CHECK WITH OUR LEGAL TEAM.

I CAN CHECK WITH OUR LEGAL TEAM.

YEP. THAT'S THAT'S A REALLY GOOD IDEA.

AS IF YOU WERE WORKING EMPLOYED FOR.

THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.

YEAH.

THAT WOULD BE VERY NICE, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE, MOST OF US WOULD BE PLANNING ON ATTENDING THE UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE NEXT YEAR, AND THAT'S EXPENSIVE.

BUT YEAH, I DEFINITELY AGREE WITH RICKY, WITH WHAT RICKY DOES SAID I JOINED THE ADVISORY TO THE BOARD BECAUSE ONCE I FOUND OUT THAT THE BOARD GAVE STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE THEIR OPINION AND KNOW AND I KNEW THAT THEY ACTUALLY, ONCE I NEEDED THIS OPPORTUNITY WAS AVAILABLE TO ME, I DEFINITELY HAD TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT AND ALSO TO SHARE MY PEERS OPINIONS.

AND BEING A HISPANIC WOMAN, KNOWING THAT WOMAN, KNOWING THAT MY VOICE WOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN WITH THE DECISIONS, I FELT LIKE I HAD TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.

BUT I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, IT'S NOT VERY WIDELY KNOWN THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY.

WE HAD PACKETS, WE WERE PASSING OUT PACKETS DURING LUNCH TIME DURING THE STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, AND A LOT OF STUDENTS, ONCE THEY SAW THE PACKET, THEY WERE VERY INTERESTED, BUT THEY HAD NO IDEA THAT IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY.

SO A LOT OF STUDENTS [INAUDIBLE] PACKET.

SO I HOPE YOU'LL BE GETTING A LOT OF APPLICATIONS FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR.

YEAH. YEAH.

I THINK LIKE YOU SAID, PROMOTING MORE AND MAKING IT MORE WIDELY KNOWN WOULD REALLY HELP.

BUT SO FAR IT'S BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE, SO I'M REALLY GLAD TO BE A PART OF IT.

THANK YOU. WELL, AND I PARTICULARLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR INVOLVEMENT AS WELL IN THEIR RECENT STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, SHOWING ALL THE LEADERSHIP SKILLS HERE AND REALLY ACROSS THE DISTRICT IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT THING.

SO AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT.

OTHER BOARD DIRECTORS INPUT ON THIS TOPIC? I JUST WANTED TO THROW ONE QUICK.

BEFORE I DO THAT. IS ROSHNI AVAILABLE? YEAH. I'M HERE. OH, YAY.

CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? YES.

HI. HI. I WAS INSPIRED TO BE A BOARD ADVISOR BECAUSE WHEN I WAS IN EIGHTH GRADE, I CAME TO ONE BOARD MEETING, [INAUDIBLE] MEETING I EVER WENT TO TO PRESENT SOMETHING.

[02:00:01]

AND I SAW ONE OF MY BIG BUDDIES WHEN I WAS IN SECOND GRADE AND SHE WAS IN SIXTH GRADE.

I SAW HER UP ON SITTING UP WITH YOU GUYS AND SHE WAS ALSO SHE WAS AN ADVISOR AND I WAS LIKE, I FELT REALLY INSPIRED.

I'M LIKE, I WANT TO BE LIKE HER ONE DAY BECAUSE I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE LIKE UP THERE AND DOING SOMETHING IN LEADERSHIP.

I COULDN'T DO LEADERSHIP AT SCHOOL BECAUSE I'M IN FULL IB AND YOU NEED TO TAKE HAVE AN EXTRA OPEN SPOT IN YOUR SCHEDULE TO DO IT.

SO I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO LIKE DO SOMETHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH LEADERSHIP.

SO THIS IS WHY I DID THE MEETING.

ROSHNI. THANK YOU.

AND I'M WONDERING WHY WE CAN'T REPLICATE EVERYBODY SEEING AN OLDER BUDDY IN THAT SITUATION.

I WONDER IF IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO LET STUDENTS SEE THE OTHER STUDENTS WHO'VE BEEN ADVISORS AND MAYBE WE COULD COLLECT TESTIMONIALS FROM YOU GUYS.

SO WHEN WE PROMOTE IT, YOU COULD SHARE WHAT THE WHO YOU ARE, THE EXPERIENCE THAT YOU'VE HAD TO TRY TO BRING THAT HUMAN PEER PIECE AS WELL TO IT.

SO YOU'VE INSPIRED ME, ROSHNI, TO THINK OF THAT WHICH I APPRECIATE AND ALL.

THANK YOU. OTHER OTHER COMMENTS.

I THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THE STUDENT ADVISOR VOICE HERE.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, I WASN'T VERY TIED INTO THE SCHOOL BOARD WHEN I WAS ATTENDING SCHOOL HERE AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT TO I'M SURE WE HAD SCHOOL BOARD ADVISORS, BUT IT JUST WAS NOT AS WELL KNOWN I THINK AS IT SOUNDS LIKE ISABEL AND RITIKA AND THE OTHER MEMBERS HAVE BEEN MAKING IT KNOWN IN THEIR SCHOOLS.

I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF EXTENDING IT TO EIGHTH GRADERS.

I THINK THAT'S A GREAT CHANCE FOR THEM.

AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS ONE CONCERN FOR WHEN DR.

BALDERAS TALKS ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL STIPEND IS JUST THAT.

I'M GOING TO SAY IT LIKE IT'S A PROBLEM.

YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CHILD LABOR LAWS, BUT LIKE IF WE TREAT THEM LIKE EMPLOYEES DO WE RUN AFOUL OF SOMETHING? WOULD IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE? WE HAD LIKE SOME SORT OF A TRUST ACCOUNT THAT THEY GOT LATER.

LIKE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON THE LEGALITY OF THAT.

SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COVERING ALL OUR BASES.

ANY OTHER INPUT? DEBORAH, ARE YOU GOOD? I'D BE SUPER HAPPY TO HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUDENTS WE COULD TAKE DOWN TO LOBBY IN [INAUDIBLE].

AS YOU KNOW, THINGS OPEN UP.

SO YOU KNOW WHAT? AND EVEN SHARING THAT EXPERIENCE AS PART OF THE PROMOTION SHOWING, I KNOW YOU'VE TAKEN PICTURES OF THE KIDS WHO'VE MAYBE GONE DOWN THERE.

WE DO. AND I ACTUALLY HAD PERMISSION FROM THEM TO USE THEM SO I CAN SHARE THOSE WITH.

THAT WOULD BE A COOL SORT OF ADDITION IF WE CREATE LIKE A PROMOTIONAL.

TOO BAD IT DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE PACKET.

BUT YOU KNOW, NEXT TIME.

GREAT. JUST WANT TO CAPTURE THAT.

OKAY. WE'RE GOOD ON THAT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT DISCUSSION AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT.

THE NEXT THING WE WANT TO DISCUSS IS THE STAFF REIMBURSEMENT FOR STUDENT SNACK PURCHASES.

AND DR.

BALDERAS, MAYBE YOU CAN GIVE SOME BACKGROUND HERE.

YEAH, NOT THAT LONG AGO, WE PROVIDED STAFF $400 WITHOUT ANY RECEIPT.

AND WE CAME TO OUR ATTENTION THAT WHEN WE FOUND THAT OUT, THAT WE NEED RECEIPTS BECAUSE IT'S A GIFT IN THE PUBLIC DOLLARS.

AND OLIVIA CAN SPEAK TO THIS A BIT, BUT MOST RECENTLY THE BOARD CHANGED.

WE PRESENTED A POLICY TO THE BOARD TO ALIGN TO BEST PRACTICE POLICIES, AND NOW WE REQUIRE RECEIPTS.

I THINK HERE THE ISSUE HAS TO DO WITH WHAT WE CAN PURCHASE WITH THOSE DOLLARS.

AND THOSE ARE THERE ARE CERTAIN ITEMS THAT ARE ALLOWABLE AND CERTAIN ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ALLOWABLE.

AND WE ALSO HAVE A VARIETY OF POLICIES THAT SPEAK TO WHAT'S NOT ALLOWABLE, LIKE SUGARY SNACKS, PIZZA, ALL THE THE OLD FUN STUFF WE USED TO DO, LIKE BACK WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL.

SO AND FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS BECAUSE AGAIN, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT KID'S ALLERGIES ARE PRESENT POSSIBLY IN CLASSROOMS IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE BUT ALSO IT'S PER OUR OUR POLICY IN TERMS OF WHAT THE [INAUDIBLE] ARE SAYING THAT WE CANNOT SPEND MONEY ON.

AND I CAN HAVE STAFF BE ABLE TO COME UP AND SPEAK TO IT MORE, BUT IT'S JUST REALLY ALIGNING OURSELVES TO BEST MODEL POLICIES. WHAT DO? WHAT TENDS TO HAPPEN IN SCHOOLS IF I MEAN, I KNOW THAT WE ARE PROVIDING RIGHT NOW THAT STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO GET ACCESS TO

[02:05:10]

BUT WHAT HAPPENS IN SCHOOL IS TYPICALLY IF A STUDENT GETS HUNGRY OR ANGRY, YOU KNOW, IN BETWEEN MEALS? WE ANTICIPATE THAT THEY SHOULD GO TO THE SCHOOL NURSE WHO WOULD KNOW THEIR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, PROVIDE A NUTRITIOUS SNACK INSTEAD OF THE SUGARY SNACKS THAT ARE BEING OFFERED IN THE CLASSROOM. SO DO THEY HAVE AN I MEAN.

ANY KID COULD JUST RUN DOWN.

I MEAN, GET A PASS AND GO AND GET SOMETHING LIKE AN APPLE OR SOMETHING OR DOES IT HAVE TO BE ATTACHED TO A MEDICAL CONDITION? I DON'T BELIEVE ALL CHILDREN WOULD CHOOSE TO LEAVE THEIR CLASSROOM TO GO GET A SNACK.

BUT THERE ARE CHILDREN WITH DIABETES CERTAINLY THAT HAVE TO MONITOR THEIR BLOOD SUGAR CLOSELY.

CERTAINLY IN HIGHER POVERTY DISTRICTS, KIDS OFTEN VISIT THE NURSE TO GET SOME CHEERIOS OR SOMETHING IF THEY NEED A SNACK BETWEEN BREAKFAST AND LUNCH.

SO I GUESS WHAT I'M ASKING, BECAUSE I HEARD THIS SPECIFIC.

FEEDBACK FROM TEACHERS IS THAT SOMETIMES A STUDENT, FOR WHATEVER REASON, COULD BE ONE OF THOSE JUST COULD BE.

THEY DIDN'T EAT THEIR LUNCH.

THEY DIDN'T LIKE IT OR SOMETHING.

THEY NEED SOMETHING.

AND. AND YOU'RE.

IS IT TRUE THAT THE TEACHER COULD THEN SEND THAT STUDENT TO GET AN APPLE OR SOMETHING? THE NURSE MIGHT NOT BE SET UP TO DO SO.

IT KIND OF DEPENDS ON THE SCHOOL AND THE STUDENTS NEEDS.

SO IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE AS A DISTRICT COULD DO SOMETHING WHERE THE FRONT OFFICE HAS A STASH OF NUTRITIOUS GRANOLA BARS OR WHATEVER? I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S NUTRITIOUS, BUT.

WELL, I'M SORRY MY KIDS HAVE BEEN EATING CHICKEN MCNUGGETS FOR 20 YEARS, SO NO.

IS IT POSSIBLE THAT EACH SCHOOL COULD HAVE A STASH OF NUTRITIOUS SNACKS FOR THAT SPECIFIC SITUATION WHERE A CHILD, FOR WHATEVER REASON, IS NOT FOCUSING ON THE LEARNING BECAUSE THEY NEED SOMETHING? WE WOULD WANT TO COORDINATE WITH NUTRITION SERVICES BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF MANDATES, FEDERAL MANDATES WITHIN THE USDA PROGRAM ON WHAT CAN BE SERVED TO STUDENTS.

SO I CAN CERTAINLY TALK TO MEGAN.

BUT I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THIS YEAR THERE'S ONLY BEEN LIKE SIX REQUESTS AND ONLY ONE OF THOSE REQUESTS THIS WHOLE ENTIRE YEAR HAD NEUTRAL BARS AND THE REST WERE PREDOMINANTLY CHOCOLATE.

WHAT YOU MEAN? THE REIMBURSEMENTS WERE PREDOMINANTLY CHOCOLATE.

THE REIMBURSEMENTS WERE CHOCOLATE.

I SEE. SO. OKAY.

YEAH. I'M JUST WONDERING REALLY FOR THAT SPECIFIC INSTANCE WHERE A KID JUST IS HUNGRY.

IF TEACHERS I MEAN, A LOT OF I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS AN ELEMENTARY PARENT AND WE ALL CHIPPED IN AND BROUGHT SNACKS IN THROUGH THE YEAR.

AND I ASSUME THAT'S STILL GOING ON, WHICH IS WHY STUDENTS DON'T RUN TO THE NURSE'S OFFICE.

THEY [INAUDIBLE] CLASS OR WHATEVER, BUT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING ON HAND IN CASE A SCHOOL DOESN'T DO THAT OR SOMETHING THAT THERE'S THAT I CAN'T THINK OF, I MEAN, OTHER THAN MEDICAL CONDITIONS.

BUT THERE ARE CASES I JUST DON'T WANT ANY OF OUR KIDS TO LOSE OUT ON LEARNING IN THE AFTERNOON BECAUSE THEY'RE HUNGRY.

I THINK YOUR POINT IS REALLY WELL TAKEN IN TERMS OF WHAT'S RECOMMENDED IN TERMS OF BEST PRACTICE OF WHAT'S ALLOWABLE IN A CLASSROOM DURING NUTRITION SERVICES PROGRAM.

AND MEGAN, OUR MANAGER, IS ONE OF THE BEST AROUND AND MAYBE WE COULD PROVIDE MORE DETAIL IN TERMS OF WHAT'S ALLOWABLE AND WHAT'S THE BEST PRACTICE REGIONALLY AND WHAT WE CAN DO. BECAUSE I THINK EVEN BY ASKING PARENTS TO BRING IN CERTAIN ITEMS, THEY COULD ALSO BE IN VIOLATION OF WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO BE.

REALLY. NO, NO, NO.

I DON'T THINK WE GET IN TROUBLE. I MEAN, I THINK IT'S JUST AS WE SAID EARLIER, IT'S JUST HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE WHAT'S ALLOWABLE TO ENSURE PARENTS BRING IN WHAT'S ALLOWABLE OR HOW DO WE SUPPORT OUR CLASSROOMS? I KNOW THERE'S A VARIETY OF WAYS TO DO THAT.

SO I THINK YOU BRING UP A VERY VALID POINT IN TERMS OF GETTING MORE INFORMATION.

AND I CAN WORK WITH A LYDIA WHO OVERSEES MEGAN IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN DO.

SO I JUST I CAN ONLY SPEAK TO MY EXPERIENCE IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DISTRICT, BUT AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, WE HAVE SNACK TIME.

[02:10:05]

AND I'M GOING TO REPHRASE THIS AS AN EQUITY ISSUE.

THERE ARE KIDS WHOSE PARENTS CAN NOT AFFORD TO SEND THEM WITH SNACKS.

AND SO NOW KIDS ARE PULLING OUT THEIR SNACKS AND THERE'S ALWAYS FOUR OR FIVE KIDS IN THE CLASS WHO JUST DON'T HAVE SNACKS, NEVER DO.

AND SO I AS A TEACHER, GO OUT AND I BUY GOLDFISH OR WHATEVER TO PROVIDE TO THOSE KIDS SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE THAT, SO THEY CAN BE LIKE THEIR PEERS.

AND I UNDERSTAND THE DISTRICT HAS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND ISSUES AND ALL OF THIS, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S MONEY THAT I'M SPENDING FOR MY KIDS.

I'M NOT GETTING A REIMBURSEMENT FOR IT.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M DOING TO MAKE IT SO THEY CAN FIT IN WITH THEIR PEER GROUP.

I WOULD LOVE IT IF MY SCHOOL HAD A SNACK DESTINATION OR SOMETHING WHERE I COULD GO GET SOMETHING FOR THOSE KIDS.

SO I THINK JUST AS A GENERAL POLICY ISSUE, WE SHOULD CONSIDER THIS AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE WE NEVER REALLY FORMALIZED A PLAN FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS, BUT IT IS A REAL WORLD DAY TO DAY ISSUE.

SO MANY STATES HAVE LIKE SNACK TABLES.

AND AGAIN, I JUST NEED TO GET MORE DEEPER INTO THE KNOWLEDGE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE DO HERE AND WHAT'S ALLOWABLE.

SO I THINK NO ONE WANTS TO SEE A HUNGRY KID.

FIRST OF ALL, WE ALL WE ALL GET THAT.

HOW DO WE MAKE THAT HAPPEN IN THE MANNER THAT'S LEGAL? IT'S ABOVE BOARD.

THAT'S ACTUALLY DOESN'T CAUSE US TO VIOLATE OUR OWN POLICIES BECAUSE WE HAVE POLICIES FOR THIS.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE LAWS THAT SPEAK TO IN TERMS OF WHAT WHAT'S ALLOWABLE BETWEEN BREAKFAST AND LUNCH, EVEN IN TERMS OF WHAT'S ALLOWABLE IN TERMS OF THE BREAKS.

I MEAN, IT'S VERY THE FDA OF THE PAST IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IT IS NOW.

SO THE PIZZA, THE HEAT NOW DOESN'T TASTE LIKE IT DID 20 YEARS AGO.

SO EVEN FOUR YEARS AGO.

SO ONE THING I'M THINKING ABOUT IS I KNOW IN THE PAST, FOR EXAMPLE, DURING STATE ASSESSMENT TIME, SCHOOLS WOULD PROVIDE SNACKS TO ALL THE KIDS AS PART OF THE TESTING SITUATION.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S STILL THE CASE, BUT I'M WONDERING IF SCHOOLS SO IT'S NOT TEACHERS ASKING FOR REIMBURSEMENT, BUT IF SCHOOLS USE DISCRETIONARY FUNDS IN THE SCHOOL BUDGET TO BUY A SET OF SNACKS TO HAVE AT THE SCHOOL THAT FIT THE NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS, IS THAT ALLOWED? I'D HAVE TO DO MORE RESEARCH, BUT MORE LIKELY BECAUSE ONE, YOU CAN CONTROL WHAT SNACKS ARE BEING PROVIDED, YOU KNOW, WHICH CHILDREN HAVE ALLERGIES, YOU KNOW WHICH CHILDREN HAVE DIABETES OR OTHER MEDICAL CONDITIONS.

AND MEGAN KNOWS WHAT IS.

THERE'S THE HEALTHY, HUNGRY, FREE KIDS ACT OF 2010 DEFINES WHAT A SMART SNACK IS, AND A SMART SNACK HAS TO MEET CERTAIN NUTRITIONAL COMPONENTS.

SO, YOU KNOW, X GRAMS OF CARBS AND SUGAR AND SALT.

AND SO, YES, WE KNOW WHAT A SMART SNACK IS.

AND BUT KIDS ARE ALLOWED TO BRING THEIR OWN SNACK.

OF COURSE. YEAH.

ANYWAY, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO THINK ABOUT PERHAPS IF THERE'S A WAY TO HAVE SCHOOLS IN AN EQUITABLE WAY, SET ASIDE A CERTAIN IT WOULDN'T BE THAT COSTLY. I DON'T THINK AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR A SCHOOL WHAT WE CALL IT SNACK DESTINATION.

SURE. WHATEVER, SNACK TABLES, WHATEVER.

SO THAT IT'S NOT TEACHERS WHO ARE EITHER A USING THEIR OWN MONEY, WHICH MY HUSBAND USED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, PROBABLY OF DOLLARS WHEN HE WAS A TEACHER ON THAT.

AND IT'S NOT TEACHERS ASKING FOR REIMBURSEMENT EITHER, BUT AS A SCHOOL THAT ALL SCHOOLS WOULD PERHAPS BE ABLE TO DO THIS IF WE CREATED SOME SORT OF PROCEDURE IN WHICH THEY COULD USE THEIR SCHOOL FUNDS FOR DOING IT.

SO THAT'S ONE POSSIBILITY.

YEAH. AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THE TEACHER DISCRETIONARY FUND IS NOT SUBJECT TO PAYROLL TAXES WHEN IT FITS UNDER IRS CRITERIA.

AND SO WE HAVE A BIG CONCERN THAT WE SHOULD BE THAT ANY PREVIOUS REIMBURSEMENTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAXED ACCORDING TO PAYROLL LOSS.

THAT'S THE BIG CONCERN WITH THE ANOTHER BIG CONCERN WITH REIMBURSING.

OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS? THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS OUR TIME FOR ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENTS AND HEATHER.

[14. PUBLIC COMMENTS]

SORRY YOU HAD TO WAIT.

[02:15:18]

THESE ARE MY OPINIONS.

AND THIS IS AN EXCERPT FROM DR.

SEUSS, THE BOOK CALLED THE SNEETCHES.

I'M SURE A LOT OF YOU READ THAT WHEN YOUR KIDS ARE READ IT TO YOUR KIDS.

NOW, THE STAR BELLY SNEETCHES HAVE BELLIES WITH STARS.

THE PLAIN BELLY SNEETCHES HAD NONE UPON THE [INAUDIBLE].

YOU MIGHT THINK THAT SUCH A THING WOULDN'T MATTER AT ALL, BUT BECAUSE THEY HAD STARS, ALL THE STAR BELLY WOULD SNORT.

WE'LL HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PLAIN BELLY SORT.

DR. SEUSS BROKE DOWN COMPLEX SOCIETAL CHALLENGES AND VERY SIMPLE WAYS.

I'M HERE TODAY TO REMIND THE BOARD AND OUR COMMUNITY THAT OUR KIDS AND ADULTS DO DESERVE BETTER.

I WANT TO BRING PERSPECTIVE TO THE BOARD THAT THE COVID POLICIES PERPETUATED THESE MYTHS THAT DR.

SEUSS SPOKE ABOUT.

AND WHILE LABELING A GROUP OF PEOPLE IS WRONG, IF NOT ILLEGAL, ULTIMATELY THERE IS NO DOCUMENTED PROOF THAT THE SCHOOL MEASURES MADE ANYONE SAFER THIS YEAR.

THE CDC HAD HAD SINCE SAID IN THE SUMMER OF 2021 TRANSMISSION CAN BE SIMILAR BETWEEN VACCINATED OR UNVACCINATED, AND CHILDREN WERE AT EXTREMELY LOW RISK. YET EVEN WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE, THE DISTRICT WOULD NOT CHANGE TO A TEST TO STAY MODEL, ALLOWING ALL HEALTHY KIDS TO STAY IN SCHOOL.

THE POLICY COULD HAVE CHANGED IN EARLY OCTOBER.

YET MONTHS PASSED, FORCING HUNDREDS OF HEALTHY KIDS AT HOME FOR WEEKS AT A TIME WITH NO EDUCATION OR EVEN VIRTUAL LEARNING.

IT'S A FALLACY TO SAY THIS CHOICE WAS OUT OF YOUR HANDS AS THE SNOHOMISH SCHOOL DISTRICT SUCCESSIVELY INTEGRATED THIS MODEL TO THEIR STUDENTS.

SNOHOMISH IS THE SAME COUNTY, IT'S THE SAME BOARD OF HEALTH, AND THEY HAVE THE SAME DNA IN THEIR STUDENTS.

THEY KEPT THEIR STUDENTS BODY SAFE AND IN SCHOOL.

WHILE OUR BOARD DOES TOUT INCLUSIVENESS AND EQUITY, WHICH I'VE HEARD TIME AND TIME AGAIN TONIGHT.

THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST LEAST EQUITABLE POLICIES TO LOWER INCOME STUDENTS STUDENTS THAT ARE CHALLENGED IN SCHOOL.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS LIKE SPANISH LANGUAGE AS WELL.

THE SILENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF HAVING ALLOWED THIS POLICY WAS APPROVAL OF THIS LABELING AND EXCLUSION.

IF WE HAD SPENT ALL OF THAT TIME AND MONEY ON THOSE COVID DASHBOARDS, THOSE TESTING, THOSE CONTACT TRACING, WE COULD HAVE KEPT THOSE KIDS IN SCHOOL.

THEY WOULDN'T HAVE LOST TIME AND THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED AND FELT LESSER OF THEMSELVES.

THE LABELING THAT HAS BEEN CREATED IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS DONE THAT.

THEY WERE NOT TREATED EQUALLY.

THEY DID NOT GET AN EQUAL EDUCATION.

WHILE THE STATE HAS REMOVED THE VACCINE REQUIREMENT FOR NEXT YEAR, HOW WILL THE DISTRICT CHOOSE TO TREAT CHILDREN NEXT YEAR AS WELL AS PARENTS? THERE IS NO CERTAINTY BASED ON THIS PAST PERFORMANCE.

AND HERE'S MY ASK.

I HOPE THAT YOU RETURN TO PROVIDING EDUCATION AND FOCUS ON THAT IN YOUR BOARD MEETINGS.

I'D LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HOW TO GET THOSE KIDS TEST SCORES UP, HOW THEY'RE GETTING MORE ACCESS TO THEIR TEACHERS, HOW THEY'RE DOING BETTER IN SCHOOL. I JUST WANT TO END WITH THAT.

I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE TIME.

I HOPE YOU HEAR THAT.

I HOPE YOU TAKE THIS TO HEART IN TERMS OF THAT ALL STUDENTS NEED THE ABILITY TO BE IN PERSON AND THAT LABELING IS WRONG BY ANYONE.

THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] NEXT ON OUR AGENDA ARE BOARD COMMENTS.

[15. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]

WE'RE GOING TO START WITH OUR STUDENTS, RITIKA.

ALL RIGHT. WELL, WE'VE COVERED A LOT TONIGHT, BUT, UM, FIRST OF ALL, REGARDING FINES, [INAUDIBLE].

IT'S NICE TO KNOW THAT THE DISTRICT COURT IS RICH ON PEOPLE GRADUATING.

FIRST OF ALL, REGARDING THE STRATEGIC PLAN, BECAUSE [INAUDIBLE] COME UP TONIGHT, AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT I'M DEFINITELY SUPER PROUD OF, THE FACT THAT THE BOARD IS MAKING AN EFFORT TO FOCUS ON AND SHOULD YOU PLAN, TALK A LOT ABOUT INCLUSION.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S SO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE PEOPLE AND THEIR HISTORIES AND WHO THEY ARE AND WHO THEY WANT TO BE AND WHO THEY WANT TO BE SEEN AS.

AND OUR DISTRICT HAS DONE A FAIRLY GOOD JOB OF THAT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, MAKING IT SO THAT WE ARE

[02:20:01]

ONE OF THE BIGGEST STEPS IN THAT I'M REALLY PROUD ABOUT AND I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE THIS HAPPENING BEFORE I LEAVE, IS WE'RE AT [INAUDIBLE] I KNOW THIS IS A DISTRICT WIDE THING THAT IS BEING MADE AN EFFORT, BUT GENDER NEUTRAL BATHROOMS ARE GOING TO BE A THING.

AND IF YOU JUST I FOUND OUT TODAY THAT WE GOING TO BE HAVING VERY [INAUDIBLE] BATHROOMS IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AND.

THE AUTOMATIC.

LIKE ENERGY THAT WENT UP IN THE ROOM AND THAT CAME UP TODAY SHOWS ME HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR THE SAFETY OF STUDENTS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT BACKGROUNDS MAY BE. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO IDENTIFY AS TRANSGENDER OR WHATEVER IT IS, AND WANT TO BE SEEN JUST AS EVERYONE ELSE IS. AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE MAKING STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR THAT IS AMAZING, AND I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT.

REGARDING [INAUDIBLE] SPECIAL NEEDS OR SPECIAL EDUCATION COMMENTS THAT CAME UP EARLIER, IT JUST MADE ME THINK ABOUT EXPERIENCE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO THAT I WANTED TO SHARE, WHICH WAS, EIGHTH GRADE YEAR THE GROUP, THE SCHOOL HAD LIKE LIMITED SPACE AND WE, I NEEDED A ROOM JUST FOR AN EVENT STUDY AND WHERE ALL MY EQUIPMENT WAS HOUSED.

AND BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF SPACE, WE BUILT A DOOR WITHIN THE ROOM THAT WE WERE ALREADY IN AND THEN BEHIND THAT DOOR WAS KIND OF WHERE [INAUDIBLE] HOUSE WAS LIKE A SMALL CUBICLE PLACE, AND THEN OTHER STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS LIKE WOULD BE OUTSIDE THE DOOR.

AND IT WAS KIND OF LIKE USES A CONTROL ROOM WHERE ONCE EVERYONE HAD KIND OF ESCALATED INTO [INAUDIBLE], THEY WOULD END UP THERE.

AND SO I KNOW HOW EXTREME IT CAN GO.

AND IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IF ANYTHING WITH THE STUDENTS, BECAUSE A LOT OF STUDENTS NEED DIFFERENT THINGS.

AND I THINK IT JUST HIGHLIGHTS HOW MUCH SUPPORT THE SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS AND PARENTS DO NEED BECAUSE IT'S A LOT TO HANDLE.

AND LIKE THE SUPPORT THAT'S NECESSARY TO PROVIDE, WHAT EACH STUDENT NEEDS VARIES.

WE ALL KNOW THAT. AND SO I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS THERE.

CONGRATULATIONS TO DR.

MINOR FOR THE ELECTION AND [INAUDIBLE] IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU IN PERSON.

THANK YOU. YOU TOO.

YEAH. SO I GUESS I'LL START WITH MY COMMENTS.

STARTING FROM THE BEGINNING OF OUR BOARD MEETINGS, THE BRIER TERRACE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRESENTATION WAS VERY COOL.

FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS REALLY NICE LEARNING ABOUT ALL THE CLUBS THAT THE SCHOOL OFFERS, LIKE THE UNICYCLE CLUB.

I THINK THAT'S AWESOME.

AND ALSO THE RUNNING CLUB, I THINK DOES PROVIDE SUCH GREAT OPPORTUNITIES.

AND COMMUNITY FOR STUDENTS STARTING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND IT MIGHT EXPOSE THEM TO A FUTURE HOBBY OR THAT HOBBY THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE AND ALSO LEARNING ABOUT THEIR PASSION PROJECTS.

I THINK THAT WAS VERY COOL.

YEAH. AND AGAIN, COMMENTING ON THE STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE THAT WE HAD LAST WEDNESDAY, IT WAS JUST IT WAS SUCH AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY.

THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK THE DISTRICT FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THE [INAUDIBLE] BACK INTO OUR TOWN.

AND I MEAN, SHE FLEW FROM CALIFORNIA AND AGAIN, SHE'S 96 AND SHE DOESN'T DO MANY EVENTS EVERY YEAR.

AND SHE LEFT US WITH HER PRESENCE AND HER SPEECH.

AND SHE WAS JUST INCREDIBLE.

IT WAS MIND BLOWING. I STILL HAVEN'T WRAPPED MY HEAD AROUND THE FACT THAT I WAS ABLE TO SPEAK WITH HER, AND SHE AGAIN EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCEPTANCE AND EQUITY AND EDUCATING EVERYONE TO SO THAT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHOOSE THEIR FUTURE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTING.

AND YEAH HAVING YOUR VOICE HEARD.

SO THAT WAS PRETTY INCREDIBLE.

AND AGAIN, [INAUDIBLE] PRETTY MUCH COVERED IT ALL.

BUT IT'S COOL TO BE A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE FEELS SAFE BECAUSE A LOT OF STUDENTS MAY NOT FEEL SAFE AT HOME, WHICH IS WHY WHEN THEY GO TO SCHOOL, THEY SHOULD BE ACCEPTED [INAUDIBLE] BY EVERYONE AND FEEL SAFE.

AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE GENDER NEUTRAL BATHROOMS, BECAUSE, AGAIN, A LOT OF UNIVERSITIES ALREADY HAVE GENDER NEUTRAL BATHROOMS IMPLEMENTED.

SO IT'S REALLY NICE TO HEAR THAT WE'RE ALSO [INAUDIBLE] WITH THAT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ROSHNI, ARE YOU STILL ON?

[02:25:03]

GREAT. DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE TONIGHT? YES. SO WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE ONLINE TUTORING SERVICE THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS PROVIDING FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, I ACTUALLY TRIED THAT OUT [INAUDIBLE] WHEN IT FIRST I GOT AN EMAIL ABOUT IT AND I TRIED IT OUT AND IT'S SUPER HELPFUL, BUT I DON'T THINK A LOT OF KIDS KNOW ABOUT IT.

SO I THINK IT SHOULD BE A GOOD THING FOR TEACHERS TO RECOMMEND THE PAPER TUTOR TO PEOPLE.

I JUST TRIED IT OUT WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL.

I WAS LIKE, OH, WHAT IS THIS? AND IT'S SUPER HELPFUL.

IT HAS LIKE ALL SUBJECTS ON THERE AND THERE'S LIKE AN ESSAY CORRECTOR, AND I THINK IT'D BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR A LOT OF STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY IF SOME KIDS DON'T REALLY DO CONCENTRATE WELL AT SCHOOL AND THEN THEY GO HOME AND TRY TO LEARN THINGS THEMSELVES.

BUT SOMETIMES THEY DON'T HAVE THE SUPPORT TO DO THAT.

AND I THINK THE PAPER TUTOR WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD THING FOR THEM FOR WHEN THEY GET HOME AND [INAUDIBLE].

GREAT. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR TRYING IT OUT AND GIVING US YOUR FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE.

DIRECTOR SMITH.

ALL RIGHT. I TRY AND KEEP MY COMMENTS BRIEF, BUT I'M GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TONIGHT THAN I NORMALLY DO.

I DON'T TYPICALLY TALK ABOUT MY HISTORY MUCH BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S PARTICULARLY RELEVANT TO MUCH OF ANYTHING.

IT'S ABOUT POLICIES THAT WE'RE DOING HERE.

BUT IN LIGHT OF OUR LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, I THINK THAT IT'S HELPFUL.

BEFORE I GET TO THAT, THOUGH, I DID WANT TO DIRECTLY ADDRESS THE COMMENT THAT WE HAD EARLIER ABOUT HOUSE BILL 1901.

I DID TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT IT.

MY READING IS DIFFERENT THAN [INAUDIBLE], BUT PERHAPS HE HAS THE CORRECT READING ON IT.

I DON'T KNOW. BUT I WILL SAY THIS AND MY TWO YEARS WORKING IN THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM, THE NUMBER OF CASE FILES THAT I SAW OF EXTREME NEGLECT OR ABUSE THAT GOT SCREENED OUT OR ALTERNATIVE RESTITUTION OR RESOLUTION THAT THE STATE CAME UP WITH TO KEEP CHILDREN PLACED WITH THEIR PARENTS.

I WILL BE THERE WITH YOU IF YOU CAN FIND ME A SOCIAL WORKER THAT PULLS A CHILD OUT OF A HOME AND A JUDGE UPHOLDS THEM BEING PULLED OUT OF THAT HOME BECAUSE SOME PARENTS SAID THAT SOMETHING ABOUT SEXUALITY.

I WILL BE THERE WITH YOU.

YOU HAVE MY WORD ON THAT, BECAUSE THERE IS A 0% CHANCE WITH THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN WHO END UP IN THIS COUNTY BORN, DRUG ADDICTED AND PULLED AT THE HOSPITAL.

THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN THIS COUNTY WHOSE PARENTS GET ARRESTED FOR DRUG OFFENSES OR ANY NUMBER OF OTHER REASONS, THEY END UP IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM.

HAVING A PARENT TELL THEM SOMETHING THAT ISN'T SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE IS JUST SIMPLY NOT A THING A SOCIAL WORKER WILL PULL A CHILD FOR.

THAT ASIDE, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF COMMENTS RECENTLY ABOUT SEL, ABOUT THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY AND ALL OF THOSE.

SO WHEN I WAS GROWING UP NOT THAT LONG AGO, 90S, 2000, WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THIS IDEA OF SEL AND I WISH WE DID BECAUSE WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, WHEN I STARTED TEACHING, I EVEN KNOW WHAT IT WAS.

I'LL SAY THAT AND WHAT I'VE COME TO LEARN IS IT'S ACCEPT PEOPLE AS THEY ARE AND SUPPORT THOSE AROUND YOU BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DESERVE YOUR RESPECT, TOO.

WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT WHEN I WAS GROWING UP.

SO AS A YOUNG BOY WHO DIDN'T HAVE A GREAT FATHER IN HIS LIFE, WHEN THINGS WOULD HAPPEN, I WAS TOLD, SHUT YOUR EMOTIONS DOWN, BE IN CONTROL, DO WHAT YOU GOT TO DO, YOU KNOW? AND IF YOU DIDN'T, YOU WERE GAY, AND THAT WAS THE WORST THING YOU COULD BE AS AN EIGHT YEAR OLD IN THE NINETIES.

IF YOU WERE GAY, THERE WAS A PROBLEM.

SO, OH, CAN'T DO THAT, CAN'T SHARE ANYTHING.

AND I WENT THROUGH MY WHOLE LIFE DOING THAT AND I GOT HIRED AS A TEACHER THIS YEAR, WHICH HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE AND POSSIBLY THE MOST TRYING EXPERIENCE IN MY LIFE.

KIDS COMING BACK FROM COVID, NOT FEELING REALLY PREPARED, NOT HAVING A LOT OF SUPPORT.

AND AS I STARTED DOING THAT, I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I HAD CONTROL ANYMORE AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

MY LIFE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE IT WAS OKAY.

AND I WOULD GO TO MY FRIENDS AND THEY WOULD BE LIKE, EVERYTHING LOOKS GREAT.

HOW CAN YOU BE HAVING A PROBLEM? LIKE, YOUR LIFE LOOKS GREAT? AND I WAS LIKE, YEAH, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT.

AND JUST NOBODY REALLY GOT IT.

SO A FEW YEARS AGO, I STARTED OFFICIATING HIGH SCHOOL IN YOUTH SPORTS, AND ONE OF THE GROUPS I GOT INVOLVED WITH WAS AN LGBTQ FLAG FOOTBALL ORGANIZATION.

I'VE MADE SOME WONDERFUL FRIENDS THERE, AND THIS NOVEMBER I HAD A MENTAL BREAKDOWN.

I COMPLETELY BROKE DOWN.

I WALKED OUT OF MY HOUSE, STRAIGHT INTO MY CAR, AND SLEPT ON THE STREET FOR FOUR DAYS.

WHY? BECAUSE I COULDN'T CONTROL WHAT WAS GOING ON IN MY LIFE.

I DIDN'T DESERVE IT. I'VE BEEN TOLD MY WHOLE LIFE I WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH.

I COULDN'T CONTROL IT. SO WHY DO I DESERVE TO SLEEP IN A BED? WHY DO I DESERVE TO HAVE WARMTH OR ANYTHING ELSE? AND I CALLED ALL MY FRIENDS AND THEY WERE LIKE, YOU NEED TO GET HELP.

YOU NEED TO GO SOMEWHERE. BUT NOBODY KNEW WHAT TO SAY TO ME.

AND THEN I CALLED THOSE FRIENDS THAT I HAD FOR [INAUDIBLE] AROUND THE COUNTRY AND TO A PERSON.

[02:30:01]

THEY CALLED PEOPLE AROUND HERE TO GET ME HELP.

THEY TOOK ME IN LIKE I WAS ONE OF THEM.

EVEN THOUGH WE'VE HAD COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LIFE EXPERIENCES AND TO A PERSON, WHAT THEY SAID TO ME WAS THE REASON YOU FEEL THIS WAY IS BECAUSE YOU'VE HAD TO LIVE YOUR WHOLE LIFE NOT ACKNOWLEDGING WHO YOU ARE.

YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO IS STRUGGLING AND YOU COULDN'T TELL PEOPLE.

AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM KNEW THAT FEELING.

AND THERE IS ZERO DOUBT IN MY MIND RIGHT NOW.

I WOULDN'T BE SITTING HERE WITH YOU GUYS IF IT WEREN'T FOR THEM.

I'M NOT SAYING I WOULD HAVE KILLED MYSELF, BUT THERE'S A CONTINUUM OF BAD OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE WHO STOP TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES.

AND TO ME, ANYONE WHO IS WITHIN THE SOUND OF MY VOICE.

HATE HAS NO PLACE TOWARDS THAT COMMUNITY TO ME.

I OWE MY LIFE TO THEM AND I WILL DEFEND PEOPLE'S RIGHTS TO BE WHO THEY ARE, EVERY SINGLE STEP OF THE WAY, EVERY SINGLE DAY, BECAUSE THEY DESERVE THAT. SO I OWE THESE PEOPLE EVERYTHING.

THEY'VE BEEN WONDERFUL, LOVING PEOPLE.

AND FOR ANYONE HERE WHO SAYS THAT IT WASN'T GOD'S INTENTION TO HAVE THEM ON THIS EARTH, I WILL SAY RIGHT NOW I 100% BELIEVE THAT GOD PUT THESE PEOPLE IN MY LIFE BECAUSE THEY GOD KNEW I WAS GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME THAT NEEDED SUPPORT, THAT ONLY PEOPLE WHO'D BEEN THROUGH SITUATIONS LIKE THAT COULD GIVE ME.

THANK YOU. OH, I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED.

THANK YOU, KEITH, FOR SHARING THAT.

THAT WAS BRAVE AND IMPORTANT.

DIRECTOR NOBLE.

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT'S QUITE A STORY AND I APPRECIATE YOU FOR SHARING THAT.

MY COMMENTS ON THIS MEETING ARE VERY SHORT.

I REALLY ENJOYED THE PRIOR PRESENTATION AND THE PRIOR VIDEO.

LOVE SEEING THE KIDS ON THE UNICYCLES.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

THE STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE.

THAT WAS GREAT. AND I'M GLAD YOU WERE THERE, ISABEL, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING THE VOCAL REPRESENTATIVE ON THE VIDEO.

THAT WAS REALLY GREAT TO SEE YOU THERE.

AND THE ONLY OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO COMMENT ON IS THE STUDENT HEALTH CENTER'S.

I'M REALLY EXCITED IT'S MOVING FORWARD SO QUICKLY.

THE FACT THAT WE MIGHT HAVE AN OUTDOOR ONE OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL IN THEIR OWN BUILDING BY MID NEXT YEAR IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.

NOTHING EVER HAPPENS IN SIX OR NINE MONTHS.

AND SO THE FACT THAT THEY THINK IT IS POSSIBLE TO GET THAT UP AND RUNNING SO QUICKLY IS AMAZING.

AND I'M REALLY JUST REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THE PROGRESS ON THAT.

AND THAT'S ALL THE COMMENTS I HAVE.

THANKS. DIRECTOR NOBLE.

DIRECTOR CHASE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

DIRECTOR KATIMS. DIRECTOR SMITH. I WANT TO SHARE MY APPRECIATION OF YOU SHARING YOUR STORY AND YOUR VULNERABILITY, BECAUSE BY SHARING THAT, YOU WILL EMPOWER SOME THAT MAY FEEL THAT SHARING SIMILAR EXPERIENCES TO HELP THEM MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.

SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU SHARING THAT, PARTICULARLY AS APRIL IS CELEBRATE DIVERSITY MONTH, WHICH WE'RE CELEBRATING RIGHT NOW.

AND SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU'VE BEEN HEARD AND APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.

I ALSO WANT TO APPRECIATE OUR STUDENTS OVER THERE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK I CAN ADD ANY MORE TO WHAT YOU WERE SAYING ON THE EXPERIENCES.

SO IT'S LIKE I'M GOING TO TRY TO KEEP THIS JUST REALLY SHORT.

BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I WAS VERY HONORED AND THRILLED TO ATTEND THE STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE AND SO IMPRESSED BY THE PROFESSIONALISM BY WHICH THAT EVENT WAS PRODUCED.

SO I THINK EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THAT SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF THE EFFORTS.

AND DOLORES HUERTA IS ONE OF MY HEROES, MY SHEROES.

AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO COME AND SPEAK TO THE DISTRICT.

THAT'S REALLY A BIG THING.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THAT HAPPEN SO THAT I COULD HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE ALSO.

THE SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTERS, AS DIRECTOR NOBLE HAS SAID, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE WE CAN, AS STUDENTS, NEED ACCESS TO SERVICES WHERE BETTER PLACE FOR THEM TO ACCESS THAN THE SCHOOLS.

AND I'M THRILLED THAT WE ARE GOING FORWARD WITH THIS.

WE ALSO HAVE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CONFERENCES THIS WEEKEND.

THERE WERE A TON OF WONDERFUL LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS AND POSITIONS PRESENTED AND WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING OVER THEM THIS WEEKEND.

SO I WILL LET EVERYONE KNOW AFTERWARDS WHERE THINGS ARE LINING UP AS WE PREPARE FOR LEGISLATIVE SESSION 2023.

AND THEN I'LL PASS IT ON TO DIRECTOR KILGORE.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. AND I ALSO WOULD EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR DIRECTOR SMITH'S COMMENTS.

I APPRECIATE ALSO THE PUBLIC COMING IN.

[02:35:03]

AND I WANT TO SEE US CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS.

I WANT TO SEE US CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY AREAS WHERE WE CAN IMPROVE.

AND FOR INSTANCE, IN THE, AND I DON'T KNOW YET IF WE HAVE A PROBLEM, BUT IF THERE IS AN ISSUE WHERE KIDS NEED TO BE FED, YOU KNOW THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A CONTINGENCY.

OF COURSE, WE'RE ALL HERE TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM, AND I THINK WE'LL GET TO AN EASY SOLUTION WITH THAT.

I DON'T THINK IT HELPS TO.

I HOPE IN THE FUTURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY, IF THEY IDENTIFY A PROBLEM LIKE THIS, THAT THEY CALL SOMEBODY UP THERE. I WAS I HAVE TO ADMIT, I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED READING SOME OF THE COMMENTS ABOUT MYSELF AND MY COLLEAGUES AS IF WE DIDN'T ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AS IF WE DIDN'T CARE ABOUT FEEDING OUR STUDENTS.

AND I MEAN, OF COURSE, I SUPPOSE I SHOULDN'T GET PERSONALLY UNHAPPY ABOUT IT, BUT IT DOES HURT, ESPECIALLY WHEN PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, ARE EXPRESSING CONCERN.

SO I HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS IN A PRODUCTIVE WAY. AND THAT MEANS MORE SPEECH.

YOU KNOW, THE CURE FOR SPEECH YOU DON'T LIKE IS MORE SPEECH.

SO BUT AT THE SAME TIME, AND I DO AGAIN APPRECIATE ALL THE THE CIVIL COMMENTS.

AND I ALSO WANT TO CONTINUE TO URGE EVERYONE TO KEEP THINKING, KEEP TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE OTHER SIDE IS SAYING.

THE OTHER SIDE OF YOUR OF YOUR POSITION.

SOMETIMES WE DON'T AGREE WITH PEOPLE, BUT SOMETIMES I THINK I'M LISTENING AND I'M HEARING DIFFERENT KINDS OF DISCUSSION.

I WANT TO ASSUME AND I DO ASSUME THAT EVERYONE WHO MAKES THE TIME TO COME TO THIS MEETING, WHICH IS RUNNING KIND OF LONG AND SO I'LL BE QUIET SOON. REALLY CARES ABOUT OUR KIDS.

AND SO I WANT TO FIND OUT WHY AND NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS NECESSARILY.

THAT AREN'T DESERVED.

WITH THAT SAID, I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, BRIER ELEMENTARY IS AN EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, THEY GAVE US THIS BEAUTIFUL VIDEO OF THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING IN CLASS, THAT IS WHAT WE'RE DOING.

YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT WE READ ON TWITTER OR LISTEN TO ON CABLE NEWS, WHICH BY THE WAY, I QUIT LISTENING TO CABLE NEWS A LONG TIME AGO AND I'M MUCH BETTER FOR IT.

YOU KNOW, THAT IS NOT WHAT WE DO HERE.

WHAT WE SAW IN THAT VIDEO, WHAT WE HEARD FROM THOSE KIDS AND FROM THAT PRINCIPAL, THAT'S WHAT WE DO HERE.

AND AND SO I WANT TO URGE EVERYONE TO KEEP STAYING IN TOUCH WITH THAT.

AND I SO APPRECIATE THAT THESE SCHOOLS COME TO VISIT US AT THE BOARD MEETING BECAUSE WE DON'T ALWAYS GET THE CHANCE TO GO OUT THERE.

I MEAN, WE TRY TO, BUT WE DON'T GET AS MUCH CHANCES AS SOME OF YOU.

SO KEEP STAYING IN TOUCH WITH THAT.

REMEMBER OUR SCHOOL BASED HEALTH? IT'S YOU KNOW WHAT? THE THING THAT JUST MADE ME LIKE THE BIGGEST CHEERLEADER FOR SCHOOL BASED HEALTH IS THE DENTAL SERVICES THAT THESE KIDS ARE GOING TO GET WHEN AND I COULDN'T REMEMBER THE PERCENTAGE, BUT IT WAS SO HIGH.

THE AMOUNT OF ABSENTEEISM THAT IS DUE TO DENTAL PROBLEMS IN THIS DISTRICT AND ACROSS THE NATION IS JUST STUNNING.

I MEAN, IF WE CAN KEEP ALL THOSE KIDS IN SCHOOL JUST BY GIVING THEM DENTAL, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE OUR JOB.

SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT SCHOOL BASED HEALTH, AND I THINK I HAVE COME TO THE END OF MY COMMENTS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. DIRECTOR KILGORE AND DIRECTOR SMITH.

[LAUGHTER] DIRECTOR SMITH. SO I WAS JUST REFLECTING ON THE VARIETY OF TOPICS WE COVERED TONIGHT, FROM SNACKS TO SCHOOL BASED HEALTH CENTERS TO OUR STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, TO OUR STUDENTS PASSION PROJECTS, TO THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR STUDENT

[02:40:05]

AND IT JUST HIGHLIGHTS UNDERSCORES THE RANGE OF ITEMS, BIG AND SMALL, THAT OUR STAFF EVERY DAY DEAL WITH TO HELP OUR STUDENTS BE SAFE, PROTECTED, TAKEN CARE OF, TAUGHT WELL, HELP TO THINK RATIONALLY AND CRITICALLY SO THAT THEY GROW UP TO BE SUCCESSFUL, HEALTHY CITIZENS.

AND THESE IT'S JUST AMAZING.

AND TONIGHT WAS JUST A SMALL SAMPLING OF ALL OF THE THINGS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES FOR OUR STUDENTS.

AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR STAFF ACROSS ALL THE GROUPS OF STAFF THAT WE HAVE FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO, WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT AND YET IT'S SO VARIED IN WHAT WE DEAL WITH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MEET THIS MISSION.

AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DR.

BALDERAS. I'LL BE VERY BRIEF AND IT'S BEEN A LONG EVENING.

I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THEIR COMMENTS AND PARTICIPATION.

I JUST WANT TO JUST REMIND FOLKS THAT WE HAVE A LET'S TALK TECH, VIRTUAL, VIRTUAL MEETING, COMMUNITY MEETING THIS THURSDAY.

I BELIEVE IT STARTS AT SIX, 6:00 AND GO TO THE WEBSITE AND REALLY EVERYTHING TO TALK.

OUR GOAL IS TO WALK THROUGH PARENTS IN TERMS OF OUR CURRENT SYSTEM, BUT ALSO BE ABLE TO MAYBE ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS IF POSSIBLE IN TERMS OF IF PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING TECHNOLOGY ACCESS.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THESE CONTINUAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS.

AND VIRTUALLY, I THINK AT ONE POINT IN TIME LAST FALL WE HAD OVER 1,000 PEOPLE, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, IN THESE VIRTUAL MEETINGS.

SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO START HOPEFULLY WELL, WE WILL CONTINUE THIS IN TERMS OF THE NEXT YEAR, IN TERMS OF JUST HAVING TOPICS ON EITHER EVERY OTHER MONTH BASIS THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THE COMMUNITY.

SO I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, SO TUNE IN.

THANK YOU. DR. KATIMS. WE ALL JUST RECEIVED THE I MEANT TO I FORGOT TO MENTION HOW WONDERFUL THESE THESE ART PROJECTS FROM ALL THE STUDENTS ARE.

YES. SO WE RECEIVE ONGOING STUDENT MADE I CALL THEM ORNAMENT FOR BEAUTIFUL WOODEN TREES THAT THEY'VE MADE.

AND WE SPECIFICALLY REALLY NEED TO THANK HEIDI SULLIVAN AND HER HUSBAND, JAMES SULLIVAN, WHO ARE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS WORKING WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS OF KIDS AND WHAT THEY'RE ABLE TO PRODUCE.

AND THEY'RE REALLY PHENOMENAL.

SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.

THERE'S ONE MORE ITEM AND THAT IS, ARE THERE ANY ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION FOR DISCUSSION AT FUTURE BOARD MEETINGS THAT ANY OF THE BOARD DIRECTORS HAVE? WITH THAT BEING SAID, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.