May 24, 2022 Board Meeting

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

[00:00:07]

THANK YOU. I'M HERE TODAY TO ADDRESS SOME REMARKS THAT WERE MADE AT PRIOR MEETINGS, AS WELL AS THIS ONE REGARDING THE RECOGNITION OF THE NATIONAL TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY.

RATHER THAN ALL DEBATE MY OWN RIGHT TO EXIST, I WILL SIMPLY STATE THE DAYS LIKE THIS ARE RECOGNIZED BECAUSE THE ISSUES THAT ARE FACED BY TRANSGENDER STUDENTS ARE NUMBER ONE UNIQUE TO THEIR IDENTITY, TO RELATIVELY UNKNOWN TO THE PUBLIC OR THE COMMUNITY, AND THREE FAR MORE PREVALENT THAN SIMILAR PROBLEMS FACED BY THE GENERAL STUDENT POPULATION.

[3. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT-6:33 pm]

TRANSGENDER STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT IN A WELCOMING COMMUNITY ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO DROP OUT OF SCHOOL THAN OTHER STUDENTS, DESPITE MAKING UP ONLY 5 TO 10% OF ALL MINORS, TODAY, LGBT YOUTH, ESPECIALLY TRANSGENDER KIDS, MAKE UP 20 TO 40% OF ALL HOMELESS MINORS.

THE AVERAGE AGE AT WHICH THEY ARE MADE HOMELESS IS 13.

THE MOST COMMON CAUSE IS BEING REMOVED FROM THEIR HOMES BY THEIR PARENTS FOR THEIR IDENTITY.

AS OTHERS HAVE STATED AS WELL, THERE ARE OVER 1 MILLION TRANSGENDER IDENTIFIED MINORS IN THE UNITED STATES AS OF 2020, AND OF THAT POPULATION 80% HAVE MENTIONED

[4. FLAG SALUTE-6:35 pm]

TOO MANY TO COUNT HAVE SUCCEEDED.

NOT ONLY IS THIS 40 TIMES THAT OF ANY OTHER POPULATION, BUT IF WE WERE TO USE OUR OWN DISTRICT POPULATION AS REFERENCE, THAT IS 84 OF OUR STUDENTS, FOUR CLASSROOMS WORTH WHO WILL ATTEMPT TO TAKE THEIR OWN LIFE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ACCEPTED FOR WHO THEY ARE.

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

I AM A TRANSGENDER WOMAN AND DURING THE MALE THE ONSET OF MALE PUBERTY IN MY TEENS, I MADE AN ATTEMPT ON MY LIFE.

I WAS TERRIFIED, DESPERATE AND ALONE.

AND I FELT THAT I HAD NO ONE WHO KNEW WHAT I WAS GOING THROUGH.

THE ONLY REASON I SURVIVED WAS NOT BECAUSE OF MY FAMILY, NOT BECAUSE OF MY CHURCH, BUT BECAUSE OF ONE OF MY TEACHERS CARED DEEPLY ABOUT HER STUDENTS WELL-BEING AND TOOK THE TIME

[6. SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS 6:40 pm]

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT TRANSGENDER YOUTH ARE EIGHT AND A HALF TIMES LESS LIKELY TO ATTEMPT SUICIDE IF THEY ARE IN A COMMUNITY THAT ACCEPTS THEM AND UNDERSTANDS THEM.

THAT IS WHY DAYS LIKE THESE EXIST.

I'M ALIVE TODAY AND ABLE TO BE WHO I AM BECAUSE PEOPLE ACCEPTED ME AND LISTENED TO WHAT I WAS EXPERIENCING.

I'VE BEEN ON HORMONE THERAPY FOR THREE MONTHS NOW, BUT MOST WOULD NEVER GUESS THAT ON FIRST SIGHT BECAUSE DESPITE WHAT OTHER NARRATIVES WOULD TELL YOU, I'M NOT ALL THAT DIFFERENT FROM ANYONE ELSE.

I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE, BUT I'M GOING TO GO OFF SCRIPT.

I DON'T CONSIDER MY EXISTENCE POLITICAL YET POLITICIANS ARE ATTEMPTING TO TAKE AWAY MY RIGHT TO EXIST THE WAY I DO.

I SIMPLY WANT TO LIVE A LIFE OF DIGNITY AS ANYBODY ELSE DOES.

I DON'T VIEW LEARNING ABOUT MY EXISTENCE TO BE A HASSLE.

IT TAKES ZERO TIME TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ARE KIDS IN OUR DISTRICT WHO ARE MUCH YOUNGER THAN ME, WHO ARE HURTING RIGHT NOW, AND ESPECIALLY WITH RECENT THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON.

IF YOU ARE APPROACHED WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK BY SOMEONE THAT YOU CARE ABOUT AS A CHILD WHO IS AFRAID THAT SOMEONE WHO THEY DO NOT KNOW FOR REASONS OF WHICH THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND, WILL ENACT HORRIFIC VIOLENCE UPON THEM FOR REASONS THEY ARE UNABLE TO COMPREHEND.

I DO NOT WANT YOU TO FORGET HOW THAT MAKES YOU FEEL, BECAUSE IN THAT MOMENT YOU UNDERSTAND HOW MANY, MANY KIDS AND MYSELF HAVE FELT OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS IN THIS COUNTRY.

LET US UNITE IN THIS TRAGEDY AND REALIZE THAT WE HAVE A COMMON FEAR, BUT ALSO A COMMON DESIRE TO LIVE A LIFE.

FREE OF THE FEAR THAT WE ARE GOING TO COME TO HARM OR THAT WE WILL BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST.

LET US ALL WORK TOGETHER TO FORGE A BETTER DISTRICT AND A BETTER WORLD.

THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU, KERRY, FOR COMING FORWARD AND SHARING YOUR STORY.

IT'S IMPORTANT. THERE, I'M GOING TO CHECK TO SEE IF CINDY IS HERE.

SHE IS.

WE DON'T ALWAYS NECESSARILY STAY EXACTLY ON SCHEDULE.

SO I'M CYNTHIA SJOBLOM.

I'M A RESIDENT OF EDMONDS, AND I KNEW THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE PEOPLE HERE SPEAKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING.

I DO STRUGGLE WITH THAT TERM MENTAL HEALTH.

I WAS FORMERLY A BEHAVIORAL PSYCHOLOGIST, AND I LEFT THAT FIELD BECAUSE I BECAME ALARMED AT THE DIAGNOSING OF CHILDREN.

[00:05:01]

IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT A STATE REPRESENTATIVE WORKING IN THE MUKILTEO SCHOOL DISTRICT IS STRATEGICALLY PUSHING FOR MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING.

THE WORD MENTAL MEANS DISORDER OF THE MIND.

THE CONCERN THAT I AND MANY OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY ARE WORRIED ABOUT ARE THE THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN BEING SCREENED IN OUR SCHOOLS TO BE PUT ON PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS.

THE MAJORITY OF CHILDREN ARE VERY NORMAL WHO GO THROUGH THE RANGE OF EMOTIONS WITH THE EXCEPTIONS OF THOSE WITH AN ACTUAL BRAIN DISORDER. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE SANDY HOOK SHOOTER AND SEVERAL OTHER MASS SHOOTINGS WERE BY THOSE WHO WERE ACTUALLY PRESCRIBED PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS.

I BECAME AWARE THAT THOSE WHO WERE BEING LABELED AS SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION WERE TAKING A FORM OF A PSYCHO PSYCHIATRIC DRUG, NEVER REPORTED BY THE NEWS. AND WHEN THEY DECIDE TO GO OFF THEIR MEDICATION AT ANY TIME, WHICH NO ONE CAN CONTROL, THERE IS A PSYCHOTIC BREAK, WHICH MEANS THERE IS A DEPARTURE FROM REALITY.

AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE DIE AND THEN THEY COMMIT SUICIDE.

THE SANDY HOOK SHOOTER ALSO KILLED HIS MOTHER.

I WORKED WITH CHILDREN IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND FOUND THAT IN EVERY CASE THERE WERE PROBLEMS AT HOME WITH PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS.

IF MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING LEADS TO MORE PRESCRIBED DRUGS, WE ARE PUTTING CHILDREN AT RISK.

IF YOU CHOOSE TO ALLOW THIS, YOU MUST PROCEED WITH CAUTION AS IT PUTS THE INDIVIDUAL CHILD AT RISK.

BUT ALSO THE FAMILIES AS WELL AS MANY OF THESE DRUGS COME WITH BLACK BOX WARNINGS OF SUICIDE.

BIG PHARMA KNOWS HOMICIDE IS ALSO LINKED TO THESE DANGEROUS DRUGS.

WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE MANY FORM OF OUTLETS FOR KIDS.

THERE SHOULD BE CREATIVE OUTLETS, PHYSICAL OUTLETS AS WELL AS NUTRITIONAL NEEDS.

WE NEED TO BE MORE INQUISITIVE ABOUT OTHER OUTLETS FOR OUR CHILDREN.

BIOCHEMISTRY OF OUR BODIES IS LARGELY UNKNOWN BY MOST PEOPLE AND YET HAS A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON MOOD, EMOTIONS, BEHAVIOR, ATTITUDES, THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, AND OBVIOUSLY AFFECTS THE MIND OF OUR CHILDREN AS WELL AS BEHAVIOR.

I'M GOING TO CLOSE WITH THAT.

I WAS GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT ANOTHER SUBJECT, BUT I'LL LEAVE THAT FOR ANOTHER TIME SINCE I'M OUT OF TIME.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CINDY.

YOU'RE WELCOME. NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS OUR STATUS UPDATE.

I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DR.

BALDERAS. THANK YOU.

AND ASK THE SENIOR TEAM TO COME UP IF THEY TO BEGIN THIS.

AND WE ARE GOING TO START OFF WITH SOME BRIEF INTRODUCTION IN TERMS OF DANA GLEASON WOULD TALK ABOUT OUR OUR TRACK MEETING AND THIS IS FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE VISUALLY IMPAIRED AND FIND OUT ACTUALLY.

SO A LITTLE STORY ABOUT THIS ONE I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS ACTUALLY LATE LAST WEEK WHEN I SAW THE TEACHER, ONE OF THE TEACHERS THAT WENT AND SUPPORTED THE KIDS AND SHE GOT BACK AND SHE WAS EXHAUSTED.

SO IN THE HALLWAY THEY SAID, HEY, SEND ME SOME PICTURES ABOUT THE TRACK MEET BECAUSE IT WAS JUST SO I WAS JUST IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE.

SO I HOPE YOU LIKE IT.

SO, DANA. YEAH, WE HAVE A VIDEO HERE IN A MOMENT, BUT A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO SHERI HARRISON AND THE WHOLE TEAM WHO PULLED THIS OFF.

WE TOOK ABOUT 30 STUDENTS DOWN TO VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON, TO THE WASHINGTON STATE SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND.

IT'S A STATE WIDE EVENT, HAPPENS EVERY YEAR.

AND OUR STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO TAKE A CHARTER BUS, WHICH WAS VERY EXCITING AND THEY WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE RESTROOM ON THE BUS ALSO.

SO IT WAS FOR SOME OF THEM THE FIRST, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST TIME THEY'D HAD THAT.

SO THEY WENT DOWN TO THIS THIS TRACK MEET.

AND THE COOLEST PARTS, IF YOU'VE EVER COACHED A SPORT ARE GENERALLY THE THINGS THAT KIND OF HAPPEN HAPPEN OFF THE FIELD, THE FRIENDSHIPS THAT ARE MADE.

WE PARTNERED WITH SHORELINE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND NORTH SHORE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND ABOUT 30 STUDENTS WENT DOWN TO THIS STATEWIDE TRACK MEET.

AND YOU'RE GOING TO GET TO SEE SOME PICTURES HERE IN A MINUTE.

BUT THE THE WASHINGTON STATE SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND, IF YOU EVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THERE, IT'S A REALLY COOL PLACE.

AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY AND RESOURCES AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS.

YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE TRACK THAT HAS THE GUARDRAILS.

IT'S A TRACK MEET, BUT ALSO SWIMMING.

SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE A BIATHLON MAYBE OR SOMETHING.

SO THE KIDS PARTICIPATED, LOTS OF MEDALS WERE WON, A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL THE STAFF LEFT AT AND THE STUDENTS LEFT AT 6:30 A.M.

AND GOT HOME AT 9:30 P.M..

SO IT'S A VERY LONG DAY, BUT AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY.

SO JUST WANTED YOU TO HAVE THESE PICTURES TONIGHT AND ENJOY THIS.

[00:10:40]

SO THAT WAS REALLY, REALLY SPECIAL AND REALLY COOL.

AND THEY ALL SANG HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HER AND SHE LOVED THAT AS WELL.

SO REALLY INCREDIBLE EVENT FOR OUR STUDENTS TO ATTEND.

AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO GREG.

SO THE ONE THING I'M GOING TO RECOMMEND IS WE GIVE THE KIDS SOME EDMONDS TOPS OR JERSEYS NEXT TIME THEY COMPETE SO THEY CAN BE REPRESENTATIVE AT LIKE LIKE THE REST OF OUR ATHLETES. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE TALKED TO DANA ABOUT FOR NEXT YEAR, SWEATSHIRTS OR SOMETHING THAT REPRESENT THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT BECAUSE WE'RE VERY PROUD OF OUR KIDS AND REALLY THANK YOU TO THE STAFF THAT PUT THE LONG HOURS WITH OUR KIDS.

GOOD EVENING. AND I WANTED TO SHARE JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK UPDATES.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE ARE DONE WITH SPRING SPORTS.

TODAY AND TOMORROW, WE HAVE SOME ATHLETES COMPETING IN GOLF.

THE STATE TRACK AND FIELD MEET IS THIS COMING WEEKEND.

ALL FOUR OF OUR SCHOOLS HAVE ATHLETES WHO HAVE QUALIFIED.

WE HAVE ALL FOUR OF OUR SCHOOLS HAVE GIRLS GOLFERS WHO HAVE QUALIFIED FOR THE STATE GIRLS GOLF TOURNAMENT TODAY AND TOMORROW.

TWO OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE BOYS GOLFERS WHO HAVE QUALIFIED OUR EDMONDS WOOD WAY BOYS SOCCER TEAM FINISHED IN THE TOP 16 IN STATE.

OUR BASEBALL TEAMS ONLY HIGH SCHOOL, LYNNWOOD HIGH SCHOOL AND EDMONDS WOODWAY HIGH SCHOOL ALL QUALIFIED FOR THE FIRST ROUND OF 20 TEAMS AT STATE.

WE HAVE TWO GIRLS FAST PITCH TEAMS, MALIK TERRORIST HIGH SCHOOL AND MEADOW DALE HIGH SCHOOL WHO QUALIFY FOR THE DISTRICT TOURNAMENT.

SO IT WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL SPRING SPORTS SEASON THIS YEAR.

AND I WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT TOMORROW NIGHT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CELEBRATE SOME OF OUR OUTSTANDING STUDENT ATHLETES.

AND REALLY, TRULY, THESE ARE STUDENTS FIRST AND THEN ATHLETES.

THESE ARE SOME OF OUR OUR MOST OUTSTANDING STUDENTS THAT ALSO COMPETE.

AND WE'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE THOSE STUDENTS TOMORROW NIGHT AT THE SCHOLAR ATHLETE BANQUET AT EDMONDS WOODWAY HIGH SCHOOL.

IF I GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

THE OTHER THING THAT HAPPENED THIS LAST WEEKEND, WE ARE ANOTHER SIGN THAT WE'RE TAKING A STEP BACK TOWARD NORMALITY.

WE HAD THE EDMONDS JAZZ CONNECTION, WHICH WAS THIS LAST WEEKEND IN EDMONDS FOLLOWING A TWO YEAR BREAK DUE TO COVID.

AND NOW IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO GO DOWN AND SEE IT, BUT THERE WAS JUST SOME AMAZING STUDENT MUSICIANS.

THEY HAD THE JAZZ WALK ON IN THE EVENING ON SATURDAY, WHICH WAS REALLY COOL.

I GOT A CHANCE TO WALK INTO SOME DIFFERENT VENUES AND HEAR SOME GREAT MUSIC.

THIS EVENT, WE'RE SO GRATEFUL TO THE EDMONDS DE BREAKERS ROTARY CLUB FOR THEIR SPONSORSHIP.

THE FUNDS THEY RAISE GO ON TO SUPPORT OUR EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT MUSIC PROGRAMS AND STUDENTS AND SEVERAL STUDENTS GOT SCHOLARSHIPS AT THE EDMONDS AT THE JAZZ CONNECTION IN THIS LAST WEEKEND. SO THE NEXT SLIDE IS JUST SOME PHOTOS OF SOME OF OUR OUTSTANDING STUDENT MUSICIANS PERFORMING AT THE DIFFERENT VENUES LAST WEEKEND.

SO AGAIN, IT'S JUST ANOTHER SIGN THAT WE ARE WE'RE GETTING BACK TO NORMAL AND WE'RE ABLE TO DO THESE THINGS TO CELEBRATE OUR CELEBRATE OUR TRULY AMAZING STUDENTS IN SPORTS AND IN MUSIC, IN THE ARTS AND SOME OF OUR OUTSTANDING ACTIVITY PROGRAMS. SO THANK YOU. I THINK WE SAW ONE OF THOSE JAZZ MUSICIANS IN THE REPORT FROM EDMONDS GATEWAY HIGH SCHOOL WAS EXCITING.

A BRIEF SNOHOMISH COUNTY HEALTH DISTRICT UPDATE AND COVID 19 UPDATE.

OUR CASE COUNTS FOR THE SEVEN DAY ROLLING PERIOD CONTINUE TO RISE.

SO REMEMBER WE TALKED ABOUT AT OUR LAST BOARD MEETING THAT SNOHOMISH COUNTY HEALTH FOR THE FIRST 25 MONTHS OF THE PANDEMIC WAS REPORTING A 14 DAY ROLLING CASE COUNT. THIS IS NOW A SEVEN DAY CASE COUNT.

SO THOSE NUMBERS WOULD BE RELATIVELY HALF.

SO THE CASE COUNTS FOR THE LAST SEVEN DAYS WAS TO 63 PER 100,000.

THAT'S WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT.

THAT'S CONCERNING. THE POSITIVITY RATE OF ALL THE TESTS THAT ARE BEING TAKEN IS AT 18%.

THAT IS ALSO UP.

I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO MENTION THAT WE DO THINK THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING ALL THE POSITIVE CASES REPORTED WITH SO MANY HOME TESTS AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS.

6% OF HOSPITAL BEDS ARE OCCUPIED DUE TO COVID 19.

IN THE COUNTY, 70 TO 80% OF RAPID TESTS ARE NOT CAPTURED AGAIN BY THAT SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM, WHICH THAT SOUNDS REALLY TECHNICAL.

IT JUST MEANS DID SOMEBODY REPORT IT TO THE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE SOUTH END, WHICH IS US ARE EXPERIENCING HIGHER NUMBERS, OUR VACCINATION RATE ACROSS THE COUNTY IS 70% FOR THE COMPLETE VACCINATION SERIES.

OUR 5 TO 11 YEAR OLDS, YOU PROBABLY SAW IN THE NEWS LAST WEEK THAT PFIZER, IT'S BEEN APPROVED FOR 5 TO 11 YEAR OLDS THAT THEY'RE NOW ELIGIBLE FOR BOOSTER FIVE MONTHS AFTER THEIR FIRST SERIES WAS COMPLETE.

OF COURSE, WE'RE JUST RECOMMENDING THAT PEOPLE STAY HOME WHEN YOU'RE SICK AND YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS THAT COULD BE COVID.

AND THEN THERE'S SOME VARIANT INFORMATION THAT WILL BE SENT OUT TO YOU.

[00:15:02]

SO WE ARE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THAT.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE FALL AND IF THERE WILL BE ANOTHER VARIANT, BUT WE'RE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THAT.

NEXT SLIDE. OUR DISTRICT WEBSITE.

OF COURSE, OUR DISTRICT WEBSITE HAS OUR DASHBOARD AND THE NUMBER IS THERE.

ALSO, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR NEED THE CENTRALIZED LINE.

I WAS IN A PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE EARLIER TODAY AND IT WAS REALLY IT WAS A MESSAGE FROM A PARENT AND THE PARENT WAS JUST SAYING IT WAS REALLY GREAT.

I GOT SO MUCH INFORMATION WHEN I CALLED THE CENTRALIZED LINE AND NEEDED TO GET TESTING AND IT'S JUST THAT ONE STOP SHOPPING.

SO THAT NUMBER IS STILL AVAILABLE AND WE HAVE STAFFING FOR THAT.

IF YOU SEE ON THE VERY FAR RIGHT, THE LAST GRAPH WAS JUST MIDDAY TODAY, SO THAT WASN'T COMPLETE.

BUT THERE WAS 100 AND I THINK 102 CASES IN DISTRICT YESTERDAY.

SO CASE COUNTS ARE ON THE RISE IN THE DISTRICT.

NEXT SLIDE. SO SPECIFIC TO EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT.

IN THE LAST 14 DAYS WE'VE HAD 527 CASES IN DISTRICT.

WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE PCR TESTS AS WELL AS RAPID RESPONSE TESTS.

WE'VE CONDUCTED 440 PCR TESTS SINCE WE LAST HAD A BOARD MEETING.

12.3% POSITIVITY RATE.

THAT'S UP. ALSO, WE HAVE HAD 54 POSITIVE RAPID TESTS.

AGAIN, WE DON'T REPORT ON THE NEGATIVE TEST BECAUSE WE GIVE SO MANY OF THE RAPID TESTS JUST FOR SOME IMMEDIATE RESULTS, JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE THE INCREASED CASES.

SNOHOMISH COUNTY HEALTH IS RECOMMENDING TO IMPLEMENT MASK MANDATES OR REMOTE LEARNING FOR TEN DAYS IN CLASSROOMS THAT EXHIBIT THE HIGHER CASES AND THOSE WITH OUTBREAKS AND THERE'S AN OUTBREAK IS DETERMINED.

WE TALKED TO SNOHOMISH COUNTY HEALTH ACTUALLY DAILY AND WE TALK ABOUT HOW MANY CASES IN A CLASSROOM AND HOW FAST THOSE CASES CAME ABOUT AND USE SOME OF THOSE VARIABLES. AND THEN WE TAKE THEIR RECOMMENDATION AND MAKE A DETERMINATION FROM THERE.

SO WE DO HAVE A FEW CLASSROOMS. EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS OPTED TO IMPLEMENT MASK MANDATES IN IN THESE AFOREMENTIONED SITUATIONS.

SO THERE'S 11 CLASSROOMS CURRENTLY UNDER THE STATUS, AND MANY ARE EXPECTED TO END BY THE END OF THIS WEEK.

OF THOSE THOSE TEN DAY MASK MANDATES.

ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT COVID UPDATE? I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION.

THANK YOU FOR THE UP TO DATE AND KEEPING US APPRAISED OF THIS.

ON THE LAST SLIDE, IT'S JUST SAYING, RECOMMEND STAYING HOME WHEN YOU'RE SICK IF YOU'RE POSITIVE WITH COVID.

ARE WE ASKING PEOPLE? YES, ABSOLUTELY.

IF YOU IF YOU ARE POSITIVE FOR COVID, YOU ARE YOU DO STAY HOME AND DO CALL IN TO LET US KNOW THAT YOU ARE POSITIVE AND THEN WE CAN WORK WITH YOU FROM THAT.

I THINK IT'S JUST A REMINDER THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS TO STAY HOME, SOME PEOPLE ARE TAKING A COUPLE OF DAYS TO TEST POSITIVE UNTIL THE VIRAL LOAD IS ENOUGH TO TEST POSITIVE.

SO IF YOU DO HAVE SYMPTOMS, SORE THROAT, FEVER, THERE'S ACTUALLY A VARIETY OF OF OF SYMPTOMS THAT YOU COULD HAVE.

AND THOSE ARE ALL AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE AND ALSO SNOHOMISH COUNTY HEALTH WEBSITE.

BUT IF YOU DO HAVE SYMPTOMS, PLEASE STAY HOME TO DETERMINE IF YOU AND TEST.

THAT'S THE RIGHT THOUGHT. THANK YOU. YEAH.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, DANA.

ANY MORE ON THE DISTRICT REPORT? NO, MA'AM. THANK YOU.

OKAY. NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

IS THE SECOND READING REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF REVISED POLICY 3520, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH STUDENTS STUDENT FEES, FINES AND CHARGES. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS ADOPTED THIS REVISED POLICY? SOME OF IT. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? I'VE HEARD A MOVE, A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND FOR ADOPTING THE REVISED POLICY 3520 ON STUDENT FEES, FINES AND CHARGES.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY. I THINK WE'VE HAD A GOOD CHANCE OF HAVING SEEN IT BEFORE AND THE REVISIONS MET OUR NEEDS.

SO I'LL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.

ADOPT THE REVISED POLICY REGARDING STUDENTS FEES, FINES AND CHARGES.

NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS NEW BUSINESS.

THE FIRST IS A SINGLE READING TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2205, WHICH IS ACCEPTANCE OF THE COMPLETED PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACT FOR TERRACE PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PORTABLES PLACEMENT FOR 2021.

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

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND FOR THE RESOLUTION FOR ACCEPTING THE COMPLETED CONTRACT REGARDING THE TERRACE PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

[00:20:06]

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? I'D LIKE TO JUST SAY, I HOPE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SOON PASS A BOND TO BUILD NEW SCHOOLS BECAUSE WE ARE CLEARLY OVER CAPACITY AND WE NEED TO BE LOOKING FOR THE FUTURE, PARTICULARLY.

IF ANYBODY SAW THE SEATTLE TIMES ARTICLE YESTERDAY ON LYNNWOOD AND HOW IT IS GROWING TREMENDOUSLY AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO WITH LIGHT RAIL, SO PORTABLES ARE BAND-AID.

WE NEED NEW SCHOOLS.

SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT PUBLICLY, GIVEN THAT I'LL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL, VOTE.

AND THE RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT THE COMPLETED PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACT FOR THE TERRACE PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PORTABLE PLACEMENT HAS PASSED.

SECOND IS A SECOND SINGLE READING TO APPROVE THE HIGHLY CAPABLE ALTERNATIVE CORE READING ADOPTION.

DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVE. IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND.

I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND REGARDING THE HIGHLY CAPABLE ALTERNATIVE CORE READING ADOPTION.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? I JUST I WANT TO THANK KIM HUNTER AND THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED, ALL THE TEACHERS WHO ARE THE HIGHLY CAPABLE TEACHERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PROCESS.

THE REPORT WAS VERY COMPLETE AND COMPREHENSIVE AND HELPFUL, AND IT LOOKED LIKE THEY REALLY TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS IN THE HIGHLY CAPABLE PROGRAM IN TERMS OF THIS PARTICULAR ADOPTION.

SO I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS OUR THANKS FOR THAT.

SO I'LL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.

CAPABLE ALTERNATIVE CORE READING ADOPTION PASSES IS APPROVED.

NEXT IS A SINGLE READING TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT AWARD AUTHORIZATION FOR THE 2022 SUMMER PORTABLE PROJECT.

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

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT AWARD AUTHORIZATION FOR THE 2022 SUMMER PORTABLE PROJECT.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? I'LL DITTO MY COMMENT ABOUT PORTABLES.

I'LL JUST ADD. GO, LYNNWOOD.

THERE YOU GO. SO IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.

LET'S CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.

PASSES TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT AWARD AUTHORIZATION FOR THE 2022 SUMMER PORTABLE PROJECT.

NEXT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FROM DIRECTOR CHASE.

HI. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR KATIMS. I CAN MAKE THIS QUITE BRIEF.

WE'RE IN THE POSITION WHERE THE LEGISLATURE, OF COURSE, IS NOT MEETING RIGHT NOW.

ALL GOOD. YEAH. OKAY.

WHILE THE LEGISLATURE IS NOT MEETING, IT IS A BUSY TIME RIGHT NOW IN WSSDA MAKING ART, ADOPTING NEW AND AMENDED LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS. SO THAT WSSDA MAY ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF SCHOOL BOARDS FOR POSITIONS THAT ALIGN WITH THE LEGISLATIVE POSITIONS.

THIS LAST WEEKEND, THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MET AND REVIEWED, I BELIEVE IT WAS 25 POSITIONS TO BE PRESENTED TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY LATER THIS YEAR.

SOME OF THE TOPICS INCLUDED STUDENT ACCESS TO SUPPORTS AND SERVICES, DIGITAL EDUCATION ACCESS FOR ALL, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, CLIMATE IMPACT MITIGATION ASSISTANCE.

AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE ONE THAT OUR BOARD ADOPTED.

IT WAS CONSOLIDATED WITH ANOTHER POSITION FROM OAK HARBOR, AND IT WILL BE MOVING FORWARD.

THERE WILL BE THE FULL PACKET COMING OUT SOON THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO REVIEW AND DECIDE WHAT WE WANT TO ADOPT AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND WHICH I FORGET THE DATE RIGHT THIS SECOND.

BUT AT THE END OF IT I BELIEVE IT'S OCTOBER AND THAT IS IT ON THAT FOR RIGHT NOW I WILL SAY THAT DISTRICT AREA, ONE OF WHICH WE ARE PART OF IS MEETING AS WE

[00:25:06]

SO I'M SURE WE'LL GET A WONDERFUL REPORT ON ALL THE NETWORKING THAT HAPPENED UP THERE.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR CHASE.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR ONGOING WORK IN THAT AREA FOR US.

ARE THERE ANY MORE WITH NO ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENTS, IT IS TIME FOR BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS AND I'M SO SAD THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE THE LAST TIME WE HEAR FROM OUR STUDENT ADVISORS.

BUT LEAH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO START OFF? YEAH I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND START OFF BY SAYING FOR THANKING YOU GUYS FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THIS SCHOOL BOARD.

THIS HAS BEEN A HUGE LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND IT'S ALSO HELPED WITH A LOT OF PROBLEMS I'VE HAD WITH PUBLIC SPEAKING.

IT HAS DEFINITELY BROUGHT A LOT OF NEW LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND STUFF LIKE THAT, SO I THANK YOU FOR THAT.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO ASK THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO CONTINUE TO MAKE MORE EFFORTS IN RECOGNIZING, ACKNOWLEDGING AND SUPPORTING ALL COMMUNITIES IN OUR DISTRICT.

AND I KNOW EQUITY IS A HUGE GOAL FOR THE DISTRICT, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THIS CANNOT BE MET UNTIL ALL ISSUES AND ALL COMMUNITIES ARE RECOGNIZED IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO ONCE AGAIN, I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO SEE AFTER I'VE GRADUATED, THAT THE EDMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT IS CONTINUING TO HELP AND MAKE MORE EFFORTS IN HELPING THESE COMMUNITIES IN OUR DISTRICT.

AND I ALSO LIKE TO GIVE A QUICK SHOUT OUT TO THE L.A.

CHESS ASL CLUB.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE HOSTING A ASL COMPETITION AWARDS NIGHT, JUNE 2ND AT 6 P.M., WHERE THEY WILL BE CELEBRATING ALL STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE COMPETITIONS AND SUCH.

SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU GUYS THERE.

SO, YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU, LIA. WE'VE LOVED HAVING YOU ON THE BOARD.

RITIKA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO NEXT? ALL RIGHT. OH, BOY.

SO THE BOARD HAS DEALT WITH MY RAMBLINGS FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, BOTH ON ZOOM AND NOW.

SO BEAR WITH ME ONE MORE TIME, BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN A HEAVY NIGHT AND THERE'S A LOT ON MY MIND.

SO FIRSTLY, REGARDING THE COMMENTS THAT DR.

BALDERAS MADE, THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THAT AND FOR GOING OVER IT.

THAT WAS A DIFFICULT THING TO PROCESS TODAY.

AND JUST EVERY TIME IT HAPPENS, IT'S LIKE IT'S JUST SO INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO PROCESS AND TO DEAL WITH.

BUT I THINK ACKNOWLEDGING IT AND HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND IT, IT'S NOT NEARLY ENOUGH.

BUT YOU KNOW, AS YOU RIGHTLY STATED, THERE IS SOMETHING CLEARLY WRONG AND IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED.

AND I JUST THANK YOU FOR THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THAT.

REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH, MR. [INAUDIBLE] AND THE COUNSELORS AND THAT WHOLE PRESENTATION REALLY BROUGHT ME BACK TO 2020.

MY JOKE FOR THE LONGEST TIME WAS THAT MY VISION IS AS GOOD AS THE YEAR 2020 WAS, WHICH IS TO SAY, NOT GREAT.

AND IN 2020, MOUNT LAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL WENT THROUGH TWO SUICIDES IN THE SPAN OF A MONTH.

AND THESE WERE STUDENTS WHO WERE IN THE AP PROGRAM, WHO WERE INVOLVED IN ACTIVITIES, WHO WERE PEOPLE YOU WOULD NOT THINK WOULD GO THROUGH WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BOTH WERE PEOPLE I INTERACTED WITH, AND BOTH WERE PEOPLE I IMAGINED WOULD BE WITH US AT GRADUATION THIS YEAR.

TO HEAR MR. SOARES TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE COUNSELING DEPARTMENT AND TO AND I UNDERSTAND BEING IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HOW IMPORTANT MENTAL HEALTH IS. MY DREAM COUNSELING TO STUDENT RATIO IS THAT COUNSELORS CAN GO CHECK IN WITH STUDENTS WHETHER THEY NEED THE HELP OR NOT.

WE KNOW THAT TEENAGERS AND KIDS IN GENERAL ARE NOT GOING TO BE THE ONES GOING TO SEEK HELP.

[7. CELEBRATION]

THE HARDEST THING TO DO IS TO GO SAY, I'M STRUGGLING.

AND SO. THE ANY FUNDING, ANYTHING THAT CAN GO INTO SUPPORTING COUNSELORS SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE THOSE ONE ON ONE RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENTS SO THAT THEY CAN GO AND TALK TO THEM WHEN THEY NEED THE HELP IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD ALWAYS STRIVE FOR.

AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT THEY CAME OUT NOW TO THE COMMENTS ABOUT EQUITY AND TRANSGENDER STUDENTS AND ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE HEARD TONIGHT.

I THROUGHOUT THE LAST FOUR YEARS, FIVE YEARS HAVE HELPED MULTIPLE FRIENDS COME OUT, GIVEN THEIR GENDER

[00:30:05]

NOW I CAN'T HELP BUT NOTICE THAT A LOT OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE HEAR, NOT JUST HERE BUT AROUND, LIKE WHEREVER WE ARE ABOUT THE EDUCATION THAT IS HAPPENING IN SCHOOLS, ABOUT GENDER AND SEXUALITY COMES FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ACTUALLY IN THE SCHOOLS SEEING WHAT IS BEING TAUGHT.

I HAVE NOT HEARD A STUDENT COME OUT AND SAY, I DON'T WANT TO BE LEARNING ABOUT THIS.

WE SHOULDN'T BE LEARNING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THE REALITY OF IT IS WE'RE IN A GENERATION THAT IS ADAPTING.

THE REASON THAT WE ARE HERE TODAY WITH WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CHANGE AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP OPEN MINDS, ACCEPT EACH OTHER FOR WHO WE ARE, WHETHER WE AGREE WITH WHAT'S GOING ON OR NOT.

WHILE I VALUE OPINIONS OF EVERY OPINION AND AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE NOT ALWAYS GOING TO AGREE. THE THING THAT I CANNOT TOLERATE IS WHEN PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO EXIST AND AND IDENTIFY AS THEMSELVES IS BEING PUT INTO QUESTION.

AMONG THE STUDENTS, WE'VE HAD BRAVE STUDENTS COME OUT AND TELL US ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES, ABOUT THE STRUGGLES THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH, THE MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES THAT THEY'VE HAD BECAUSE PEOPLE WON'T ALLOW THEM TO BE WHO THEY ARE.

PEOPLE'S RIGHTS TO BE WHO THEY ARE IS NOT GOING TO BE IN QUESTION.

AND I HOPE THAT THE DISTRICT CONTINUES SUPPORTING THE LGBT COMMUNITY THE WAY YOU HAVE.

AND I'VE APPRECIATED EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID AND DONE, AND I'VE ALSO APPRECIATED THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN BRAVE ENOUGH TO COME OUT AND SAY HOW THEY'RE FEELING.

BUT HISTORY, LIKE HISTORY IS IS THE PAST.

WE'RE IN THE PRESENT.

AND THE THING THAT WE CAN DO IS LIKE NOW AND TODAY IS TO MOVE FORWARD AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER NO MATTER WHAT'S GOING ON AND LEARN TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND.

THE REALITY OF IT IS NOBODY.

IF YOU GO BACK 100 YEARS FROM NOW, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO LIVE IN THAT SOCIETY AND FULLY BE ABLE TO IMMERSE IN WHAT'S GOING ON THERE BECAUSE THE VIEWS AND THE TIMES AND EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED.

WE'VE COME SUCH A LONG WAY AND IF WE DIDN'T, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE MAKING THE ADVANCEMENTS THAT WE HAVE.

AND SO TO THE SCHOOL BOARD, THANK YOU FOR CONTINUALLY SUPPORTING THE LGBT COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITIES OF ALL KINDS AND FOR PROMOTING EQUITY. WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER, BUT THE FACT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS AND BEING WILLING TO MOVE FORWARD IS SO APPRECIATED.

AND FINALLY, NOW THAT THAT WHOLE RAMBLE IS OVER, I TOLD YOU IT'D BE LONG.

THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRETY OF SCHOOL BOARD.

THIS FEELS SO WEIRD TO KNOW THAT THIS IS THE LAST MEETING WITH YOU GUYS.

WE'VE BEEN THROUGH ZOOM.

WE'VE BEEN THROUGH COVID TIMES.

WE'VE BEEN THROUGH SO MANY CHALLENGES AND I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT WE'VE GOTTEN HERE.

I'VE SEEN THE INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE PUT IN.

I'VE SEEN THE COUNTLESS HOURS THAT YOU PUT IN.

WE'VE BEEN HERE. I THINK THE LATEST WE WENT ONE TIME ON ZOOM WAS 11.

SO I KNOW THE WORK THAT GOES INTO EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED.

AND I JUST WANT TO SAY I TRULY AND SO MUCH APPRECIATE YOU HEARING US AND LISTENING AND BEING THERE FOR THE STUDENTS AND MAKING THAT EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND YOU SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE DECISIONS THAT IMPACT US AS STUDENTS. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT STUDENT VOICE.

AND I JUST I APPRECIATE KNOWING THAT EVERY MEETING WE'VE COME HERE, EVERY RAMBLED SESSION THAT I'VE HAD WHEN I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING, HALF THE TIME IS BEING HEARD. AND THAT'S INCREDIBLY VALUABLE.

AND I HOPE TO OUR TEACHERS AND COUNSELORS AND ANYONE WHO'S LISTENING ENCOURAGE YOUR STUDENTS TO TAKE THIS ON NEXT YEAR, BECAUSE WE NEED PEOPLE IN THIS POSITION TELLING THE BOARD MEMBERS WHAT THEY NEED, WHAT WE NEED AS STUDENTS.

THERE'S ONLY ONE GROUP AND DEMOGRAPHIC THAT CAN REPRESENT WHAT STUDENTS ARE GOING THROUGH, WHAT MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES ARE HAPPENING, BECAUSE WE'RE THE ONES LIVING IT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE SCHOOL BOARD, TO MY ADVISORS, FELLOW ADVISORS TO SUPERINTENDENT BALDERAS.

IT HAS BEEN A TRUE HONOR.

RITIKA. THANK YOU FOR TWO YEARS OF SERVICE.

AND I WOULDN'T CALL THEM RAMBLINGS.

I WOULD CALL THEM VERY INTELLIGENT, THOUGHTFUL, INSIGHTFUL REMARKS.

AND WE APPRECIATE IT.

YOUR VISION MAY NOT BE GREAT, BUT YOUR VISION IS GREAT.

[00:35:02]

[8. SUPERINTENDENT REPORT-7:00 pm]

THANK YOU, RITIKA. I'D LIKE TO START AGAIN BY THANKING THE BOARD FOR THIS GREAT LEARNING OPPORTUNITY THAT BEING A PART OF THE ADVISORY TO THE BOARD HAS GIVEN ME.

LIKE LEAH SAID, MY SPEAKING ABILITIES WERE DEFINITELY NOT AS GOOD BEFORE I JOINED THIS BOARD.

I'VE DEFINITELY LEARNED A LOT. I FELT I'VE BECOME MORE CONFIDENT IN SPEAKING.

SO THANK YOU.

AND I'VE ALSO LEARNED A LOT FROM YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND YOUR WISDOM AND THE WAY YOU HAVE LED OUR DISTRICT TO IMPROVING EQUITY AND JUST REALLY IMPROVING THAT STUDENT SUCCESS. SO THANK YOU.

SO I'M GOING TO START AGAIN BY ADDRESSING KIND OF EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED AT THE TEXAS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE PERSON WHO CARRIED OUT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE CARRIED OUT A LOT OF THESE SHOOTINGS HAVE BEEN YOUNG ADULTS WHO ARE IN HIGH SCHOOL OR IF NOT LIKE JUST BARELY GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL.

AND I THINK THAT GOES TO SHOW THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEMS, BECAUSE THESE STUDENTS, YES, THEY LEARN A LOT A LOT OF THEIR VALUES AT HOME, BUT THEY'RE SPENDING MOST OF THEIR TIME ALSO AT SCHOOL.

SO TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS HAVE THE ABILITY TO INSTILL IMPORTANT VALUES INTO THESE STUDENTS THAT CAN HOPEFULLY MITIGATE, IF NOT GET RID OF THESE HORRIBLE EVENTS THAT ARE OCCURRING.

YEAH. AND THAT'S WHY ALSO MENTAL HEALTH IS SUCH A VALUABLE THING.

THAT'S A PART OF OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.

OKAY. I HAVE A LOT OF POINTS WRITTEN DOWN.

I'M JUST TRYING TO BE ORGANIZED.

AND ALSO, I WANT TO BRING UP SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF MY PEERS HAVE BROUGHT UP AS WELL IN JUST TALKING.

WE'VE JUST TALKED ABOUT IT A LOT WITH A LOT OF MY PEERS ABOUT THE HISTORY CURRICULUM AND JUST A COUPLE PROBLEMS WITH THAT AND THAT WE FEEL THAT A LOT OF THE EVENTS ARE BEING TOLD FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF THE LIKE JUST OF OF I DON'T WANT TO SEEM RUDE TO ANYONE BUT THE VIEWPOINT OF A WHITE MAN, OF THE WHITE MALE PERSPECTIVE.

AND WE JUST FEEL THAT OTHER VIEWPOINTS NEED TO BE SHARED BECAUSE THAT'S A BIAS RETELLING OF A CERTAIN EVENT.

AND FOR EXAMPLE, I KNOW I HAVE TALKED ABOUT A LOT ABOUT DOLORES HUERTA IN THE PAST BECAUSE I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF MEETING HER AND SHE WAS A BIG PART OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.

BUT SHE IS NOT SHE'S MAYBE MENTIONED ONCE IN ALL OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS BOOKS THAT I HAVE READ.

SHE'S NOT MENTIONED VERY OFTEN, AND SHE WAS A HUGE PART OF THE UNITED FARM WORKERS MOVEMENT.

BUT EVERYONE A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW WHO CESAR CHAVEZ IS, I ASSUME, BECAUSE HE'S A MALE, BUT THEY RARELY HEAR OF DOLORES HUERTA.

AND THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE.

AND ALSO, WE HAVE ETHNIC STUDIES CLASSES IN OUR SCHOOLS, WHICH I THINK IS AMAZING.

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

BUT I THINK THAT SHOULD BE INCORPORATED IN NORMAL HISTORY OR IN REGULAR HISTORY CLASSES BECAUSE THE HISTORY OF THESE DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS, THAT'S A PART OF AMERICAN HISTORY.

IT'S NOT JUST LIKE A SEPARATE CLASS WHERE YOU LEARN ABOUT SEPARATE GROUPS.

I THINK IT SHOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO OUR NORMAL HISTORY.

SORRY, I'VE BEEN RAMBLING A LOT AS WELL.

AND THE LAST THING I'D LIKE TO SHARE IS I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR SCHOOL FOR HAVING WE HAVE WE'VE BEEN PLANNING THIS FIELD TRIP TO GO TO COLLEGE PLACE MIDDLE SCHOOL TO TALK ABOUT HATE SPEECH AND MICRO-AGGRESSIONS AND TO REALLY MITIGATE THE RACISM AND OBVIOUSLY HATE SPEECH TAKEN OR HAVING OCCURRED IN COLLEGE PLACE MIDDLE SCHOOL, I GET A LOT RECENTLY.

AND I THINK THAT'S THAT'S A SHOW OF THE BIG STEP WE'RE TAKING TOWARDS ENSURING THAT EVERYONE FEELS COMFORTABLE IN OUR DISTRICT.

AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL STUDENTS FEEL SAFE IN OUR SCHOOLS.

SO THANK YOU. THAT WAS A LOT, THANKS.

ISABEL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND IT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF A SURPRISE TO HEAR FROM BOTH YOU AND LEAH THAT YOU FELT LIKE YOU STARTED OUT AS BEING UNCOMFORTABLE AS PUBLIC SPEAKERS BECAUSE IT DEFINITELY DOES NOT SHOW. YOU'VE BOTH BEEN INCREDIBLE CONTRIBUTORS IN BOTH THOUGHT AND WORD AS BEING STUDENT ADVISORS HERE.

[00:40:01]

BUT TRUST US, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

DANIEL.

WOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FOLLOW UP THESE COMMENTS.

I JUST WANT TO FIRSTLY SAY THANK YOU TO THE BOARD FOR GIVING ME AND ALL OF US REALLY THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE STUDENT ADVISORS, YOU KNOW, SITTING RIGHT HERE IN THE DISTRICT OFFICE OR WHETHER THAT'S ON A ZOOM MEETING.

I FOUND IT REALLY INSPIRING AND EDUCATIONAL FOR BOTH MY GROWTH, AS YOU KNOW, PERSONAL SPEAKING, BUT ALSO JUST MY PART IN THE COMMUNITY.

I JUST FOUND THAT IT REALLY HELPED ME REALLY JUST GROW AS A PERSON AND ALSO SHARE MY INTERESTS AND ALSO HELP MY PEERS GET THEIR VOICES HEARD AND OUR VOICES HEARD AT THE SAME TIME. SO REALLY THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, FOR THE COUNSELORS THAT ARE PART OF THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT AND JUST EVERYONE EVERYWHERE ELSE, INCLUDING THE ONES THAT ARE HERE, I JUST REALLY WANT TO

[10. CONSENT AGENDA-7:10 pm]

THEY'RE REALLY HELPFUL AND ESPECIALLY MY COUNSELOR HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL THESE PAST FEW YEARS.

YOU KNOW, SHE HAS SHE ALSO HAS A LOT OF STUDENTS, BUT SHE TRIES TO GET EVERYONE'S VOICES HEARD, TRIES TO MEET WITH US AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE PER YEAR.

AND IT'S BEEN REALLY HELPFUL, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY AS HIGH SCHOOL CAN BE STRESSFUL SOMETIMES, BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, COLLEGE APPLICATIONS AND JUST, YOU KNOW, CHANGES IN LIFE THAT MAY HAPPEN.

SO REALLY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.

AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU GUYS.

AND I JUST ALSO WANTED TO SAY ABOUT THE SHOOTING THAT ALSO HAPPENED IN SOUTH TEXAS TODAY.

I BELIEVE IT'S REALLY SAD AND DISAPPOINTING TO SEE THAT THESE KIND OF SHOOTINGS ARE KIND OF UBIQUITOUS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, ESPECIALLY WHERE IN PLACES WHERE LIKE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHERE WE SEE THIS AS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND THEY'RE STILL KIND OF HAPPENING EVERYWHERE AND NOT MUCH IS REALLY BEING DONE TO, I GUESS, KIND OF STOP THESE KIND OF TRACKS OR SOMETHING.

AND IT KIND OF HAS TO ALSO DO WITH LIKE MENTAL HEALTH BECAUSE EVEN LIKE MAYBE FIVE, TEN YEARS AGO, MENTAL HEALTH WASN'T REALLY SEEN AS A BIG ISSUE.

AND IT HASN'T BEEN UNTIL LIKE THE COVID PANDEMIC, WHERE IT'S BEEN REALLY UPLIFTED INTO OUR MINDS AND BE LIKE, OH, HEY, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MITIGATE AND HELP.

AND I THINK THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT THE DISTRICT ALSO NEEDS TO REALLY WORK ON, LIKE WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN, BUT WE NEED TO DO BETTER, GIVE MORE SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS THROUGH, YOU KNOW, MORE COUNSELORS, BUT ALSO BEING THERE WITH TEACHERS, MAYBE SOME TRAINING, MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW.

BUT JUST THE FACT THAT MENTAL HEALTH IS SUCH AN ISSUE WITH THE PANDEMIC AND EVERYTHING, I THINK THERE'S A LOT BEING DONE TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING

[11. PUBLIC COMMENTS-7:20 pm]

BUT THERE STILL NEEDS.

THERE'S STILL MORE TO BE DONE.

AND I JUST ALSO WANT TO SAY WHAT THE EQUITY ISSUE, AS ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS SAID, THIS ISN'T A PARTISAN ISSUE.

WE'RE NOT LEANING ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

THIS ISSUE IS ABOUT BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS THAT ARE NOT YET MET, WHICH I THINK IS VERY APPALLING, CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT EVERYONE NEEDS BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. AS YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY'RE I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THEY'RE PART OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY OR THE ETHNIC MINORITIES OR JUST A PERSON OF COLOR.

THEY NEED TO BE HEARD AND THEY NEED TO BE RESPECTED.

AND IT'S KIND OF SAD TO SEE THAT THERE ARE PLACES WHERE THIS IS STILL KIND OF LACKING OR THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE WHO ARE ARGUING AGAINST THE FACT THAT THEY NEED THESE RIGHTS.

AND I HOPE THAT AS A DISTRICT AND AS A COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, WE CAN CONTINUE TO MOVE ON FROM THIS ISSUE AND TO GIVE THEM THE SUPPORT AND RIGHTS THAT THEY NEED TO REALLY JUST TO MOVE ON WITH THEIR LIVES AND, YOU KNOW, BUILD A BETTER COMMUNITY IN THE FUTURE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU DANIEL.

YOU'VE ALSO BEEN AN EXTREMELY VALUABLE CONTRIBUTOR AND VOICE ON THE BOARD, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

DIRECTOR SMITH.

ALL RIGHT. I, TOO, AM GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT THE SHOOTING IN TEXAS.

UNFORTUNATELY, THAT IS A THING THAT A LOT OF US ARE PROBABLY PROCESSING RIGHT NOW AND THINKING ABOUT.

AND IT'S A TRAGEDY THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE TO GO AND TALK ABOUT THIS.

MY IN COLLEGE, MY FINAL CAPSTONE PROJECT WAS ACTUALLY ON MASS SHOOTINGS.

SO I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT THESE ISSUES.

AND I MADE THE SAME OBSERVATION ISABEL MADE EARLIER TODAY.

SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY RECENTLY AND IN THE RECENT PAST HAS BEEN AN 18, 19 YEAR OLD WHITE MALE.

SOMETHING HAPPENED INSIDE TO SHOOT UP A SCHOOL, SHOOT UP A PLAYGROUND, SHOOT UP A SHOPPING MALL, GO TO AURORA, COLORADO, GO DOWN THE STREETS OF CALIFORNIA.

I CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON.

[00:45:03]

THEY ARE TERRIBLE DOCUMENTS, BUT I HAVE READ PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THEM AS PART OF THAT RESEARCH.

AND THE THING THAT JUMPS OUT AT ME FOR ALL OF THEM IS THAT IT GOES BACK TO A LOSS OF STATUS.

IT GOES BACK TO A FEAR OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN AMERICA.

EVERY SINGLE ONE SPENDS AN INCREDIBLY LONG TIME TALKING ABOUT HOW GIRLS SHOULD BE TALKING TO THEM, BUT THEY'RE NOT HOW THEY'RE BEING REPLACED BY PEOPLE WHO DON'T LOOK LIKE THEM, HOW THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO GET A JOB.

SO WHO CARES? IT'S ALL THE SAME DOOM AND GLOOM.

THIS ALL SEEMED DOOM AND GLOOM.

THERE'S NOTHING THE WORLD IS CHANGING THAT.

I CAN'T HANDLE THAT.

AND THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT OUR IN OUR SCHOOLS, WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, THESE HONEST CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF RACE, BECAUSE WE SIT HERE AND WE ACT LIKE SOME PEOPLE GET VERY FIRED UP.

WE DON'T HAVE WE DON'T WE'RE JUST GOING TO TEACH MATH AND READING AND THAT'S GOING TO BE IT.

THAT'S ALL KIDS NEED TO KNOW.

BUT THEN WHEN THEY DON'T AND THEN THEY GO ON THE INTERNET AND SOMEONE TELLS THEM, A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T LOOK LIKE THEM ARE COMING TO THIS COUNTRY AND TAKING THEIR JOBS.

THEY DECIDE TO PICK UP A GUN AND KILL A BUNCH OF THOSE PEOPLE.

THAT'S JUST THE FACT.

SCHOOLS TEACH STUDENTS, PUBLIC SCHOOLS TEACH STUDENTS TO BE CITIZENS.

THAT IS PART OF THEIR JOB.

IT IS PART OF WHAT PARENTS SAID THEY WANTED WHEN THEY SAID WE ARE GOING TO WORK AND BRING THINGS INTO OUR HOUSEHOLD AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOMEONE ELSE HELP US BECAUSE WE CAN'T CREATE THE SOCIETY WE HAVE TODAY.

IF WE HAVE TO DO THIS ALL ON OUR OWN, AT SOME POINT IN OUR HISTORY, WE DECIDED IT TAKES A VILLAGE.

AND SO WE'VE SAID TO SCHOOLS HELP US MAKE BETTER CITIZENS.

AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS AROUND CONSENT, AROUND RACE, AROUND ALL OF THIS STUFF SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THESE TRAGEDIES HAPPEN EVERY SINGLE DAY, EVERY SINGLE WEEK. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT'S INTERESTING THAT OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, YOU'RE GOING TO PROBABLY HEAR A BUNCH OF ARGUMENTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY SHOOTINGS HAVE THERE REALLY BEEN AND IS IT REALLY THIS BAD AND WHO'S THIS AND WHO'S THAT? AND WE'RE GOING TO GET LOST AND ALL THIS MINUTIA AND WE'RE GOING TO FORGET THERE'S 21 DEAD CHILDREN IN TEXAS TODAY, 24 SORRY, 42 PARENTS WHOSE CHILDREN DIED TODAY.

THEY WILL NEVER SEE THEIR KIDS AGAIN.

THEY WILL NEVER GO TO THEIR GRADUATION.

THEY WILL NEVER SEE THEM GET MARRIED.

THEY WILL NEVER GO THROUGH ANY OF THOSE THINGS WITH THOSE CHILDREN.

SO INSTEAD OF GETTING LOST AND ALL THAT, WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS WE NEED TO ACTUALLY TEACH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE ACCEPTING OF EACH OTHER.

WE NEED TO TEACH THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

IT WAS A CLICHE WHEN COVID STARTED, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THE REALITY IS IN THE SOCIETY WE LIVE IN TODAY, WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

AND I COULD GIVE A TWO HOUR HISTORY LESSON ABOUT HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT HISTORY, WHAT IT MEANS TO BE WHITE, WHO GETS ACCEPTED, WHO'S THE MINORITY, WHO'S THE MAJORITY, AND HOW THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN FLUID, BUT NONE OF IT'S REALLY RELEVANT RIGHT NOW.

WHAT IS RELEVANT IS THAT THE WORLD IS CHANGING.

THERE IS A PLACE FOR ALL OF US AND IT CAN BE SCARY WHEN WE GO THROUGH THOSE CHANGES.

BUT WE HAVE TO LEARN TO ADAPT AND WORK AND ACCEPT EACH OTHER.

AND THAT'S WHAT I HOPE THAT WE CAN ALL DO TODAY AND GO HOME AND HUG YOUR KIDS TONIGHT.

DIRECTOR NOBLE.

YEAH. WELL, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR SMITH, FOR THOSE COMMENTS.

I APPRECIATE YOUR INSIGHT INTO THAT.

I'D LIKE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE COUNSELORS.

I CERTAINLY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAID.

I THINK IT'S A TRAGEDY THAT WE DON'T HAVE MORE COUNSELORS IN OUR SCHOOLS.

UNFORTUNATELY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOP LEVEL OF OUR BUDGET, WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH FLEXIBILITY AS YOU MIGHT THINK.

WHEN THE LEGISLATURE DID THEIR MARVELOUS WORK AS A RESULT OF THE MCCLEARY DECISION.

THEY GAVE US LOTS MORE FUNDING.

WE HAVE MUCH SMALLER CLASS SIZES, BUT A LOT OF THE SUPPORT AREAS WERE REALLY OVERLOOKED WHEN THEY CAME TO BUILD THE PROTOTYPICAL SCHOOL MODEL, WHICH IS HOW THEY DECIDE HOW MANY COUNSELORS WE HAVE AND HOW MANY TEACHERS WE HAVE AND EVERYTHING.

COUNSELORS AND NOTABLY COUNSELORS AND NURSES GOT REALLY THE SHORT END OF IT.

WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH NURSES IN OUR FUNDED IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.

WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH COUNSELORS FUNDED IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.

SO I'M URGING YOU TO GIVE US A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY BY TALKING TO YOUR YOUR LOCAL LEGISLATOR, BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE WE GET THE MONEY AND THIS IS HOW WE DEFINE HOW MANY COUNSELORS WE HAVE, HOW MANY NURSES WE HAVE, HOW MANY TEACHERS WE HAVE.

IT'S BASED ON THE STATE FUNDING TO US.

WE CAN'T BUY PEOPLE WITH MONEY WE DON'T HAVE AND WE DON'T HAVE VERY MUCH FLEXIBILITY WITH THE MONEY WE GET.

[00:50:02]

IT'S A REAL BIG PROBLEM AND I URGE YOU TO TALK TO YOUR LOCAL LEGISLATOR AND TELL THEM EXACTLY WHAT YOU JUST TOLD US.

IT'S THE ONLY WAY IT'S GOING TO CHANGE.

ON OUR STUDENT ADVISORS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I APPRECIATE IT.

YOU'VE BEEN GREAT. I'VE REALLY ENJOYED SEEING YOU.

I ENJOYED SEEING YOU OVER ZOOM AND IT WAS REALLY GOOD TO FINALLY SEE YOU IN PERSON AND TO MEET YOU.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.

I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY AMAZES ME HOW ACTIVE YOU WERE AND THE GREAT COMMENT YOU MADE WHILE WE'RE ONLINE AND ON ZOOM.

THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S DIFFICULT ENOUGH WHEN YOU CAN SEE THE PERSON, BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING INTO A VEST, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.

EVEN YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I APPRECIATE YOUR HELP AND ALL YOUR COMMENTS OVER THE LAST YEAR OR THE LAST TWO YEARS FOR TWO OF YOU.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU DIRECTOR NOBLE.

DIRECTOR CHASE.

THANK YOU. ALL OF THESE COMMENTS ARE JUST LEAVING ME WITH SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT FROM THINKING ABOUT THE WORLD IS CHANGING AND THERE'S A PLACE FOR EVERYONE THAT DOES ENCOMPASS A LOT OF HOW REFLECTING ON YOUR COMMENTS STUDENTS AND OUR BOARD DIRECTORS FROM THINKING ABOUT HOW HISTORY IS TAUGHT IN OUR COUNTRY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE WHITE COLONIZERS AND HOW WE'RE TRYING TO INTERRUPT THAT AND CHANGE AND THE STUDENTS THAT ARE RECOGNIZING THAT, THAT REALLY GIVES ME HOPE THAT THIS IS BEING RECOGNIZED, THAT THERE'S DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A LONG WAY AND WE'VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO.

BUT THINGS ARE CHANGING.

AND THE POINT THAT RITIKA I BELIEVE YOU SAID, THE PAST, THE HISTORY IS THE PAST.

WE'RE HERE RIGHT NOW.

AND THIS IS WHAT WE TAKE RIGHT NOW AND MOVE FORWARD WITH.

AND WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS AND I APPRECIATE YOUR PERSPECTIVE MORE THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY KNOW, BECAUSE HALF OF IT WAS ON ZOOM AND WE COULDN'T REALLY INTERACT.

AND SO I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT WE DO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT TIME.

SO YOU CAN ALWAYS COME BACK AND SHARE, PLEASE.

AND YOU ARE INVITED DEFINITELY TO DO SO.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE TO ADD ON THIS TONIGHT.

YOU KNOW, I'M DEEPLY REFLECTING ABOUT THE TRAGEDY AND I'M DEEPLY REFLECTING ON WHAT WE AS AS LEADERS IN THE DISTRICT CAN DO TO MOVE FORWARD AND PROCESS AND THINK ABOUT THIS.

SO I APPRECIATE THE FRANK CONVERSATIONS AND JUST DO WANT TO, WE REALLY ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

OH, WAIT, THERE WAS ONE OTHER THING, TOO.

I JUST ABOUT THE THE BLIND THE TRIP TO THE THE TRACK MEET.

I JUST REALLY ENJOYED THAT.

AND I USED TO GUIDE BLIND SKIERS AND IT WAS ONE OF THE JOYS IN MY LIFE BECAUSE I WAS NOT A VERY GOOD SKIER.

IT WAS CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING.

AND MY THE PERSON I WAS GUIDING JUST SAID, LOOK, KAREN, JUST LISTEN TO ME SKI.

AND IT'S LIKE I BECAME IT'S LIKE JUST CALM DOWN AND LISTEN TO THE SKI.

AND THEY TAUGHT ME HOW TO SKI SO MUCH BETTER.

AND SO I JUST APPRECIATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE GETTING SOME UNIFORMS AND SUCH SO THAT OUR EDMONDS STUDENTS CAN REPRESENT US VERY PROUDLY AT ALL OF THEIR TRACK MEETS.

SO THANK YOU. WAIT, THE OTHER THING JUST, YOU KNOW.

WELL, JUST, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH TONIGHT.

I JUST WE ARE IN THE PRESENT.

BUT WHEN MY GRANDMOTHER WAS BORN, WOMEN COULDN'T VOTE WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL, WHICH WAS NOT I MEAN, MAYBE IT SEEMS LIKE DINOSAUR TIME, BUT IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO I WASN'T ALLOWED TO PLAY BASEBALL.

AND SO I HAVE THOSE TOUCH POINTS IN MY FAMILY EXPERIENCE TO RECOGNIZE JUST SOME OF THOSE THINGS IN MY FAMILY, WHEN YOU WANT TO THROW A DART AND SEE WHERE WE'VE COME FROM. AND I JUST SO APPRECIATE THAT THERE'S A PLACE FOR ALL OF US AND WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE'RE IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS.

AND THIS IS THE TIME WHERE WE DO MEET WITH THE LEGISLATORS.

SO SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP TODAY, THIS IS DEFINITELY THE TIME AND WE'LL KEEP APPRIZED AS WHEN SOME OF THOSE AVAILABILITIES MIGHT BE, BUT ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO REACH OUT ALSO, WE HAVE NINE LEGISLATORS REPRESENTING OUR DISTRICT, SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU DIRECTOR CHASE.

DIRECTOR KILGORE.

WELL, THANK YOU STUDENT ADVISORS.

I HOPE YOU KNOW HOW GRATEFUL I AM FOR YOUR SERVICE AND THAT I DON'T HAVE TO REPEAT WHAT EVERYONE ELSE SAID.

BUT YOU CAN ANYWAY.

I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH.

SO WE HEARD A LOT OF THINGS TONIGHT AND OF COURSE, WEIGHING ON ALL OF US AS YET ANOTHER SCHOOL SHOOTING.

[00:55:01]

I'M ALWAYS LIKE, OKAY, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO MAKE HAPPEN? AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE ISSUES WHERE NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE.

LITERALLY NOTHING ACTUALLY GONE BACKWARDS, I MEAN, DEPENDING ON YOUR PERSPECTIVE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK NEEDS TO BE DONE? ALL WE CAN DO IS WORK ON OUR DISTRICT.

SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING IS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THERE'S REALLY THINKING ABOUT OUR STUDENT SAFETY AND WELLNESS PLAN.

AND I KNOW DR.

SCHWAB HAS HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK THERE.

OH, HE'S LIKE, AM I BEING CALLED SORRY? BUT WE HAVE REALLY WE'VE HAD A COMMUNITY FORUM ON STUDENT SAFETY.

AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING MORE ON VARIOUS TOPICS ABOUT STUDENT SAFETY AND WELLNESS.

WE HAVE DEFINITELY WITH OUR STUDENTS COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, WE HAVE SEEN ISSUES.

AND SO WE HAVE REALLY THE DISTRICT HAS WORKED REALLY HARD TO MEET THOSE STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE, GIVE THEM THE ATTENTION THAT THEY NEED, GIVE THEM THE MENTAL HEALTH OR DIRECT THEM TO THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THAT THEY NEED.

I HAVE TO SAY THAT THE STATE DOESN'T HAVE A GOOD HISTORY OF PROVIDING RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH.

WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THE BOARD, I WAS KIND OF SHOCKED AT HOW LITTLE WE HAD BEYOND OUR DISTRICT WALLS WHERE WE COULD TURN.

THAT HAS IMPROVED SOME.

WILL CONTINUE TO GET BETTER.

AND I AGREE, EVEN I DO.

I DON'T I DON'T AGREE THAT MENTAL HEALTH IS A NEGATIVE TERM BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT NECESSARILY MEANS THAT WE MEDICATE CHILDREN.

AND BUT I TEND TO AGREE WITH THE WOMAN WHO SPOKE EARLIER THAT WE DO HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT ABOUT DIAGNOSING AND SENDING KIDS DOWN A PATH.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT KIDS REALLY HAVE COME OUT AND ADULTS HAVE COME OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC A LITTLE RATTLED, TO SAY THE LEAST.

AND WE HAVE TO HEAL OURSELVES AND HEAL OUR KIDS.

SO NOT JUST COMMUNITY FORUMS, BUT WE HAVE HAD I HAVE HAD SOME MEETING, AT LEAST ONE MEETING WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.

AND I CONTINUE TO URGE OUR STAFF TO FIRM UP THOSE PARTNERSHIPS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.

WE NEED TO ALSO FIRM UP OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH MUNICIPALITIES BECAUSE THEY OVERSEE MOST OF OUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.

THIS IS SCHOOL SAFETY.

WE ARE A BIG OF COURSE, WE'RE THE BIGGEST LINE ITEM ON YOUR TAX BILL.

WE ARE A BIG IMPORTANT CITIZENRY, YOU KNOW, ELEMENT OF OUR CITIZENRY IN THESE MUNICIPALITIES.

AND WE NEED TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALL OF OUR LOCAL LEADERS TO ENSURE A GREATER SAFETY FOR OUR KIDS.

WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE I HEARD FROM THE PRINCIPAL OF EDMONDS WOODWAY THAT THEY'RE MAKING SURE THAT THEY MEET EACH KID ONCE, THAT THEY KNOW EVERY SINGLE KID.

AND I HEARD THIS ALSO.

I WAS VISITING AT CHASE LAKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THIS WEEK, AND THAT WAS THE SAME MESSAGE THAT THEY KNEW EVERY KID AND THEY HAD SUCH THE PRINCIPAL SILVER THERE HAD SUCH INTERESTING METHODS OF MAKING SURE THAT EVERY CHILD IN THE SCHOOL HAD AN ADULT THAT THEY COULD LEAN ON IF THEY NEED IT, AND THAT EVERY CHILD THAT NONE OF THEM FELL THROUGH THE CRACKS.

AND SO, AGAIN, IT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE SEE CHILDREN AND YOUTH AS INDIVIDUALS, AS HUMAN BEINGS, JUST LIKE WE ARE.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND MY OWN KIDS THAT WELL.

AND THEY PROBABLY LIKE IT THAT WAY.

BUT THEY'RE HUMAN.

THEY'RE HUMAN BEINGS.

AND WE HAVE TO MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE.

AND WE HAVE TO PROVIDE EVERY KID IN THE DISTRICT WITH SAFETY, WITH EDUCATION.

WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT GENDER IDENTITY.

I HOPE YOU ARE YOU HAVE IDENTITIES AS ACADEMICS, AS INTELLECTUALS, AS PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO GO FORTH AND SOLVE THE WORLD'S

[01:00:01]

AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO MOST OF THE TIME.

I MEAN, I KNOW I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY THAT WE'RE DISTRACTED BY CERTAIN THINGS, BUT WHAT DID WE HEAR TONIGHT? WE HEARD 13 STUDENTS TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY LEARNED IN THERE.

YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS WERE INCREDIBLE, THE SALMON SAVING THE SALMON.

THAT'S A SCIENCE PROJECT.

THAT'S THAT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, GO OUT AND SHAKE A FEW HANDS.

THESE KIDS ARE LEARNING AMAZING THINGS IN OUR SCHOOLS.

WE HAVE FOUR HIGHLY CAPABLE STUDENTS WHO HERE TONIGHT WHO HAVE PROVIDED INVALUABLE SERVICE.

WE HAVE KIDS ALL OVER THE DISTRICT.

OUR SPECIAL ED PROGRAMS ARE NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.

THEY REALLY ARE.

AND, YOU KNOW, AS YOU MENTIONED, THEY DO AMAZING THINGS.

THOSE THE STAFF AND THE TEACHERS WHO WORK WITH OUR MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS ARE JUST INCREDIBLE.

THEIR HEARTS ARE ALL IN.

AND I WANT TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN.

AND I HAVE TRIED TO ADVOCATE FOR THEM AND AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO HELP THOSE KIDS.

SO IN CONCLUSION, I KNOW I'M GETTING THERE.

I WOULD JUST SAY THAT WE HAVE A LOT GOING ON IN THIS DISTRICT AND WE SPEND MOST OF OUR TIME TURNING OUR STUDENTS INTO LIFELONG LEARNERS.

I MEAN THAT OR HELPING THEM BECOME BETTER LIFELONG LEARNERS.

THAT'S WHAT WE SPEND OUR TIME ON.

AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN REVISITING OUR MEETINGS AND WE GET THE THE JOY TO SEE JUST A LITTLE SNIPPET.

EVERY MEETING, A DIFFERENT SCHOOL COMES IN.

BUT WE HAVE THINGS GOING ON ALL OVER THE DISTRICT.

AND TONIGHT WE HEARD ABOUT A LOT OF GREAT THINGS.

SO JUST KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK I'M SO PROUD TO REPRESENT.

THANK YOU, DIRECTOR KILGORE.

I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID.

I'M GOING TO TOUCH ON A FEW THINGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT.

ONE IS THAT DIRECTOR SMITH AND I WERE IN THE STATE EXIT CONFERENCE FOR THE STATE AUDITOR.

THEY COVER THREE AREAS EVERY YEAR.

THEY LOOK AT OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION.

THEY LOOK AT ACCOUNTABILITY.

AND THEY LOOK AT FEDERAL GRANTS, THE USE OF FEDERAL GRANTS.

IN THIS YEAR, THEY FOCUSED ON THE ESSER USE OF ESSER FUNDS, WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED FOR.

SO THIS WAS BEING LOOKED AT BY THE STATE AUDITOR.

WE GOT A COMPLETE CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH AS A DISTRICT AND WE HAVE FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

SO I REALLY WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR STAFF IN THE BUSINESS OFFICE IN PARTICULAR WHO HAVE REALLY DONE A GREAT JOB OF KEEPING US FISCALLY SAFE AND SECURE.

SOMETHING ELSE I'D LIKE TO MENTION, AND THIS WAS GOING TO DOVETAIL TO SOME OF THE OTHER TOPICS, IS THAT DIRECTOR KILGORE AND I AND DR.

BALDERAS WERE ABLE TO VISIT COLLEGE PLACE MIDDLE SCHOOL THIS WEEK, AND WE HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING WITH THREE STUDENTS WHO HAVE STARTED WHAT THEY CALL TAKE ACTION CLUB.

THESE ARE STUDENTS OF COLOR WHO HAVE FELT THAT THE CULTURE THERE HAS BEEN NOT POSITIVE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF RACIAL SLURS AND OTHER KINDS OF HARASSMENT, AS WELL AS SOME THAT ARE MISOGYNISTIC.

AND THESE KIDS ARE TAKING ACTION TO WORK WITH OTHER STUDENTS TO TRY TO IMPROVE THE CULTURE THERE, AS WELL AS WORKING IN AND, YOU KNOW, THE PRINCIPAL AND THE STAFF AND THE TEACHERS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB AS WELL OF DOING RESTORATIVE JUSTICE APPROACHES.

BUT WHAT IT MADE ME THINK OF WHICH TIES INTO WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS ALL OUR STUDENTS MATTER. IF WHITE MALES ARE STRUGGLING, WE NEED TO HELP THEM.

WE NEED TO HELP OUR SPECIAL ED KIDS.

I REALLY RESONATED WITH THE COMMENT THAT SAID THEY FEEL LIKE WE GIVE TOO MUCH ATTENTION TO LGBTQ KIDS AND NOT ENOUGH SPECIAL ED TO SPECIAL ED.

AND THE KIDS ARE NOT BEING KIND TO SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS.

I'VE SEEN PLACES WHERE THEY'VE BEEN VERY KIND IN OTHER PLACES WHERE THEY HAVEN'T.

WHAT WE NEED IS A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH, SIMILAR TO WHAT THE PRINCIPAL LARSEN FROM EDMONDS WOODWAY TALKED ABOUT, AND THAT OTHERS HERE HAVE MENTIONED THE CONCEPT THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ADULT IN EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL FOR EVERY SINGLE STUDENT TO KNOW WHO THEY CAN GO TO, TO TALK TO, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR DEMOGRAPHIC IS.

BECAUSE WE HAVE KIDS WHO ARE FROM POVERTY.

WE HAVE KIDS WHO HAVE PARENTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH DRUGS OR ALCOHOL.

WE HAVE YOU NAME IT.

[01:05:02]

WE HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THE NEEDS OF EVERY CHILD IS AND MEET THEM SO THAT SOME OF THE MALES THAT FEEL DISCONNECTED AND MIGHT END UP PICKING UP ON THINGS ON THE INTERNET THAT ARE INAPPROPRIATE AND NEGATIVE AND AND DAMAGING.

WE'LL HAVE RECEIVED THE KIND OF ATTENTION, CARE AND SUPPORT THAT WILL HELP.

WE NEED TO HAVE A CULTURE IN EVERY ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS WHERE ALL THE KIDS ARE SHOWING RESPECT AND CARING TO EACH OTHER NO MATTER WHO THE OTHER STUDENTS ARE.

AND I THINK THAT'S A MAJOR GOAL IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN WHEN WE SAY WE WANT EVERY STUDENT TO FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG.

AND THAT MEANS IN A VERY POSITIVE WAY.

I THINK THAT'S ALL I'M GOING TO SAY, BUT I'M GOING TO THANK EVERYBODY IN PARTICULAR.

I'VE SAID IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN, BUT WE WISH YOU GUYS THE BEST.

YOU KNOW, WE KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL, BUT YOU'VE BEEN AWESOME IN TERMS OF BEING PART OF OUR LIVES AND PART OF THE DECISIONS WE'VE MADE FOR THE ONE OR TWO YEARS THAT YOU'VE BEEN WITH US. AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT, DR.

BALDERAS. AND I'LL BE FAST.

I REALLY WANT TO THANK THE KIDS AGAIN.

WE'LL SEE YOUR GRADUATIONS, MOST OF YOU.

SO WE'LL BE THERE AND BE ONE MORE CHANCE TO SEE YOU.

REALLY WANT TO REALLY APPRECIATE ALLISON AND JESSE FOR BEING HERE AND FOR THE PRESENTATION.

THAT WAS GREAT.

EDMONDS WOODWAY IS DOING SOME WONDERFUL THINGS UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO AND OF COURSE, KIM AND YOUR TEAM FOR ALL THAT WORK.

THAT WAS A QUICK PRESENTATION THAT I KNOW THE BOARD SAW THE PRESIDENT.

THAT'S A TON OF WORK.

THERE'S A TON OF WORK DONE AND VERY DURING COVID TIMES.

SO AGAIN, THIS IS I KNOW IT'S SOMETIMES A VISIBLE WORK THAT THE WORK IS MANY, MANY, MANY HOURS OF WORK TO MAKE SURE IT WOULD MEET THE NEEDS OF KIDS.

ALSO, BUDGET TIMES ARE TOUGH RIGHT NOW.

AND DIRECTOR NOBLE, APPRECIATE YOU MENTIONING THE PROTOTYPICAL SCHOOLS MODEL IN TERMS OF WHAT WE ARE FUNDED AND NOT FUNDED BY, YOU KNOW, BEING A FORMER COUNSELOR AT A COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL WHERE I HAD A CASELOAD OF 480 KIDS.

AND I WAS ALSO THE COORDINATOR OF THE COUNSELING COORDINATOR FOR GLENCOE HIGH SCHOOL BACK IN THE DAY.

I UNDERSTAND THE CASELOAD AND NOT BE ABLE TO REACH KIDS.

SO THE MORE WE COULD DO TO ADVOCATE AND I KNOW THAT DIRECTOR CHASE, YOU DO A WONDERFUL JOB OF THAT AND SUPPORTING THE REST OF THE BOARD AND DOING THAT AND CONTINUE TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE DO NEED MORE RESOURCES FOR OUR KIDS.

SO THANK YOU ALL AND THANK YOU FOR A GREAT MEETING.

SO BEFORE WE ADJOURN, WE ALWAYS WANT TO HAVE A CHECK IN.

ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ON FUTURE MEETINGS? OH, I WAS JUST I WANTED TO DO A CHECK IN ON OUR NATIVE CURRICULUM AND JUST AS A AS POSSIBLY A BOARD TOPIC.

OKAY, GOOD. THAT'S SO PRESCIENT OF YOU TO HAVE JUST KNOWN THAT SHE WAS GOING TO ASK FOR THAT.

IMAGINE HOW THAT. YEAH.

THAT'S GREAT. ANY OTHER REQUESTS, FOLKS? MAYBE, IF NOT BY THE END OF THE YEAR AND THE EARLY FALL.

I'D LIKE TO HEAR ANOTHER UPDATE ON OUR STUDENT SAFETY AND WELLNESS PLAN.

GOOD IDEA. I ALSO KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE DATA REPORTS COMING ON SBA AND PANORAMA AND IREADY.

SO I KNOW THAT WILL BE COMING.

IF I WAIT LONG ENOUGH, EVERYBODY'S GOING TO HAVE AN IDEA.

THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR INPUT.

BEST OF LUCK. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.