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[00:00:02]

GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME.

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

THIS REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING OF THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER.

I'LL DO A ROLL CALL.

[2. ROLL CALL-6:31 pm (ALL TIMES ARE ESTIMATED)]

VOTE DIRECTOR CRAMER HERE.

DIRECTOR SMITH, PRESENT.

DIRECTOR CHASE.

DIRECTOR KILGORE HERE.

AND I'M DIRECTOR KATIMS. WE ARE ALL HERE, WHICH IS LOVELY.

NEXT I'LL ASK DR.

MINER TO THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.

[3. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT-6:32 pm]

THANK YOU, DR. KATIMS. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF THIS PLACE, THE SNOHOMISH PEOPLE AND THEIR SUCCESSORS, THE 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 SCHOOLS. THANK YOU.

NOW, IF EVERYBODY WILL RISE AND JOIN ME WITH THE SALUTE TO THE FLAG.

[4. FLAG SALUTE-6:33 pm]

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

NEXT, WE HAVE THE APPROVAL FOR TONIGHT'S AGENDA.

[5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA-6:34 pm]

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

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

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

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING TONIGHT'S AGENDA AS PRESENTED, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY.

ANY ABSTENTIONS? AND TONIGHT'S AGENDA IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED.

WELL, IN ADDITION TO OUR EARLIER CELEBRATION, WE GET TO KICK OUR MEETING OFF WITH SOME EXCITING WORK TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE STUDENTS AND PRINCIPAL FROM HILLTOP

[6. SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS- 6:35 pm]

ELEMENTARY. SO TO BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO START WITH OUR HILLTOP ELEMENTARY STUDENT PRESENTATION [APPLAUSE].

GOOD EVENING.

THANK YOU, PRESIDENT KATIMS AND DIRECTORS AND STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES FOR ALLOWING US TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HILLTOP ELEMENTARY TONIGHT.

MY NAME IS MELISSA SOMOZA, AND I'M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE BEEN THE PRINCIPAL AT HILLTOP ELEMENTARY FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.

TONIGHT, WE'D LIKE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW OUR SCHOOL'S VISION, OUR SCHOOL'S VISION, AND HOW IT GUIDES MUCH OF THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE AT HILLTOP.

SO WE STARTED OUR VISION PROCESS.

IT STARTED WITH A SURVEY OF OUR STAFF AND OUR FAMILIES ABOUT HOW THEY WANTED STUDENTS AT HILLTOP TO EXIT HILLTOP IN THEIR AFTER THEIR SIXTH GRADE YEAR.

WHAT ARE THE DESIRED TRAITS FOR OUR STUDENTS? AND THIS WAS A FEW YEARS AGO.

THE TOP FIVE TRAITS WAS BEING RESPECTFUL, COMPASSIONATE, EMPATHETIC, CONFIDENT, AND INCLUSIVE.

AND THEN WE WORKED WITH OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM TO DEVELOP IT INTO OUR VISION STATEMENT.

SO TO CREATE A SAFE, INCLUSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERYONE, WHERE STUDENTS RESPECT THEMSELVES AND OTHERS, LEARN COMPASSION AND BECOME EMPOWERED SCHOLARS. SO WE HAVE OUR STUDENTS HERE A LITTLE BIT TO SHARE HOW THAT VISION IS BEING IMPLEMENTED ACROSS OUR SCHOOL, FROM THEM FROM THE STUDENT PERSPECTIVE.

SO TONIGHT I HAVE OUR HILLTOP STUDENT COUNCIL LEADERS, AMILIA AND HANA, OUR CO-PRESIDENTS, HERE TO PRESENT.

WE HAVE OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE PART OF OUR STUDENT COUNCIL EXECUTIVE BOARD WHO WERE NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT TONIGHT, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF THEIR EXPERIENCE AT HILLTOP.

GOOD EVENING. ONE OF OUR WAYS THAT WE THAT WE ARE CREATING COMMUNITY IS RESPECTFUL OF OTHERS, INCLUSIVE, COMPASSIONATE AND EMPOWERING. THIS THROUGH OUR STUDENT COUNCIL UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MRS. O'BRIEN AND MISS MARTEL.

THE STUDENT COUNCIL INCLUDES TWO REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH SECOND THROUGH SIXTH GRADE CLASSROOM.

FROM THIS GROUP, WE VOTED ON OUR EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS, AND WE MEET DURING ONE RECESS EACH EACH WEEK TO DISCUSS THINGS THAT WE WANT TO MAKE AT HILLTOP TO BE A GREAT PLACE FOR EVERYONE, AND WE WORK ON OUR ACTION PLANS.

[00:05:08]

STUDENT COUNCIL COMMUNITY PROJECTS.

THE PROJECTS THAT WE DO TO MAKE HILLTOP A BETTER PLACE FOR EVERYONE INCLUDE EVERYONE INCLUDED PLANNING ACTIVITIES FOR KINDNESS WEEK AND LEADING THE SCHOOLS IN SERVICE PROJECTS LIKE THE ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE.

DURING KINDNESS WEEK EVERY STUDENT GOT TO SELECT A POSITIVE, POSITIVE MESSAGE FROM OUR WALL OF KINDNESS.

STUDENT COUNCIL SPIRIT DAYS.

ANOTHER THING WE DO TO HELP CREATE A SENSE OF BELONGING AND CONNECTION.

WE HAVE A MONTHLY SCHOOL SPIRIT DAYS INCLUDING PAJAMA DAY, MUSTACHE DAY, AND DRESS ALIKE DAY.

WE HAVE IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS DURING STUDENT COUNCIL MEETINGS ABOUT WHICH DAYS ARE MOST INCLUSIVE, AND ALLOW EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE IN A MANNER THAT IS RESPECTFUL TO ALL.

SAFETY PATROL GREETERS.

BESIDES STUDENT COUNCIL, WE HAVE OTHER STUDENT GROUPS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY.

OUR SAFETY PATROL WELCOMES STUDENTS AS THEY ARRIVE EACH DAY TO CREATE A SENSE OF BELONGING.

HELPERS AT RECESS.

WE HAVE HUSKY HELPERS PROGRAM, WHERE OUR FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADERS HELP OUR PRIMARY STUDENTS DURING RECESS.

WE RECEIVE SPECIAL TRAINING FROM OUR COUNSELORS TO HELP STUDENTS SOLVE PROBLEMS WITH RESPECT AND COMPASSION, AND TO HELP STUDENTS FIND PLAYMATES.

BUDDY CLASSROOMS. ANOTHER WAY THAT STUDENTS ARE LEADERS AT HILLTOP IS WHEN OUR UPPER GRADE STUDENTS ARE BUDDIES WITH A YOUNGER CLASS.

THE GOAL IS TO FOSTER CROSS GRADE RELATIONSHIPS, COMPASSION, AND CONNECTION.

SPIRIT ASSEMBLIES.

ONE OF OUR WAYS THAT WE COME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE AND BUILD OUR SCHOOL CULTURE IS DURING OUR SPIRIT ASSEMBLIES.

WE SPEND TIME TEACHING THE HUSKY WAY TO BE RESPECTFUL, RESPONSIBLE AND BE SAFE.

WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A MINUTE OF OUR SCHOOL SONG THAT WAS CREATED TO HIGHLIGHT THE HUSKY WAY IN OUR SCHOOL VISION.

[SINGING] AND APPLAUSE] MULTICULTURAL NIGHT.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS THAT WE CELEBRATE OUR DIVERSITY AT HILLTOP.

ONE OF OUR FAVORITES IS OUR MULTICULTURAL NIGHT PERFORMANCES AND POTLUCK.

WE HAVE SOME OTHER WAYS THAT HAVE HELPED US BUILD OUR HILLTOP SCHOOL COMMUNITY.

OUR HILLTOP PTSA CREATES WONDERFUL EVENTS, PROVIDES VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADULTS AND STUDENTS, AND SUPPORTS OUR LEARNING WITH GENEROUS GRANTS. LAST YEAR, WE WORKED WITH ARTIST LIZ TRAN TO CREATE A MURAL THAT HIGHLIGHTED THAT WE ALL BELONG AT HILLTOP. EVERY STUDENT WAS ABLE TO CREATE A PART OF THE MURAL TO REPRESENT THAT WE ALL BELONG AT HILLTOP.

THANK YOU FOR LETTING US SHARE ABOUT HILLTOP ELEMENTARY WITH YOU [APPLAUSE].

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THAT WAS WONDERFUL. ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD?

[00:10:02]

WELL, YES, I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS BOTH HANA AND AMILIA.

AS SCHOOLMATES OF MY OWN DAUGHTER WHO GOES TO HILLTOP, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.

AND GIVING UP ONE RECESS A WEEK IS IS NOT A SMALL THING, RIGHT? HAS IT BEEN WORTH IT FOR YOU? YEAH. IT'S BEEN WORTH IT.

YEAH, YEAH, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S BEEN WORTH IT BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING SOME GREAT THINGS.

KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK [APPLAUSE].

THANK YOU SO MUCH. I HAVE A QUESTION, NANCY, DR.

KATIMS HAS A QUESTION, SO I'M SO I LOVED IT.

IT'S IT'S WONDERFUL EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING.

I'M CURIOUS, HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH YOUR IDEAS FOR YOUR SPIRIT DAYS? CAN YOU GO TO THE MIC SO SO PEOPLE AT HOME CAN HEAR AS WELL? I DON'T WANT TO INTIMIDATE YOU KNOWING THERE ARE PEOPLE AT HOME WATCHING, BUT THERE ARE.

SO WE HAVE OUR STUDENT REPS ASK GO ASK THEIR CLASSROOM FOR IDEAS AND THEN WE SHARE THEM AS A STUDENT COUNCIL AND WE COME UP WITH THE THE BEST ONE THAT WE CAN INCLUDE EVERYONE, AND THAT SEEMS LIKE REALLY FUN FOR EVERYONE.

I ESPECIALLY LIKE THE MUSTACHE DAY.

[INAUDIBLE] THAT'S GREAT.

THANK YOU GUYS.

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE DOING AN AMAZING JOB.

THE TRAITS THAT YOU ALL HAVE IDENTIFIED ARE SUCH KEY, IMPORTANT TRAITS FOR SUCCESS, NOT ONLY IN SCHOOL BUT IN LIFE.

AND I'M JUST REALLY PROUD OF YOU.

WE'RE ALL PROUD OF YOU FOR ALL OF THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING TO HELP IT, TO HELP THE ENTIRE LEARNING EXPERIENCE BE GREAT FOR ALL YOUR SCHOOLMATES.

THANK YOU.

YEAH, I STILL HAVE I STILL HAVE A QUESTION FOR THEM.

ALL RIGHT. YES. THANK YOU.

SO LET'S SEE.

SO SO YOU'RE IN THE HIGH LEVEL POSITION, WHICH IS GREAT FOR YOUR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE FUTURE.

I JUST WANTED TO ASK, WHAT IS THE FAVORITE THING YOU HAVE PLANNED ALL YEAR SO FAR OR ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO? HONESTLY, I THINK DRESS LIKE YOUR TEACHER DAY, WHERE WE JUST LIKE LIKE, HOW WOULD WE BE THE TEACHER? OH. YEAH, YEAH.

THIS FRIDAY. THIS FRIDAY IS DRESS LIKE A TEACHER DAY.

OH, YES. YES, WE HAVE THOSE DAYS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL [APPLAUSE].

WE DID TRY, BUT EVERYTHING BUT A BACKPACK DAY.

BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE DID AS WELL AS WHAT I HEARD THE HIGH SCHOOL DID WITH THEIR CREATIVITY.

THAT DID HAPPEN ALSO.

ANYTHING ELSE.

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH.

THANK YOU [APPLAUSE]. AND WE'LL TURN IT RIGHT OVER TO PRINCIPAL SOMOZA TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.

WONDERFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

SO I'M GOING TO START MY PRESENTATION JUST KIND OF RIGHT BACK WHERE WE ENDED WITH OUR VISION STATEMENT, BECAUSE I DO THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO KEEP IT IN MIND AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE DOING OUR WORK.

SO NOW I WANT TO SHARE HOW WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS OUR VISION AND OUR ACADEMIC PROGRAMS. AND A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HILLTOP.

SPECIFICALLY, I WILL SHARE ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE ARE IMPROVING LEARNING AT HILLTOP THROUGH OUR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, OR SIP.

ONE THING TO NOTE IS THAT HILLTOP IS ACTUALLY GROWING.

HILLTOP IS UNIQUE IN THAT OUR POPULATION IS GROWING, WHICH IS NOT THE TREND ACROSS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

WE HAVE GROWN BY TWO CLASSROOMS ACROSS THE PAST TWO YEARS.

OUR RECENT KINDERGARTEN COHORTS HAVE HAD 90 TO 100 STUDENTS, AND WE ALREADY HAVE 62 STUDENTS REGISTERED FOR KINDERGARTEN THIS FALL.

WITH THAT, HILLTOP IS BECOMING MORE DIVERSE.

HILLTOP IS BECOMING MORE DIVERSE IN BOTH RACE AND ETHNICITY.

OUR STAFF IS WORKING TO BE THOUGHTFUL AND REFLECTIVE ABOUT HOW TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN OUR INTERACTIONS WITH FAMILIES.

OUR SELECTION OF MATERIALS, AND OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.

WE EXTEND OUR INCLUSIVITY TO OTHER FORMS OF DIVERSITY WITHIN OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY BY FINDING WAYS FOR STUDENTS TO BE PROUD OF THEIR IDENTITY.

SO TONIGHT I WANT TO FOCUS ON ONE OF OUR THREE SIP GOALS.

LIKE OTHER SCHOOLS, WE HAVE A READING, MATH AND BELONGING GOAL.

AND WHILE BELONGING IS AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO AND SO DEEPLY TIED TO BOTH OUR SCHOOL AND DISTRICT MISSION, WE CHOSE TO SHARE OUR READING GOAL WITH YOU TONIGHT.

WHY OUR READING GOAL? WELL, PROVIDING ENGAGING LEARNING THAT LEADS TO ACHIEVEMENT IS A KEY PART OF HELPING STUDENTS DEVELOP A SENSE OF BELONGING.

READING IS THE PATH TO BEING A SCHOLAR AND TO DEVELOPING EMPATHY AND ADVOCACY, ALL PART OF OUR MISSION THAT WAS JUST SHARED WITH YOU.

OUR READING GOAL FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS IS BETWEEN FALL OF 2021 AND SPRING OF 2024, THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS IN FIRST THROUGH THIRD GRADE

[00:15:07]

MEETING GRADE LEVEL READING STANDARDS WILL INCREASE FROM 66% TO 78%, AS MEASURED BY TEACHER COLLEGE RUNNING RECORDS.

WE CHOSE TO FOCUS ON OUR PRIMARY STUDENTS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO STRENGTHEN THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR INTERVENTION TEACHERS AND OUR CLASSROOM TEACHERS.

OUR KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THIRD GRADE LAB TEACHERS HAVE BEEN A KEY PART OF SUPPORTING FOUNDATIONAL LITERACY IMPROVEMENTS AT OUR SCHOOL, AND WE KNOW THAT FOUNDATIONAL LITERACY SKILLS BEFORE GRADE THREE AND AFTER ARE CRITICAL.

OUR INTERVENTIONISTS HAVE BEEN LEARNING ALONGSIDE OUR CLASSROOM TEACHERS.

THE INCREASE IN COLLABORATION OVER THE PAST FEW YEAR BETWEEN OUR LAP, SPECIAL ED, MULTILINGUAL AND MULTILINGUAL TEACHERS AND CLASSROOM TEACHERS IS SOMETHING FOR ALL OF OUR STAFF TO BE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF.

THIS IS OUR THEORY OF ACTION FOR OUR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GOAL.

IF WE PROVIDE ASSESSMENTS THAT HELP US KNOW OUR STUDENTS BY NEEDS, STRENGTHS AND INTERESTS, AND WE PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS FOR IMPLEMENTATION, AND WE PROVIDE ACCESS TO EFFECTIVE MATERIALS THAT REFLECT OUR STUDENTS.

AND WE ARE STRATEGIC WITH OUR SCHEDULING AND CLASS PLACEMENT OF STUDENTS IN CLUSTERS WITH SIMILAR NEEDS, THEN WE WILL ACHIEVE CONSISTENT CONSISTENCY IN CORE INSTRUCTION.

EFFECTIVE COLLABORATIVE INTERVENTION AND ACCELERATION IN READING GROWTH TO CLOSE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS.

I AM PROUD THAT OUR SCHOOL HAS BEEN ON A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING JOURNEY WITH LITERACY.

OUR SIP GOAL STARTED WITH A FOCUS ON INSTRUCTION THAT IS RESPONSIVE TO STUDENTS STRENGTHS, NEEDS AND INTERESTS.

A KEY PART OF THIS IS ASSESSMENT.

WHEN WE STARTED THIS THREE YEAR SIP CYCLE, WE WERE JUST IN THE BEGINNING OF LAUNCHING IREADY AND FINISHING UP WITH A YEAR OF HYBRID LEARNING.

WE'VE COME A LONG WAY SINCE THEN IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE IREADY ASSESSMENT TOOLS.

IT HAS BECOME AN ASSET TO OUR PROGRAM MONITORING AND REALLY HELPS US DRILL DOWN TO THE NEEDS OF BOTH STUDENTS AND GROUPS.

OUR FOCUS EARLY IN THE SIP CYCLE WAS ON CLASSROOM INTERVENTIONS AND USING THE RUNNING RECORD CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT THAT HELPED US LOOK FOR LOOK AT AREAS OF FOCUS FOR DECODING FLUENCY AND COMPREHENSION.

WE CONTINUED TO USE RUNNING RECORDS, OTHER CLASSROOM ASSESSMENTS, AND IREADY TO PLAN NEXT STEPS FOR SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION AND CONFERRING.

AND WE CHOSE TO KEEP THE RUNNING RECORD AS OUR KEY DATA POINT THROUGH THE SIP CYCLE.

OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, OUR TEACHERS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING RELATED TO READERS WORKSHOP, BOTH BY BRINGING IN CONSULTANTS AND TEACHERS, ATTENDING ONLINE INSTITUTES, AND WORKING WITH INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES.

THE COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES AND GENRE STUDIES HAVE CREATED STUDENT CONFIDENCE, DEVELOP THEIR CONTENT KNOWLEDGE, TAUGHT THEM TO ANALYZE CHARACTERS, AND TO BECOME ADVOCATES FOR SOCIAL ISSUES.

ABOVE ALL, STUDENTS FIND JOY IN CONNECTING AS A READING COMMUNITY.

MORE RECENTLY, OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING HAS FOCUSED ON BUILDING FOUNDATIONAL LITERACY SKILLS, INCLUDING PHONEMIC AWARENESS, PHONICS, AND THE STUDY OF MORPHOLOGY.

OUR LAP TEACHERS STUDENT LEARNING, 95% CORE IMPLEMENTATION AND LETTERS TRAININGS HAVE BROUGHT THIS IMPORTANT PIECE OF LITERACY INSTRUCTION TO THE FOREFRONT OF OUR PROGRAM. STUDENTS ARE BENEFITING FROM STAFF COLLABORATION AND ALIGNMENT OF INTERVENTION AND CORE INSTRUCTION AND WORD STUDY.

TO FURTHER THE IMPACT OF PHONICS INSTRUCTION WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE EDMONDS SCHOOL FOUNDATION FOR PROVIDING US WITH A GRANT TO PURCHASE DECODABLE TEXT TO HELP US MOVE FROM SHARED READING AND WORD LEVEL DECODING TO APPLICATION FOR OUR EMERGENT READERS.

WE ALSO CONTINUE TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THE TRADE BOOKS WE BRING INTO OUR CLASSROOMS, SO OUR STUDENTS SEE THEMSELVES REPRESENTED IN WHAT THEY READ.

THE LAST PART OF OUR THEORY OF ACTION IS BEING STRATEGIC WITH SCHEDULING AND CLASS PLACEMENT TO MAXIMIZE OUR USE OF RESOURCES AND OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE TIER TWO AND TIER THREE INTERVENTIONS TO STUDENTS.

THE WORK WE DO EACH SPRING TO ALIGN SCHEDULES AND PUT LEARNING NEEDS OF STUDENTS FIRST IS CRITICAL TO AN EFFECTIVE, EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION PROGRAM.

WE HAVE LEARNED THAT IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE LEAD OUR MASTER SCHEDULING WITH THIS IN MIND, ALL OF THIS WILL RESULT IN CONSISTENCY IN CORE INSTRUCTIONS, EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION, COLLABORATIVE INTERVENTION, AND ACCELERATION IN READING GROWTH TO CLOSE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS.

SO HERE WE ARE WITH SOME OF OUR PROGRESS.

WE STARTED WITH LOOKING AT SPRING DATA DURING THE END OF THE 2021 HYBRID SCHOOL YEAR.

AND THAT'S WAS AT 66% WITH A AND THEN WITH OUR, WITH OUR FIRST THROUGH THIRD GRADE AVERAGE OF 70%, WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW QUICKLY WE WOULD SEE RECOVERY OF LOST PROGRESS AND WE HAD SET OUR GOAL AT 74%.

WE EXCEEDED THE GOAL THE FIRST YEAR AND MOVED OUR THREE YEAR GOAL HIGHER TO 78%.

THE ARROWS POINT TO EACH OF THE END OF THE YEAR DATA POINTS.

[00:20:02]

YOU'LL SEE THAT WE KIND OF GO LOWER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, AND AT THE END OF THE YEAR SEEM TO RISE UP.

OUR TEACHERS WILL BE MONITORING RUNNING RECORDS AND OTHER CLASSROOM BASED ASSESSMENTS THROUGHOUT THIS SPRING.

AT OUR LAST DATA REVIEW, WE ASKED TEACHERS TO FOCUS IN ON STUDENTS WHO WERE APPROACHING STANDARD BECAUSE WE FOUND THAT WE WERE ALREADY MAKING ACCELERATED TRACTION WITH OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE MORE THAN A YEAR BEHIND THE GRADE LEVEL STANDARDS.

SO WE TALKED ABOUT OUR TWO STRATEGIES.

THE CONSISTENCY AND ALIGNMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF GUARANTEED VIABLE CORE READING CURRICULUM, WHICH WAS IS OUR UNITS OF STUDY AND OUR 95% CORE.

AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PART OF THAT WAS MAKING SURE THAT OUR TEACHERS HAVE ACCESS TO RESOURCES, INCLUDING INCLUDING STUDENT BOOKS AND DECODABLE TEXTS. AND WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF REQUIRED AND OPTIONAL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, INCLUDING A NUMBER OF OUR TEACHERS ATTENDING INSTITUTE'S ONLINE OR IN PERSON FROM COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE AND A NUMBER OF OUR TEACHERS ATTENDING LETTERS TRAINING.

WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING WITH CONSULTANTS TO AND OUR OWN, AS WHEN WE'VE HAD INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES OR THE INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR TEACHERS, OUR TEAM COLLABORATION AND PEER OBSERVATIONS REALLY KIND OF HELP SOLIDIFY OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.

AND THEN OUR SECOND STRATEGY IS AROUND THE INTERVENTION THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AND THOSE KIND OF SOME OF THOSE PARTS THAT I DESCRIBED OF A MASTER SCHEDULE FOR DAILY INTERVENTION, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE SMALL CLUSTERS OF STUDENTS WITH LIKE NEEDS IN EACH CLASSROOM, AND HAVING THAT COLLABORATION BETWEEN TEACHERS AND INTERVENTIONISTS AND COLLABORATION AMONG OUR INTERVENTION INTERVENTIONISTS.

SO HERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE DATA TO LOOK AT.

WE'VE DEFINITELY RELIED ON IREADY TO HELP US LOOK CLOSER AT GROUPS OF KIDS AND TRY TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE WHERE WE'RE MAKING THE MOST IMPACT AND WHERE OUR GREATEST NEEDS ARE.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM TWO LINES, YOU WILL SEE THAT THIS IS OUR MOST RECENT DATA FROM JANUARY.

AND YOU'LL SEE THAT WE ARE ALREADY ARE THAT MOST OF OUR OR AT LEAST MORE THAN HALF OF OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE TWO GRADE LEVELS BEHIND OR THREE GRADE LEVELS BEHIND, HAVE ALREADY MADE MORE THAN A YEAR'S WORTH OF GROWTH, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT TO SEE.

WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT GAP CLOSING GROWTH AND MEANING THAT OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT AT GRADE LEVEL TO BE MAKING MORE THAN WHAT'S EXPECTED, AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE.

HERE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH OUR WITH OUR GAP FILLING HIGHLIGHTS.

WE HAVE OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION AND OUR MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS WHO THE MEDIAN STUDENT IS AGAIN EXCEEDING IN THE WINTER EXCEEDING T HIS IS LAST YEAR. EXCUSE ME.

LAST YEAR AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THEY EXCEEDED EXPECTED EXPECTED GROWTH.

AND THIS YEAR WE'RE REALLY CLOSE TO THAT ALREADY EVEN IN JANUARY, WHERE WE HAVE OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS, WE ALREADY HAVE 92% OF OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION OR NOT 92 EXCUSE ME, THIS IS THE MEDIAN.

SO MORE THAN HALF ARE MAKING MORE ALMOST TO EXPECT THE EXPECTED END OF THE YEAR GROWTH.

SO JUST KIND OF WANTED TO WE JUST WANTED TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ABOUT OUR READING GOAL AND WHERE WE ARE WITH IT.

WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO LOOK FORWARD TO THE SPRING AND SEE IF WE ARE ABLE TO ACHIEVE OUR OUR END OF OUR THREE YEAR CYCLE WITH THIS SIP GOAL.

I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.

THANK YOU. THAT WAS VERY ENLIGHTENING AND VERY WELL DETAILED AND EXPLAINED.

THANK YOU. ARE THERE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? ALL RIGHT, WELL, NONE OF THEM BUZZED IN, SO I'LL START.

SO. SO I WOKE UP FRIDAY MORNING I CHECKED THE BOARD AGENDA, AND I SAW HILLTOP IS PRESENTING, AND I GOT EXCITED.

DID YOU GO TO HILLTOP? YES. YAY! THAT WAS SIX YEARS AGO.

YEAH. I HAVE TO SAY THAT EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED.

IT IS TRUE.

HILLTOP I HAVE TO SAY, HILLTOP BUILDS GREAT STUDENTS.

I'VE COMPARED THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT FEED INTO LUMINA HIGH SCHOOL, WHILE THEIR OTHER TEST SCORES ARE IN LIKE 30S OR 40S.

HILLTOP IS IN THEIR 60S PERCENTAGE.

OF ALL THE HILLTOP KIDS I KNOW AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, NO, NONE OF THEM ARE ACTING UP.

ALL OF THEM ARE DOING PHENOMENALLY, BEHAVIORALLY AND ACADEMICALLY.

AND I THINK I JUST HAVE TO JUMP IN.

[00:25:02]

I JUST HAVE TO SUM IT UP AS HILLTOP BUILDS GREAT STUDENTS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

DID YOU HAVE MRS. BLACKSTONE? SHE'S. YES. SHE'S BEEN ONE OF OUR HILLTOP TEACHER WHO WAS THERE FOR MANY YEARS.

KEVIN THANK YOU. THAT WAS A WONDERFUL TESTIMONIAL.

VERY IMPRESSIVE.

OTHER COMMENTS. QUESTIONS.

SO I'D JUST LIKE TO ALSO COMMENT, AS A PARENT OF SOMEONE OF MULTIPLE KIDS WHO HAVE GONE TO HILLTOP, I HAVE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE CULTURE OF THE SCHOOL SINCE MRS. SOMOZA HAS TAKEN OVER.

NOT ONLY WITH WITH STUDENTS, BUT STAFF AS WELL.

IT'S BEEN REALLY POSITIVE.

AND IF YOU HAVE EVER HAD A CHANCE TO SEE MRS. SOMOZA AT WORK, SHE'S OUT AT MEETING CARS, MEETING PEOPLE AS THEY COME IN TO WORK.

I SEE HER HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS THROUGH THE WINDOWS OF THEIR CAR THAT THEY'RE DROPPING KIDS OFF.

AND SOMETIMES THE CONVERSATIONS ARE GREAT, YOU KNOW, NICE TO SEE YOU CONVERSATIONS SOMETIMES ARE A LITTLE BIT TOUGHER, BUT THEY ALWAYS END WITH A CONCEIT.

IT ENDS WITH A SMILE.

AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP WORKING TOGETHER UNTIL WE FIGURE THIS OUT.

AND IT'S THAT NON YOU KNOW, YOU JUST NEVER STOP CARING FOR THE KIDS INDIVIDUALLY AND THEY FEEL IT.

AND MY, MY OWN DAUGHTER HAS SEEN IT AS WELL.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND AND COMPASSIONATE LEADERSHIP.

BUT YOUR EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP TOO, IN TERMS OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL GROWTH PLAN [APPLAUSE].

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ANOTHER GREAT TESTIMONIAL NOT ONLY FROM A PARENT, BUT FROM A FORMER PRINCIPAL.

YOU KNOW IT FROM MANY, MANY POINTS OF VIEW.

OTHER COMMENTS.

I JUST I REALLY ENJOYED THAT.

I REALLY APPRECIATED HOW SPECIFIC YOU WERE ABOUT THE STRATEGIES THERE YOU'RE USING.

I HAVE ONE QUESTION.

YOU SAY IN THERE THAT YOU'RE DOING PEER OBSERVATIONS, WHICH I THINK CAN BE VERY POWERFUL, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY'RE HARD TO WORK OUT SCHEDULING.

AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN HOW YOU GO ABOUT DOING THAT.

ABSOLUTELY. WELL, YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT WAS ONE OF THE LAST PARTS OF OUR STRATEGY.

AND I AND I ALWAYS BELIEVE WITH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING THAT YOU'RE STARTING WITH YOU'RE STARTING WITH THE KIND OF THE INTAKE OF KNOWLEDGE, THE LEARNING OF SOMETHING NEW. AND THEN THERE'S SOME IMPLEMENTATION TIME, AND THEN WE GET TO A PHASE WHERE WE CAN REALLY COLLABORATIVELY LEARN FROM EACH OTHER.

AND PEER OBSERVATION IS THE BEST WAY.

WE HAVE WE ARE WE DIDN'T HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT TO IT YET.

WE JUST DID A SURVEY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO TO SAY, YOU KNOW, TO KIND OF SIGN UP PEOPLE.

WE'VE DONE IT PREVIOUSLY IN OTHER YEARS.

AND SOMETIMES, AS WHEN I WAS A NEW PRINCIPAL, IT WAS DEFINITELY A WHO WANTS TO VOLUNTEER TO BE OBSERVED.

I'VE KIND OF SHIFTED IT.

SO NOW I'VE SAID, WHO WANTS TO OBSERVE? WHAT ARE THE AREAS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? AND NOW THAT I REALLY KNOW OUR STAFF, I'M KIND OF DECIDING WHO PEOPLE ARE OBSERVING.

EVERY TEACHER AT HILLTOP HAS STRENGTHS.

THERE'S SOMETHING AMAZING AND MANY AMAZING THINGS FROM OUR STAFF.

AND SO THERE'S, THERE'S THERE CAN BE LEARNING BY WATCHING ANYBODY.

BUT WHEN I FIND THAT THERE'S A TARGETED NEED, WHICH OFTEN, OFTEN THOSE DISCUSSIONS COME UP IN OUR EVALUATION CYCLES AND OUR IN OUR CYCLES OF OBSERVATIONS, WHERE WE DECIDE, AS A TEACHER MAY SAY TO ME, I REALLY WANT TO GET BETTER AT THIS.

I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS.

AND SO SOMETIMES THOSE OBSERVATIONS HAVE BEEN SPONTANEOUS, WHERE I'M ABLE TO SET IT UP THE NEXT DAY OR OR SOON.

BUT WE HAVE SOME PLANS DAYS WITH SUBS.

AND MY GOAL THIS TIME IS TO MAKE SURE THAT TEACHERS HAVE TIME TO PROCESS, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THAT'S THE PART THAT'S MISSING.

YOU GO IN FOR 45 MINUTES AND THEN YOU LEAVE, BUT TO HAVE 45 MINUTES FOLLOWED UP WITH SOME PARTNER TIME.

SO WE HAVE TWO SUBS RESERVED FOR THAT PROCESS.

AND THAT'S THAT'S HOW WE'RE GOING ABOUT IT NOW.

BUT IF YOU HAVE I KNOW YOU'VE HAD SOME EXPERIENCE IN THIS DR.

KATIMS. SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH ME, I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR IDEAS TOO.

NO, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS BRILLIANT AND AND SHOULD BE VERY EFFECTIVE, AND YOU'RE THINKING THROUGH ALL PARTS OF IT.

AND I LOVE THE SWITCH FROM, YOU KNOW, WHO WANTS TO BE OBSERVED TO YOUR KNOWING HOW TO MATCH THE WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO SEE WITH WHAT YOU KNOW IS GOING ON WELL IN ONE CLASSROOM VERSUS ANOTHER IN TERMS OF AND GIVING TEACHERS TIME TO TALK.

THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL NEED.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU'RE DOING.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU.

OKAY. GOOD.

HAVE A GOOD NIGHT [APPLAUSE]. NEXT IS THE SUPERINTENDENT'S

[7. SUPERINTENDENT REPORT- 6:55 pm]

REPORT. AND I WOULD JUST LET OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF KNOW THAT YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY, OF COURSE, FOR THE WHOLE MEETING.

[00:30:01]

BUT YOU ALSO DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO STAY FOR THE WHOLE MEETING, HOMEWORK OR SLEEP OR ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS THAT MIGHT BE CALLING TO AN ELEMENTARY STUDENT AT THIS POINT.

SO OR A STAFF MEMBER FOR THAT MATTER.

SO THANK YOU.

I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY RECENTLY TO VISIT SEVERAL SCHOOLS.

IT SEEMS TO BE KIND OF A SCHOOL VISIT INTENSIVE COUPLE OF WEEKS, AND OUR SCHOOL VISITS BRING ME SO MUCH JOY AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET OUT AND SEE WHAT OUR STUDENTS ARE LEARNING AND WHAT THEIR TEACHERS ARE WORKING ON IS A GREAT SOURCE OF JOY TO ME.

BEEN SOME PRETTY TREMENDOUS WORK OUT THERE, SO ENJOYING SEEING THAT WE HAVE SPRING BREAK UP COMING NEXT WEEK.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE, BOTH IN THIS ROOM AND LISTENING AT HOME TO MAKE SURE YOU TAKE A BREAK, TO DO SOME OF THE THINGS WHICH BRING YOU JOY, WHETHER THAT IS READING A BOOK OR GARDENING OR ALL THE THINGS I HEAR THAT PEOPLE DOING, OR HAVING A CHANCE TO MAYBE GO CAMPING IN THE RAIN, ALL THOSE THINGS ENJOY IT PLEASE BECAUSE WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO COMING BACK WEST, RESTED AND READY TO GO FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.

THE HOME STRETCH.

SO THANK YOU. SOUNDS GREAT.

GOOD ADVICE.

NEXT WE HAVE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.

I'M GOING TO DO THEM IN TWO CHUNKS BY DATE.

SO THE FIRST ARE APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 5TH, 2024 SCHOOL BOARD SPECIAL MEETING, WHICH WAS OUR JOINT STUDY SESSION WITH THE COLLEGE.

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

DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND? MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MARCH 5TH, 2024 SCHOOL BOARD SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES.

PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE, AYE.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY.

ANY ABSTENTIONS? AND THE MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 5TH, 2024 SCHOOL BOARD SPECIAL MEETING ARE APPROVED.

NEXT WILL BE THE MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 12TH, 2024 SCHOOL BOARD SPECIAL MEETING AND THE MARCH 12TH, 2024 SCHOOL BOARD REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING.

DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND? MOVE TO APPROVE, SECOND.

I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM BOTH MEETINGS ON MARCH 12TH, 2024, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE, AYE.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY.

ANY ABSTENTIONS? I ABSTAIN AND THE MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 12TH, 2024 SCHOOL BOARD SPECIAL MEETING AND THE MARCH 12TH SCHOOL BOARD REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING ARE APPROVED. NEXT WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS.

[9. PUBLIC COMMENTS-7:10 pm]

THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION OF THE AGENDA IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO ADDRESS THE SCHOOL BOARD, SINCE THIS IS A BUSINESS MEETING OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.

THE PURPOSE OF PUBLIC COMMENTS IS FOR THOSE INTERESTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ABOUT ITEMS ON THE AGENDA OR SPECIFIC WORK WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. THIS IS NOT A TIME FOR THE AUDIENCE TO ADDRESS EACH OTHER.

PEOPLE MAY SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR A BOARD MEETING, EITHER BY READING YOUR COMMENT ALOUD IN PERSON OR BY SUBMITTING YOUR COMMENT IN WRITING.

THE BOARD READS ALL WRITTEN COMMENTS WHICH ARE LATER ATTACHED TO THE MEETING AGENDA AND AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ON THE BOARD DOCS WEBSITE.

IF YOU'RE PRESENTING YOUR COMMENT IN PERSON, PLEASE BEGIN YOUR COMMENT BY STATING YOUR NAME, YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE, YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE DISTRICT, AND THE AGENDA ITEM OR TOPIC, SCHOOL DISTRICT TOPIC THAT YOU'RE ADDRESSING.

WE REQUEST THAT IF YOUR COMMENT CONSISTS WHOLLY OR PARTLY OF TEXT VERBATIM FROM AN ARTICLE, AN ONLINE POST, AN EXCERPT FROM A BOOK, ETC.

THAT YOU SIMPLY SEND US THE LINK TO THE TEXT AND SPEND YOUR COMMENT TIME TELLING US HOW THIS INFORMATION RELATES DIRECTLY TO DISTRICT WORK.

PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.

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

PLEASE MAKE YOUR STATEMENT IN A CIVIL MANNER, WITHOUT DISPARAGING NAME CALLING OR OTHERWISE TARGETING ANY ONE PERSON OR GROUP IN THE DISTRICT.

SIMILARLY, WE ASK EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE TO SHOW RESPECT BY LISTENING QUIETLY, WITHOUT TALKING OR WHISPERING TO EACH OTHER SO THAT EVERYONE CAN HEAR EACH COMMENT.

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

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

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

SO TONIGHT WE HAVE SIX, I BELIEVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP.

THE FIRST ONE IS LINDA VESPER.

COME UP HERE TO THE PODIUM AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THE MIC IS ON AND YOU'LL BE TIMED AND YOU CAN SEE THE TIME UP THERE AND IT GOES DING IF

[00:35:06]

YOU GO PAST THREE MINUTES.

OKAY. MY NAME IS LINDA VESPER.

I WAS A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER IN THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT IN 2005, AND FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS I'VE BEEN A VOLUNTEER IN THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT ON WELFARE INCOME.

AND RECENTLY, I, I ONBOARDED WITH THE BOEING AIRPLANE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, AND NOW I'M ON ACTIVE DISCHARGE FROM THE BOEING AIRPLANE MANUFACTURING COMPANY.

AND I NOTICED THAT THEY HAVE AN EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF IS FREE SUCCESSIONS OF COUNSELING THAT I GOT TO PARTAKE IN.

AND IT'S BEEN A BENEFIT TO ME.

AND I WAS RECENTLY TALKING WITH THE PRINCIPAL OF MEADOWDALE MIDDLE SCHOOL, JOE WEBSTER, AND HE SAID THAT ONE ACTIVITY IS DOING IS HAVING TO LAY OFF SOME OF HIS TEACHERS.

AND SO MY QUESTION FOR THE BOARD THIS EVENING IS, DOES THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT, LIKE THE KENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHERE I WAS ALSO A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER IN PRE PRIOR HAVE FREE COUNSELING SET UP FOR TEACHERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO MAY BE LAID OFF.

THANK YOU. SO WE DON'T RESPOND TO QUESTIONS HERE, BUT WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.

NEXT IS NATALIE SMITH.

HI, MY NAME IS NATALIE SMITH.

I'M A HEAD CUSTODIAN AT CPM.

I HAVE BEEN I HAVE BEEN IN THE DISTRICT FOR 20 YEARS.

I'M HERE TONIGHT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE BUDGET CUTS AT THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT WANTS TO CUT THE DEAN OF STUDENTS ACROSS THE BOARD.

I WORK HARD TO KEEP MY STUDENTS AND STAFF AND MYSELF SAFE FROM INTRUDERS COMING ONTO MY CAMPUS.

MY DEAN OF STUDENTS AND I WORK SIDE BY SIDE TO KEEP VANDALISM DOWN AND INTRUDERS OFF CAMPUS.

WHEN I'M NOT ABLE TO TALK TO MY PRINCIPAL OR VICE PRINCIPAL BECAUSE THEY'RE HANDLING OTHER SCHOOL MATTERS, IT'S NICE TO HAVE MY MY DEAN OF STUDENTS TO HELP ME WITH OTHER MATTERS AND TO HAVE MY BACK.

I HAVE WORKED AT THE EDMONDS AT EDMONDS-WOODWAY HIGH SCHOOL.

MY GRANDDAUGHTER CAME FROM TACOMA, I ENROLLED HER AT EDMONDS-WOODWAY.

ON JANUARY 12TH, 2024 I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM MY DAUGHTER, APRIL, SAYING THAT MY GRANDDAUGHTER WAS ASSAULTED IN THE E200 BATHROOMS. MY DAUGHTER TOOK MY GRANDDAUGHTER TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM.

MY GRANDDAUGHTER HAD A CONCUSSION.

THE DOCTOR SAID THAT IF SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN KICKED ONE MORE TIME IN THE BACK OF HER HEAD, THIS COULD HAVE KILLED MY GRANDDAUGHTER.

THIS WAS AN ASSAULT.

MY GRANDDAUGHTER SAYS THAT THE DEAN OF STUDENTS AT EDMONDS-WOODWAY IS WHAT KEEPS HER FEELING SAFE AT SCHOOL EVERY DAY.

THE STUDENT THAT IN INSTIGATED THE FIRST FIGHT.

SHE HAS BEEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA LETTING MY GRANDDAUGHTER KNOW THAT SHE'S GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER GIRL KICK MY GRANDDAUGHTERS BUTT AGAIN.

I HAVE BEEN THINKING AND TAKING THINKING ABOUT TAKING MY GRANDDAUGHTER OUT OF THE REGULAR SYSTEM AND LETTING HER DO ONLINE SCHOOLING WITH E-LEARNING. SHE IS TIRED OF BEING BULLIED.

THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME AT SCHOOLS, AT CPM WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL KIDS GO INTO E-LEARNING BECAUSE OF ALL THE BULLYING AT CPM.

THIS IS NOT OKAY.

I GET THAT A LOT OF KIDS AND STUDENTS DON'T HAVE PARENTS, BUT TO MAKE THEM BE BETTER PEOPLE AND ADULTS, WE NEED TO TEACH THEM WHAT'S RIGHT FROM WRONG SO THEY BECOME BETTER ADULTS.

THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH CONSEQUENCES FOR THEIR ACTIONS.

IT MAKES PEOPLE BETTER HUMANS.

I HOPE I GET MY POINT ACROSS TO THE SCHOOL BOARD THAT ALL SCHOOLS NEED THEIR DEAN OF STUDENTS.

THE LAST THING YOU SHOULD BE CUTTING IS SECURITY.

IT'S MORE IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER NOW.

YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THE SUPERVISORS THAT STAY HOME EVERY DAY, AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T EVEN ANSWER THEIR PHONES WHEN YOU CALL.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH [APPLAUSE].

NEXT IS RACHEL YODER.

HELLO, I'M RACHEL YODER, I'M A PARENT OF A FIRST AND FOURTH GRADER AT TERRACE PARK ELEMENTARY.

I LIVE IN LYNNWOOD, AND I'M ALSO A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN.

AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO ADVOCATE THAT WE PRESERVE OUR FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE BAND AND ORCHESTRA, DESPITE THE BUDGET SHORTFALL THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DEALING WITH.

NOW, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT MUSIC IS A GOOD THING FOR OUR CHILDREN AND OUR COMMUNITY, AND WHAT WE NEED TO DECIDE IS HOW IMPORTANT IS IT, AND IS IT IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO UNDERGO OTHER DIFFICULT CUTS IN ORDER TO KEEP INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC?

[00:40:02]

I ARGUE THAT IT IS, AND HERE'S WHY.

SO FIRST OF ALL, AS YOU KNOW, THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS A STATEWIDE REPUTATION OF EXCELLENCE IN ITS INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLES.

AND PART OF THE REASON MY FAMILY IS IN THIS DISTRICT IS BECAUSE DESPITE LONG COMMUTES, IS BECAUSE WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE OUR KIDS BE A PART OF THESE PROGRAMS. BUT THIS TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE CANNOT BE MAINTAINED WITHOUT OUR ELEMENTARY GROUPS.

ONE OF THE REASONS IS JUST ENROLLMENT.

AND AS A CLARINET TEACHER OF ALL AGES, I CAN TELL YOU THAT FIFTH GRADE IS ABSOLUTELY THE SWEET SPOT DEVELOPMENTALLY TO BEGIN BAND AND ORCHESTRA.

THEY ARE OLD ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO HOLD A CLARINET OR A CELLO, AND THEY CAN HAVE THE FINE MOTOR SKILLS THAT THEY NEED, BUT THEY'RE STILL YOUNG ENOUGH TO LOVE BEING SILLY IN A LARGE GROUP WITH THEIR PEERS AND MAKING WEIRD SOUNDS.

AND THIS IS JUST NOT THE SAME ONCE THEY GET TO SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE, AS YOU CAN PROBABLY IMAGINE.

STILL, YOU KNOW, MANY STUDENTS WILL, BUT CUTTING THESE ELEMENTARY ENSEMBLES WILL EVENTUALLY DECREASE THE ENROLLMENT AND THE QUALITY OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL ENSEMBLES.

TO ILLUSTRATE THIS, I WANT TO SHARE A QUICK STORY FROM A FRIEND OF MINE, RICHARD SPARKS.

HE'S A PROMINENT CHORAL DIRECTOR IN THE SEATTLE AREA FOR DECADES UPON DECADES.

IN REACTION TO THE NEWS ABOUT THE NORTH SHORE DISTRICT CUTTING FIFTH GRADE BAND, HE SHARED A STORY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE EARLY 70S, WHEN SEATTLE SCHOOLS HAD A BUDGET CRISIS DUE TO THE PROBLEMS AT BOEING.

AND HERE'S WHAT HE SAID.

SEATTLE DISTRICT SCHOOLS MADE THE DECISION TO CUT THE ENTIRE ELEMENTARY MUSIC PROGRAM.

AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WITH ALMOST NO KIDS GETTING A START IN FOURTH GRADE, WITHIN A FEW YEARS, CHOIRS, BANDS AND ORCHESTRAS STARTED TO DRY UP AT THE HIGH SCHOOLS.

WHAT HAD BEEN A CITY WITH VERY STRONG MUSIC PROGRAMS BECAME ONE WHERE SOME HIGH SCHOOLS HAD ALMOST NO MUSIC, AND A FEW WERE DESIGNATED AS MAGNET SCHOOLS FOR MUSIC.

CHILDREN'S CHOIRS AND YOUTH ORCHESTRAS AND BANDS, INDEPENDENT NONPROFITS NOT CONNECTED WITH SCHOOLS THRIVED AS THOSE PARENTS WHO HAD THE INTEREST AND THE FUNDS SUPPORTED THEM.

BUT FOR OTHER KIDS, WITHOUT THE PARENTAL SUPPORT OR ENOUGH MONEY, THEY LOST THE OPPORTUNITY.

AND MUSIC IN THE SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEVER TRULY RECOVERED.

NOW, I DON'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN IN EDMONDS.

I GET THAT THIS IS A FUNDING ISSUE, BUT I THINK MUSIC IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH THAT WE MUST AVOID FURTHER CUTS ON TOP OF THOSE THAT HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED AND ON TOP OF THE IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC, AND WORK TOGETHER TO FIX THE STATE FUNDING.

WITH ALL THE MUSIC PARENTS IN THE COMMUNITY ON YOUR SIDE, I THINK WE CAN MAKE A REAL IMPACT IN OLYMPIA TOGETHER.

THANK YOU [APPLAUSE]. NEXT IS ANTHONY SHAPIRO.

GOOD EVENING. I WONDER HOW MANY OF US HAVE WATCHED THE MOVIE RECENTLY OF APOLLO 13.

THIS IS A GREAT ILLUSTRATION OF HOW A GROUP OF PEOPLE THINKING ON THEIR FEET AND WORKING TOGETHER AS A TEAM, CAN SUCCESSFULLY DEAL WITH AN UNFORESEEN EVENT, OF THREE ASTRONAUTS SPEEDING AWAY FROM EARTH AND AND UNABLE TO RETURN IN A NORMAL FASHION.

I AM GRIEVED TO SAY THAT IF WE WERE TO WATCH THIS MOVIE TODAY, THE FIRST THOUGHTS GOING THROUGH OUR MINDS WOULD LIKELY BE THIS IS A BUNCH OF WHITE GUYS WEARING TIES AND SMOKING LIKE CHIMNEYS AND TALK ABOUT BEING WOKE.

YET THIS IS WHERE A GROUP OF HUMAN BEINGS CAPABLE OF THINKING ON THEIR FEET AS THEY FACED AN UNSCRIPTED CONDITION IN A PLACE WHERE NO RESCUE PARTY COULD HELP.

YET THEY WERE ABLE TO FOCUS THEIR EFFORTS TO SOLVE SUCH COMPLEX QUESTIONS OF HOW TO SAVE ENOUGH AMPERAGE TO GIVE THE SPACECRAFT ENOUGH POWER TO TO ULTIMATELY RETURN THESE THREE PEOPLE BACK TO EARTH.

THE POINT BEING, THIS ABILITY TO NOT JUST COME OUT BECAUSE THEY HAPPEN TO ATTEND A GREAT ENGINEERING SCHOOL, I'LL VENTURE TO GUESS THAT THEY HAD THE BASIC MATHEMATICAL FOUNDATION WHEN THEY LEFT SIXTH GRADE AND ULTIMATELY ENTERED HIGH SCHOOL.

IS THIS DISTRICT GIVING THAT FOUNDATION TO OUR STUDENTS TODAY? I WOULD GUESS THAT BY THE TEST SCORES WE SEE, THE ANSWER IS NO.

WE USED TO THINK KIDS WERE SENT TO SCHOOL TO GAIN THE ABILITY TO READ, WRITE, LEARN ARITHMETIC AND MATHEMATICS, TO DREAM ON HOW TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.

HAVE THESE OBJECTIVES BEEN THROWN OUT THE WINDOW? HAVE THESE KIDS BECOME DEPENDENT UPON CHROMEBOOKS IN ORDER TO THINK? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEIR CHROMEBOOK PAD IS NOT CHARGED AT THE NEXT CLASS OR MEETING? OH WELL, THEY'LL JUST PULL OUT THE PHONE AND TURN ON THE RECORDER.

HAS IT OCCURRED TO ANYBODY THAT BY WRITING THINGS DOWN, ONE STARTS TO PONDER WHAT WAS TALKED ABOUT AND TO EVEN SPARK THOUGHTS IN OUR MIND, WHICH WOULD HAVE NOT HAPPENED HAD THEY JUST BEEN RECORDED ON THE PHONE.

THE MAIN POINT IS GOOD STUDY HABITS ARE FORMED IN THESE EARLY YEARS WHEN YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE THESE KIDS IN YOUR CARE.

EVEN IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

ARE YOU TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY BY HAVING THEM BECOME DEPENDENT UPON THE CRUTCHES OF UTILIZING A STUPID COMPUTER?

[00:45:06]

ARE YOU BEING SHORTSIGHTED TO BELIEVE THAT TECHNOLOGY WILL TAKE CARE OF IT? WE DON'T NEED TO TEACH THEM HOW TO WRITE.

ARE THESE KIDS UNABLE TO TAKE NOTES AND ABLE TO THINK WITHOUT A COMPUTER NEXT TO THEM? THANK YOU [APPLAUSE]. NEXT IS LARISSA PIGOTT.

GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS LARISSA PEUGEOT.

I AM A RESIDENT OF MOUNTLAKE TERRACE.

MY DAUGHTER IS A SENIOR AND SHE GOES TO MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL.

IF YOU LIVE IN MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, YOU PROBABLY KNOW THAT THERE IS NOT MUCH GOING ON IN THIS LITTLE TOWN.

IT'S STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY.

IT DOES NOT HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE EDMONDS AND LYNNWOOD HAS.

BUT WE HAVE ONE GREAT THING, WHICH IS MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL.

WHEN MY FAMILY WANTED TO MOVE OUTSIDE MOUNTLAKE TERRACE BECAUSE OF THIS REASON, MY DAUGHTER REFUSED BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO RECEIVE EDUCATION AT MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL, BECAUSE THE SCHOOL HAS GREAT SPORTS PROGRAM, HAS EXCELLENT STEM PROGRAM, AND ALSO HAS THE MUSIC PROGRAM.

WHICH IS KNOWN AND RECOGNIZED OUTSIDE THE WASHINGTON STATE.

SO THIS FRIDAY, MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ BAND AND EDMONDS-WOODWAY JAZZ BAND WILL PERFORM IN PARAMOUNT THEATER AT HOT JAVA COOL JAZZ FESTIVAL.

SOME SCHOOLS DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN COMPETING FOR YEARS TO GET A SPOT ON THAT FESTIVAL, BECAUSE ONLY FIVE SCHOOLS ADMIT IT, AND TWO SCHOOLS FROM YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT IS GOING TO PERFORM THERE. SO DOESN'T THIS SHOW WHAT A GREAT MUSIC PROGRAM YOU HAVE DESPITE ALL THE CUTS THAT WAS HAPPENED LAST YEAR.

SO SORRY, I HAVE ANXIETY.

SO MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL HAS ONE MUSIC DIRECTOR AND HIS CLASSES WAS CUT BY 40% LAST YEAR.

IN COMPARISON, BOTHELL HIGH SCHOOL HAS THREE JAZZ BANDS, HAS THREE BAND DIRECTORS.

SO THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MUSIC PROGRAM AND VALUES AND INVEST IN THAT MUSIC EDUCATION.

LAST FRIDAY, MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETED A NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL ALONGSIDE WITH LARGE, WELL-FUNDED SCHOOLS LIKE BELLEVUE, BOTHELL, INTERLAKE, SHOREWOOD AND OTHERS, AND MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL WON THE FIRST PLACE PLACE AND ALSO WON THE SWEEPSTAKES.

IT'S THE MAIN PRIZE OF THE FESTIVAL, SO YOUR STUDENTS TAKE PRIDE IN BRINGING RECOGNITION TO MOUNTLAKE TERRACE AND THE MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, A SMALL CITY THAT NOBODY KNOWS OUTSIDE OUR AREA. SO MOUNTLAKE TERRACE BAND BUDGET DOES NOT EVEN COVER THE MUSIC SHEETS.

THE MUSIC PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN FUNCTIONING MERELY ON THE ENTHUSIASM AND DEVOTION OF BAND DIRECTOR MR. FAUL, STUDENTS PARENTS WHO HAS BEEN RAISING MONEY TO SUSTAIN THIS PROGRAM.

SO WHEN PEOPLE BUY HOUSES IN BELLEVUE, THEY INVEST IN A FUTURE FOR THEIR KIDS.

THEY KNOW THAT BELLEVUE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS GREAT SCHOOL PROGRAMS. YOU CAN SAY THAT WE CANNOT COMPETE WITH BELLEVUE, BUT WE CAN BECAUSE YOUR STUDENTS COMPETE IN THE STEM AND MUSIC PROGRAMS WITH KIDS FROM BELLEVUE, SEATTLE PREP, REDMOND SCHOOLS, AND THEY SHOW GREAT RESULTS.

WHEN FAMILIES LOOK TO BUY A HOUSE, THEY CHECK WHAT EDUCATION SYSTEM THE SCHOOL OFFERS IN THAT AREA.

JUST TEACHING BASIC CLASSES IS NOT ENOUGH NOWADAYS, EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT NEEDS TO HAVE PROGRAMS THAT ATTRACT FAMILIES.

YOU CANNOT LOSE STUDENTS TO PRIVATE SCHOOL AND TO OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

FAMILIES ARE LOOKING FOR SCHOOLS WITH STABILITY, GOOD STRUCTURE AND DISCIPLINE AND THAT IS WHAT MUSIC CLASSES TEACH TO KIDS.

THE BEST TEAMWORK AND DISCIPLINE SKILLS.

CAN I HAVE LIKE 15 SECONDS? SO I JUST WANT TO SAY SOMETHING.

SUM IT UP. YEAH.

SO LAST YEAR I WAS WATCHING A BAND GRADUATION CEREMONY, AND IT WAS 12 SENIORS WHO WERE SHARING THEIR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE, AND THEY WERE ALL GOING TO UNIVERSITIES TO BECOME ENGINEERS, MUSIC EDUCATION TEACHERS, ACCOUNTANTS, AND WHICH ARE THE ELECTIVES IN EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT.

YOU CAN SHOW THESE RESULTS.

THANK YOU [APPLAUSE]. NEXT IS KATIE JONES.

MY NAME IS KATIE JONES.

WE LIVE IN MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, AND THIS IS MY FIFTH GRADER, BAILEY, AND MY SIXTH GRADER, CORY.

I APOLOGIZE BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL MAYBE, LIKE AN HOUR AGO, MAYBE A LITTLE LONGER, THAT I WAS GOING TO BE ASKED TO COME HERE AND SPEAK. BUT I'M HERE FOR MY KIDS BECAUSE CORY HAS PLAYED THE VIOLIN FOR TWO YEARS.

BAILEY STARTED THE TRUMPET THIS YEAR, AND WE ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET CUTS FOR THE MUSIC PROGRAM.

I PLAYED THE FLUTE FOR 20 YEARS.

I PLAYED OUTSIDE OF HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE.

I PLAYED IN ORCHESTRAS ACROSS THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.

[00:50:02]

MY EX-HUSBAND IS A BASS PLAYER AND HAS PLAYED MUSIC FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

WE LOVE MUSIC.

WE APPRECIATE WHAT IT CAN GIVE.

I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS KNOW THE RESEARCH.

I UNDERSTAND BUDGETS I KNOW THAT NOT THIS DECISION IS NOT MADE LIGHTLY, AND I TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.

BUT I JUST WANT TO KNOW, LIKE, TELL YOU ALSO THAT FOR ME, MUSIC WAS WHERE I FOUND WHERE I BELONGED.

MY CURRENT PARTNER, SOMEBODY I MET 25 YEARS AGO IN JUNIOR HIGH MUSIC CLASS.

AND IT WAS A PLACE WHERE I FOUND MY PEOPLE.

AND I WANT THAT FOR OUR KIDS.

AND THIS ONE'S GOING TO GO TO MIDDLE SCHOOL NEXT YEAR.

BUT THIS ONE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE IN BAND NEXT YEAR.

AND THAT MEANS A LOT TO HER.

IT MEANS A LOT TO THE STUDENTS THAT SHE PLAYS WITH.

AS WELL AS TO THE THE SCHOOL AS A WHOLE.

I APOLOGIZE, I DON'T KNOW IF I SAID THEY GO TO CEDAR WAY ELEMENTARY.

AS I SAID, I'M HERE TO SPEAK FOR THEM.

NORMALLY, I DON'T HAVE A SHAKY VOICE SPEAKING IN FRONT OF PEOPLE, BUT I'M ALSO HERE TO SHOW THEM THAT THEIR VOICE MATTERS.

I'M GOING TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO I HAVE THEIR NOTES, AND WE'LL SPEAK FOR THEM.

OKAY.

IT'S AN IMPORTANT. IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE IT.

IT IS A A IMPORTANT PART OF ALL OF OUR LIVES.

I HAVEN'T MET A SINGLE PERSON WHO DOESN'T LISTEN TO MUSIC.

IT ALSO HELPS ME CALM ME DOWN ON TOUGH DAYS.

MUSIC MEANS A LOT TO ME, AND I I DON'T I WANT THE MUSIC PROGRAM TO STAY.

I LIKE MY BAND TEACHER.

SHE'S A REALLY GOOD TEACHER.

SHE'S NOT MEAN.

SHE. SHE'S SHE'S REALLY KIND AND AWESOME.

AND I DON'T WANT THE MUSIC PROGRAM TO BE SHUT DOWN BECAUSE I LOVE HER.

SHE'S LIKE, SHE'S AMAZING.

AND AND I JUST.

IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD TO ME THAT YOU GUYS ARE CONSIDERING TO SHUT DOWN THE MUSIC PROGRAM BECAUSE I LOVE PLAYING TRUMPET.

I KNOW BASICALLY EVERYONE INSIDE MY MUSIC CLASS BECAUSE I WENT, I GOT THE TIME TO TO, LIKE, MEET EVERYONE IN MY MUSIC CLASS.

AND I DON'T WANT MY TEACHER TO QUIT HER JOB JUST BECAUSE THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT WANTED THE MUSIC PROGRAM TO BE SHUT DOWN.

THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH [APPLAUSE].

NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA.

[10. CONSENT AGENDA-8:10 pm]

THIS IS THE GROUP OF BASICALLY ROUTINE ITEMS THAT WE TEND TO VOTE ON AS A BLOCK, BUT WE CAN DISCUSS SEPARATELY AND OR VOTE ON SEPARATELY IF WE CHOOSE.

TONIGHT WE HAVE TEN ITEMS. FIVE HAVE TO DO WITH PERSONNEL AND STAFF AGREEMENTS.

TWO ARE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS WITH OUTSIDE AGENCIES FOR SERVICES.

ONE IS OUR MONTHLY BILLS AND VOUCHERS, AND TWO ARE FOR FIELD TRIPS.

DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.

SECOND, I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE, AYE.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY.

ANY ABSTENTIONS? AND TONIGHT'S CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED.

WE HAVE ONE REPORT THIS EVENING.

[11. REPORTS- 8:20pm]

I'D LIKE TO WELCOME FORWARD OUR TEAM TO DISCUSS ON BOND SALE PLANNING.

AND LYDIA WILL MAKE INTRODUCTIONS ONCE THEY HAVE MADE THEIR WAY TO THE MICROPHONE.

WELL I AM DELIGHTED, DELIGHTED TO REPORT THAT WE'VE GOT ALL MEMBERS OF OUR FINANCING TEAM, OR AT LEAST I SHOULD SAY ALL BRANCHES.

SO WE HAVE MARK PRUSSING FROM ESD 112.

HE'S OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR.

AND THEN TREVOR CARLSON, HE'S ONE OF OUR BOND UNDERWRITERS.

SO HE WILL BE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE ACTUAL SALE OF THE BONDS THEMSELVES.

AND DEANNA GREGORY FROM PACIFIC LAW FIRM, SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLIANCE AND REGULATIONS SURROUNDING BOND SALES THAT

[00:55:08]

SHE MAKES SURE THAT WE MEET ALL COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS WHEN WE DO THE BOND SALE.

SO WE HAVE A PRESENTATION.

I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MARK TO START.

GREAT. THANK YOU LYDIA.

PRESIDENT KATIMS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT MINERS.

JUST SUCH A PLEASURE TO BE HERE.

CONGRATULATIONS. I WAS THINKING ABOUT.

I THINK I STARTED WORKING ON THIS AUTHORIZATION ABOUT SIX YEARS AGO.

SO IT'S NICE TO GET HERE, TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY BE SELLING SELLING BONDS.

AS LYDIA SAID, I WORK WITH ESD 112.

I SERVE AS THE DISTRICT'S FINANCIAL ADVISOR.

MY ROLE IS TO HELP YOU AND THE ADMINISTRATION MANAGE THE BOND SALE PROCESS AND THEN BEFORE THE SALE AND THROUGH THE SALE.

SO HERE WE GO.

OKAY. IF I COULD FIGURE OUT WHICH BUTTON DOES WHAT.

BOTTOM LINE, IT'S A GOOD TIME TO BE SELLING BONDS.

I'LL DO A LITTLE, A LITTLE, A LITTLE BILL MURRAY.

WE HAVE SOME INFORMATION TO SHARE, BUT REALLY, WE WANT TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.

THAT'S OUR THAT'S OUR REAL GOAL.

SO TREVOR WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BOND MARKET AND MAYBE THE BOND RATING.

GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MARK.

APPRECIATE IT. PRESIDENT KATIMS THANK YOU.

MY NAME IS TREVOR CARLSON, AND AS LYDIA MENTIONED, I WORK WITH PIPER SANDLER AND HONORED TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO CHAT WITH YOU ABOUT THE BOND SALE THAT'S COMING UP.

THE GRAPHIC THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU ON PAGE TWO OF THE PRESENTATION IS A GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF INTEREST RATES.

JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND MAYBE WHERE WE ARE GOING.

A LOT OF NEWS IN THE FINANCIAL PRESS AROUND INTEREST RATES, AS THE FEDERAL RESERVE IS PROBABLY NEAR A POINT OF KIND OF REVERSING THEIR TIGHTENING AND MAYBE LOOSENING MONETARY POLICY AS, AS WE GO OUT THROUGHOUT THE CALENDAR YEAR.

BUT I THINK LONG STORY SHORT, WE'RE IN AN INTEREST RATE ENVIRONMENT THAT'S VERY SIMILAR TO THE PERIOD OF TIME DURING THE ORIGINAL PLANNING LEADING UP TO THE ELECTION. SO IT IS A VERY FAVORABLE TIME TO BE ENTERING INTO THE MARKETPLACE.

THERE HAVE BEEN A FAIR AMOUNT OF WASHINGTON SCHOOL BONDS THAT HAVE ENTERED THE MARKET THE FIRST COUPLE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR AND HAVE FARED VERY WELL.

SO THAT'S A GREAT SIGN.

AND AS MARK MENTIONED CREDIT RATING AND AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION WILL BE AN ABBREVIATED SCHEDULE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO TACKLE OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS TO GET YOU READY TO LOCK IN INTEREST RATES.

BOND RATING IS A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE.

THINK OF IT AS A IT'S AN INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY VIEW, AND INVESTORS RELY UPON THAT INFORMATION TO HELP THEIR DECISION MAKING, WHETHER TO PURCHASE YOUR BONDS OR NOT. YOU'VE GOT A VERY STRONG INVESTMENT GRADE CREDIT RATING NOW.

AND ONE THING THAT DEANNA WILL GIVE SOME MORE DETAIL ABOUT IS EMBEDDED IN THE RESOLUTION TONIGHT IS APPROVAL FOR THE APPLICATION FOR THE SCHOOL BOND GUARANTEE PROGRAM.

AND THAT'S A TRIPLE A RATED PROGRAM THAT THE STATE OF WASHINGTON SAYS IF THERE ARE ANY ISSUES MAKING PAYMENTS ON THE BONDS, THE STATE WILL STEP IN AND MAKE INVESTORS WHOLE.

SO THINK ABOUT THAT AS A KIND OF BELT AND SUSPENDERS FROM A CREDIT ENHANCEMENT PERSPECTIVE.

SO VERY STRONG PIECE OF KIND OF A PROCESS AND PROCEDURE TO MAKE SURE THE BOND SALE GOES SMOOTHLY.

MARK. AND AGAIN THE CREDIT RATING PROCESS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT SURE WHERE WE'LL COME OUT.

WE THINK WE'LL HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT RATING.

BUT MOODY'S INVESTOR SERVICE HAS HAD A NEGATIVE OUTLOOK ON WASHINGTON SCHOOLS FOR ALL OF THE REASONS YOU MIGHT THINK OF THE STATE FUNDING, FOR EXAMPLE.

SO THEY DOWNGRADED THE STATE IN WHOLE FOR WASHINGTON DOWN ONE NOTCH.

SO THERE'S SOME PRESSURE. SO THAT STATE GUARANTEE IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN THAT TRIPLE-A INVESTORS LOOK AT THAT, THEY KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO GET THEIR MONEY BACK, RIGHT.

THE STATE'S GOING TO COME UP. SO IT MAKES IT VERY SECURE.

SO ANY CHANGE IN YOUR RATING WOULD REALLY HAVE A MINOR DIFFERENCE IF THERE WERE A CHANGE TO WHAT YOUR INTEREST PAYMENTS WOULD BE.

SO AGAIN WE ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REFINANCE SOME OF THE DISTRICT'S OUTSTANDING BONDS.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.

WHEN YOU SELL BONDS, YOU PROMISE INVESTORS YOU WON'T CALL THEM BACK FOR THE FIRST TEN YEARS.

AND IF WE'RE ABLE TO GARNER LOWER INTEREST RATES ON THOSE BONDS, THE SAVINGS GO DIRECTLY TO TAXPAYERS FROM REDUCING FUTURE COLLECTIONS ON THOSE BONDS.

AND THEY'RE THE BONDS THAT WERE ISSUED IN 2014, THAT WAS THE LAST AUTHORIZATION A CTUALLY, IT WAS 2014.

AND I WORKED THROUGH THAT AUTHORIZATION AS WELL.

THE AVERAGE COUPON AND AVERAGE INTEREST RATE ON THOSE WAS JUST UNDER 5%.

AND CURRENT RATES, WE COULD GET THAT DOWN TO BELOW 3, 2.6 WAS IN THIS ANALYSIS.

IF WE'RE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THOSE RATES, IT'S OVER $17 MILLION IN SAVINGS TO DISTRICT TAXPAYERS.

SO WE THINK WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE THERE TO HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS ON THAT AS WELL.

[01:00:06]

IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE MANAGING A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMPETING GOALS.

YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO GET THE LOWEST INTEREST COST POSSIBLE.

YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR TAX RATES BE WHAT VOTERS WERE TOLD TO EXPECT.

YOU WANT TO GET THE MONEY WHEN YOU NEED IT FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.

THE SECOND ONE, MAKING SURE THAT WHAT WE TOLD VOTERS TO EXPECT THAT WE CAN DELIVER ON THAT.

SO WE HAVE THAT GOAL OF THE 265 TOTAL TAX RATE, THAT WAS WHAT WAS USED IN SOME OF THE ELECTION PLANNING.

AND WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE LOOK AT YOUR FUTURE FUNDING NEEDS THROUGH OPERATIONS AND CAPITAL.

AND WHEN WE PLAN ALL OF THIS LONG TERM.

SO OUR PLAN NOW IS TO SELL THE FIRST $200 MILLION OF THE AUTHORIZATION, WITH THE OTHER SALES COMING AS YOU NEED THEM FOR CONSTRUCTION OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.

WE USE SOME WHEN WE PROJECT TAX RATES.

WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME ASSUMPTIONS ON ASSESSED VALUE GROWTH, BECAUSE A TAX RATE IS THE AMOUNT YOU'RE LEVYING IN DOLLARS DIVIDED BY THE ASSESSED VALUE OF THE DISTRICT.

AND THEN WE PUT IN SOME CUSHION FOR THE INTEREST RATES FOR FUTURE SALES AS WELL.

SO THE GOOD NEWS IS WE'RE WELL WITHIN OUR ABILITY TO DELIVER ON THAT GOAL AND EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AS WELL.

AND REALLY ALL OF THOSE GOALS GET THAT 265 TAX RATE, GET THE MONEY FOR THE PROJECTS THAT YOU NEED, AND THEN ALSO PROVIDE SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD A STEP FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING.

SO THOSE ARE WE'RE WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE.

BUT IT'S A MULTI YEAR PROCESS THAT WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH.

WE'LL IT MIGHT BE WORTH MENTIONING.

WE DO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND BUDGET THIS YEAR.

IT'S VERY TYPICAL WHEN YOU HAVE AN AUTHORIZATION TO COME BACK IN THE FALL AND REEVALUATE THAT.

SO IF LYDIA AND DR.

MINER COME BACK AND SAY, HEY, WE WANT TO REVISIT THE DEBT SERVICE FUND BUDGET, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HIT THAT GOAL.

SO WE MIGHT REVISE THAT SLIGHTLY AS WELL.

SO THAT BE A NORMAL PROCESS WOULD GO THROUGH.

SO WHAT WE'D BE DOING TONIGHT WOULD BE YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THE BOND RESOLUTION, WHICH DEANNA GREGORY WILL, WILL TALK ABOUT.

WE'LL HAVE A RATING CONFERENCE CALL IN APRIL, APRIL 25TH, MOVING TOWARDS MAY 22ND SALE DATE.

WE HAVE FLEXIBILITY TO MOVE THAT.

BUT THAT'S REALLY WHEN WE THINK RIGHT NOW WOULD BE GOING TO TRY TO GET THE MONEY IN THE DISTRICT'S CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND BY JUNE 5TH.

SO AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO NOT, YOU KNOW, USE YOUR TIME WISELY.

BUT AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, REALLY HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE.

AGAIN, IT'S JUST GREAT TO BE HERE.

OKAY, WELL, HAND IT OVER TO DEANNA.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.

I'M DEANNA GREGORY, A PARTNER WITH PACIFICA LAW GROUP, AND I'M PART OF THE BOND COUNSEL TEAM SERVING THE DISTRICT.

SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO DISCUSS THE BOND RESOLUTION, WHICH BRINGS A LOT OF WHAT WAS DISCUSSED ALREADY DOWN TO PAPER.

THE BOND RESOLUTION SERVES JUST A COUPLE OF VERY KEY POINTS AS PART OF THE OVERALL SALE OF THE BONDS.

ONE IS AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF THE BONDS, OF COURSE.

SO IT IS THE OFFICIAL ACTION THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN BY THIS BOARD TO AUTHORIZE THE ISSUANCE OF THAT FIRST TRANCHE OF BONDS THAT VOTERS APPROVED, AS WELL AS THE REFUNDING COMPONENT THAT THAT WAS MENTIONED.

SO, SO LONG AS CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS ARE MET THAT ARE OUTLINED IN THE BOND RESOLUTION, THIS WILL BE THE ONLY OFFICIAL ACTION THAT THIS BOARD WILL TAKE WITH RESPECT TO THE AUTHORIZATION OF THIS PIECE OF THE BOND ISSUE.

FOR THE NEXT TRANCHE WE'LL BE BACK.

ALSO, IF THE MARKET CHANGES OR SOMETHING WERE TO CHANGE, AND THOSE PARAMETERS THAT ARE OUTLINED IN THE RESOLUTION CANNOT BE MET THEN WE'LL BE BACK.

BUT SO LONG AS ALL OF THOSE POINTS CAN BE CHECKED OFF ON THE DAY OF THE SALE, THIS WILL BE THE ONLY OFFICIAL ACTION THAT'S TAKEN.

SO LOOKING AT THE SCHEDULE, THE BOND RESOLUTION AUTHORIZES US AFTER THE SALE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE REST OF THE FINANCING.

SO AUTHORIZES THE SALE OF THE BONDS TO TO ON THE DAY OF PRICING AND THEN ALSO ASSIGN THE BOND PURCHASE CONTRACT WITH PIPER SANDLER, AND THEN ALSO TO HAVE THOSE BONDS SOLD TO THE ULTIMATE INVESTORS AND MAKES COVENANTS WITH RESPECT TO THOSE ULTIMATE INVESTORS WITH RESPECT TO THE SOURCE OF SECURITY REPAYMENT AND ALL OF THOSE TERMS AND BELLS AND WHISTLES THAT MARK MENTIONED.

THEN AFTER THAT, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH A WHOLE HOST OF CLOSING DOCUMENTS AND WORK, AS WAS MENTIONED BY TREVOR WITH THE STATE FOR THE GUARANTEE AND THEN MOVED TO BOND CLOSING, WHICH IS WHEN THE PROCEEDS WILL BE DELIVERED.

SO THOSE COVENANTS ARE OUTLINED IN THAT BOND RESOLUTION.

IT IS A CONTRACT WITH BOND HOLDERS AND A LOT OF THE COVENANTS THAT NEED TO BE MAINTAINED FOR THE LIFE OF THE BONDS, WHICH OF COURSE, STAFF IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH.

SO I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THE RESOLUTION ITSELF.

I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT TO COVER IN THIS TIME PERIOD, AND WE WANT TO BE A GOOD USE OF OUR TIME.

GREAT GREAT GOOD.

OKAY. ANYONE ELSE WANT THE HOT MIC? THERE WE GO.

[01:05:08]

OKAY WITH THAT WE MOVE TO UNFINISHED BUSINESS THIS EVENING.

[12. UNFINISHED BUSINESS- 8:40 pm]

THE ONLY ITEM OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS IS ITEM 12.1, A SECOND READING TO APPROVE THE BIOLOGY CORE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ADOPTION.

WE HAD A PRESENTATION BY TEAM MEMBERS AND TEACHERS LAST WEEK.

TEAM MEMBERS TO INCLUDE TEACHERS, I SHOULD SAY LAST WEEK AND LAST BOARD MEETING.

MY GOODNESS. AND LOOKING FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY APPROVING THIS CURRICULUM ADOPTION THIS EVENING.

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

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

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? WELL, I'D JUST LIKE TO REITERATE WHAT WE SAID AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING, WHICH IS I THINK THE COMMITTEE DID A GREAT JOB OF GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS ON MAKING THESE DECISIONS, GETTING INPUT FROM TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, AND MAKING A CHOICE THAT SEEMS TO BE QUITE WELL ALIGNED WITH THE STANDARDS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AND THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE.

SO I WANT TO THANK THEM AGAIN.

I AGREE 100%.

OKAY. AND AS MY DEGREE IS IN BIOLOGY FROM THE UW, I'M VERY EXCITED THAT WE'RE DOING MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS, THIS CURRICULUM ADOPTION.

WELL YOU CAN HELP TEACH US USING THE MATERIALS THEN.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ANY COMMENTS, DIRECTOR SMITH? NO, I JUST, YOU KNOW, AS WITH ALL OF OUR CURRICULUM ADOPTION STUFF, I'M ALWAYS VERY PLEASED WITH THE WORK THAT THEY DO.

AND I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO IS ON THAT COMMITTEE WHO SPENT TIME ON THIS, BECAUSE I KNOW THEY'VE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT IN.

THANK YOU.

WELL, WE'VE HAD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND WITH NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.

I'LL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.

AND THE BIOLOGY CORE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ADOPTION IS APPROVED.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE HAVE FIVE ITEMS OF NEW BUSINESS THIS EVENING.

[13. NEW BUSINESS- 8:50 pm]

THE FIRST ITEM OF NEW BUSINESS IS REQUEST FOR THE BOARD TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 24-05 UNLIMITED TAX GENERAL OBLIGATION AND REFUNDING BONDS 2024.

AND IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THIS RESOLUTION.

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND? MOVE TO APPROVE.

I'LL SECOND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? I'D LIKE TO THANK THE TEAM AGAIN FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

IT WAS VERY HELPFUL.

EVEN I COULD FOLLOW IT.

I, I LOVE NUMBERS, BUT WHEN YOU PUT DOLLAR SIGNS IN FRONT OF THEM, THEY MAKE ME NERVOUS.

BUT NO, IT'S WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS AND IT SEEMS LIKE AN OPTIMUM TIME TO BE ACTUALLY DOING THIS.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE TIMING OF IT AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THE TAXPAYERS THAT WE ALL REPRESENT.

YEAH FOR SURE. YEAH, I LOVE THAT JUNE 5TH TIMING.

YEAH. NO HEARING THAT WE MIGHT SAVE OUR TAXPAYER $17 MILLION IS A VERY NICE SORT OF LITTLE SIDE BENEFIT.

OKAY, SO I'LL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.

AND RESOLUTION 24-05 THE UNLIMITED TAX, GENERAL OBLIGATION AND REFUNDING BONDS IS FOR 2024 IS APPROVED. AND I'LL TAKE JUST A MOMENT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO COMMENT ON THAT ONE AS WELL.

65% OF OUR VOTERS, OVER 65% OF OUR VOTERS APPROVE THIS BOND.

THIS IS LEGACY WORK ON BEHALF OF THIS BOARD, ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE WHO WORKED ON THE BOND.

THESE BUILDINGS WILL SERVE GENERATIONS OF STUDENTS TO COME.

AND I'M SO GRATEFUL TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR THIS.

THIS IS AN EXCITING THIS IS WHEN THAT WORK STARTS TO GET ACTUALIZED.

AND I'M VERY EXCITED FOR THE WORK AHEAD.

13.2 IS A SINGLE READING TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 24-06 ACCEPTANCE OF PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACT NUMBER Q22 -14CP TO REPLACE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT AT SHERWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

THANK YOU. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND FOR RESOLUTION 24-06? I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE.

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

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION?

[01:10:02]

I'M SURE THE PEOPLE AT SHERWOOD ELEMENTARY WOULD BE VERY EXCITED TO GET NEW PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT.

ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY. HEARING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, I'LL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.

24-06 ACCEPTANCE OF THE COMPLETED PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACT NUMBER 22-14CP TO REPLACE THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT AT SHERWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS APPROVED.

ITEM 13.3 IS A SINGLE READING TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 24-07 ACCEPTANCE OF COMPLETED PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACT NUMBER Q22- 15CP TO REPLACE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT AT HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND FOR RESOLUTION 24-07? MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE, SECOND.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? PLAYGROUNDS. BEAUTIFUL.

WELL, SEEING THE KIDS TONIGHT AND HEARING ABOUT THEIR SEEMS LIKE A TIMELY TIME TO GIVE THEM PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT TOO.

THIS MAKES ME WANT TO COME BACK NEXT YEAR AND SEE WHAT'S NEW.

AND THESE ARE ALL FUNDED BY THE PREVIOUS BOND AND LEVY, AM I CORRECT? THESE ARE.

SORRY. THESE ARE FINAL ACCEPTANCE OF PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED WORK.

THE WORK BEGAN ON 2023, SO IT CERTAINLY COULDN'T HAVE BEEN THIS ONE.

I'M JUST READING.

LYDIA FUNDING SOURCE FOR THESE.

THESE ARE FINAL ACCEPTANCE SO THEIR INITIAL APPROVAL WOULD HAVE GONE AND INCLUDED THE FUNDING SOURCE.

OF THESE BONDS AND LEVIES THAT WE'VE HAD.

SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? JUST THAT THE THE THE PLAYGROUND AT HILLTOP IS BEAUTIFUL AND IT WAS MUCH NEEDED.

THE KIDS ARE SUPER EXCITED UPON ITS COMPLETION AND HAVE BEEN ENJOYING IT SINCE, SO THAT'S GREAT.

IT IS TRUE THE TIRE SWING WAS THE BEST.

EXCELLENT HEARING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.

I'LL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.

THE FOR THE COMPLETED PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACT NUMBER Q22-15CP TO REPLACE THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT AT HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS APPROVED.

ITEM 13.4 IS A SINGLE READING TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 24-08 ACCEPTANCE OF COMPLETED PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACT NUMBER Q22-07CP TO INSTALL NEW WI-FI, JUNIPER MIST WIRELESS ACCESS POINTS DISTRICT WIDE, AND THE FUNDING FOR THIS WAS E-RATE. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND? MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.

SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? AND HERE IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT THE VOTERS APPROVED MONEY IS HELPING OUR TECHNOLOGY, WHICH DOES, IN FACT SUPPORT OUR KIDS LEARNING.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I'LL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.

COMPLETED WORKS PUBLIC WORKS, CONTRACT NUMBER Q22-07CP TO INSTALL NEW WI-FI JUNIPER MIST WIRELESS ACCESS POINTS DISTRICT WIDE IS APPROVED.

FINAL ITEM OF NEW BUSINESS THIS EVENING IS ITEM 13.5, A SINGLE READING AUTHORIZATION TO USE THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGER GC/CM PROJECT DELIVERY METHOD FOR COLLEGE PLACE, ELEMENTARY AND COLLEGE PLACE, AND MIDDLE SCHOOL REPLACEMENT PROJECTS.

AS WE WERE DISCUSSING THE 2024 CONSTRUCTION BOND, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS INDICATED AN INTEREST IN CONTINUING THE USE OF THE GC/CM PROJECT DELIVERY METHOD WHEN APPROPRIATE.

AND OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS HAS DETERMINED THAT THIS WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE PROJECT DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR THOSE SCHOOLS. THANK YOU.

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

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

[01:15:09]

MANAGER PROJECT DELIVERY METHOD FOR THE COLLEGE PLACE ELEMENTARY AND COLLEGE PLACE MIDDLE SCHOOLS REPLACEMENT PROJECT IS APPROVED.

THAT TAKES US TO LEGISLATIVE UPDATES, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DIRECTOR CHASE.

[14. LEGISLATIVE UPDATES]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WELL, AS WE KNOW, THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION IS OVER.

WE'VE GOT AND WE ARE ENTERING THE INTERIM ADVOCACY PERIOD.

I'M JUST SENDING OUT TO OUR DISTRICT, AREA 1A SESSION WRAP UP, JUST NOTING THAT WE DID HAVE SOME SOME.

THINGS. WE DID GET SOME CRITICAL NEEDS ADDRESSED.

INCREASING PROTOTYPICAL SCHOOL STAFFING [INAUDIBLE] FUNDING, A LIFT FOR THE SPECIAL ED FUNDING CAP, AND SOME REDUCING THE BARRIERS TO SOME OF THE SAFETY NET.

YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT WE KNOW WE'RE NOT THERE.

SO OUR INTERIM ADVOCACY IS GOING TO BE ALL THAT IMPORTANT.

AND SO I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN STARTING TO REACH OUT TO OUR NINE LEGISLATORS TO INVITE THEM TO PARTICIPATE WITH US IN THE DISTRICT.

AND I THINK AS THAT GOES, WE'LL BE ABLE TO INVITE THE PUBLIC TO HELP ADVOCATE AND HAVE OUR LAWMAKERS GET TO KNOW THE STORY OF EDMONDS AND HOW WE'RE BEING REALLY IMPACTED BY SOME OF THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE DOWN IN OLYMPIA.

AND AS SUCH, I DID SEND THEM A COPY.

ALL OF OUR LEGISLATORS HAVE A COPY OF WHAT WE SHARED WITH THE BOARD AS A RESULT OF BALANCING ACT.

BUT I HAVE ALSO SHARED WITH STAFF.

SO I SENT THE RESULTS TO THEM, AND THEN WE WILL BE REACHING OUT TO THEM TO WITH THEM TO HEAR A MULTI-LAYERED APPROACH TO TELLING OUR EDMONDS STORY.

I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO REMEMBER OUR LEGISLATORS OUT HERE REALLY ARE SUPPORTERS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION, BUT IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT THEY KNOW THE STORY OF EDMONDS AND HOW WE ARE REALLY BEING IMPACTED.

AND SO THAT'S, I THINK THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE THIS TOOL.

IT'S BEEN VERY, VERY HELPFUL, I THINK, IN DAYLIGHTING THAT THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE GOT IN FRONT OF US.

I WAS PLEASED TO SEE THE OP ED IN YESTERDAY'S SEATTLE TIMES, WRITTEN BY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WASHINGTON ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, WHO ABSOLUTELY ECHOED EVERYTHING THAT ANDY AND I HAD PUT IN THAT LETTER, ALONG WITH THOSE 18 OTHER DISTRICT LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE STATE. BASICALLY POINTING OUT THAT THE LEGISLATURE DID NOT RISE TO WHERE TO THE LEVEL, ANYWHERE NEAR OF WHAT WE NEED FOR OUR SCHOOLS ACROSS ACROSS THE STATE.

SO I THINK IT'S BECOMING MORE AND MORE AWARE, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE BEEN AWARE FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS TRYING TO DO ALL THIS ADVOCACY, THAT WE GOT A LITTLE BIT, WE GOT A LITTLE BIT FROM THEM, BUT IT'S REALLY STILL SO FAR FROM THEIR FULLY UNDERSTANDING. SO I THINK I'M PLEASED THAT YOU SENT THE BALANCING ACT RESULTS, BECAUSE I HAD SENT THEM THE BALANCING ACT SURVEY.

I DON'T KNOW IF THEY READ IT, BUT THEY CAN SEE AT A GLANCE WITH THOSE RESULTS.

WHAT? WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE, HOW MUCH EVERYTHING COSTS THAT WE HAVE TO DO, HOW MUCH THAT PUTS US IN DEFICIT, HOW HARD IT IS TO MAKE THIS BALANCE, HOW IT IMPACTS SO MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS AND OUR KIDS.

AND IT'S WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP AT IT.

WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP AT IT.

ABSOLUTELY. AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT FOLKS ARE KEEPING AT IT IS THE POLICY WINDOW FOR WSSDA IS STILL OPEN FOR US, JUST TO KEEP IT.

WE WE DON'T I'M NOT BRINGING ANYTHING FORWARD BECAUSE WE PASSED OUR DEADLINE FOR APPROVAL, BUT THE WINDOW IS OPEN UNTIL 5:00 ON APRIL 8TH, AND SO THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO REVIEW SOME OF THE SUBMISSIONS FOR THE POSITIONS THAT WSSDA TAKES.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME POSITIONS BROUGHT FORWARD THAT WILL WEAKEN SOME OF THE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION POSITIONS THAT WSSDA HAS ADOPTED.

AND AS WE KNOW, THE IMPORTANCE OF BELONGING IS SO PARAMOUNT TO THE PRINCIPLES THAT WE HAVE OF OF ACCESS TO PUBLIC EDUCATION THAT AS THOSE POSITIONS COME UP, I'LL KEEP EVERYONE HERE INFORMED SO THAT WE MAY TAKE APPROPRIATE VOTES ON WHETHER THESE SHOULD BE APPROVED.

BECAUSE, AS WE KNOW, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IS SO IMPORTANT TO OUR DISTRICT AND OUR COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS, DIRECTOR SMITH? YOU KNOW I DO, BUT I WAS GOING TO SAY ABOUT LEGISLATIVE AND FUNDING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

BUT I WAS GOING TO SAVE THAT FOR MY FINAL REMARKS.

SO LET'S I'LL, I'LL HOLD OFF FROM THIS MOMENT.

OH, WAIT, ADD ONE MORE THING I FORGOT.

SORRY. DA1 ONE, WE'VE GOT A REGIONAL MEETING COMING UP ON APRIL 27TH ON SAN JUAN ISLAND, SO I'M FLAGGING THAT AS THEY'RE MOVING IT

[01:20:08]

AROUND DA ONE [INAUDIBLE].

SO JUST FLAG THAT FOR EVERYBODY'S RADAR.

ARE YOU GOING TO GO? I THINK SO.

GOOD. BECAUSE IT'S STILL ON THIS BUDGET YEAR, SO WE HAVEN'T CUT OUR TRAFFIC.

YEAH, I KNOW, I KNOW.

ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONTINUING TO KEEP US ON TRACK.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

IT WILL JUST KEEP ON TRUCKING.

WE'LL JUST KEEP ON TRUCKING.

SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS BOARD COMMENTS.

[15. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]

SO, KEVIN, YOU WANT TO START.

ALL RIGHT. SO OKAY, I HAVE A WHOLE CHECKLIST HERE.

ALL RIGHT. SO THIS FIRST ONE IS GOING TO BE MUCH TO DIRECTOR CHASE DELIGHT.

I ATTENDED THE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES NETWORK MEETING LAST MONDAY.

YES, YES.

PART OF WHAT THEY TALKED ABOUT WAS ABOUT STUDENT BOARD ADVISOR SELECTION AND ONBOARDING PROCESSES HAVE THAT VARIES ACROSS SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

AND I DID BRING UP STUDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND HOW THAT'S DIFFERENT WHERE WE DO 9-12 AND OTHERS DO LIKE TWO GRADES IN EACH K 12. YEAH.

ALL RIGHT. SO NOW I GOT THAT AND THE HIGH SCHOOL APPLIED ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING CLASS, THE AEROSPACE PROGRAM AT LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL, I HAD THE PLEASURE.

AND AS WELL AS CTE DIRECTOR MARK MADISON, WE ATTEND WE WE HAD A TOUR OF THE BOEING EVERETT FACTORY, WHICH IS WHAT THAT CLASS IS FOR.

AND I'M SURE MANY STUDENTS FROM THAT CLASS WILL BE DELIGHTED OF WHAT THEY ARE ABLE TO DO IN THEIR FUTURE.

AND THE MONTH OF MARCH.

THERE ARE A LOT OF STATE CONFERENCES HAPPENING.

FIRST FOR DECA, HIGH SCHOOL DECA.

THEY HAVE SIX PAIRS, SIX TOTAL STUDENTS QUALIFYING FOR THE FOR NATIONALS, THE INTERNATIONAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE FOR BUSINESS PLAN, STARTUP RETAIL, SCHOOL BASED ENTERPRISE AND FOOD [INAUDIBLE] AND TSA.

THERE ARE. WE HAVE A TEAM OF TWO FOR RUNNER UP IN TECH PROBLEM SOLVING AND A WIN.

A TEAM OF FOUR WINNER IN MUSIC PRODUCTION AT STATE TSA AND ADDITIONALLY THE CURRENT STATE REPORTER TSA FROM LYNNWOOD HIGH SCHOOL HAS BEEN ELECTED VICE PRESIDENT FOR W WASHINGTON STATE TSA, AND THE CURRENT PRESIDENT FOR HIGH SCHOOL.

TSA IS ELECTED AS NUMBER SIX AND NUMBER SIX STATE OFFICER, STATE REPORTER FOR WASHINGTON TSA.

SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM.

FOR HOSA FUTURE HEALTH HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.

WE HAVE TWO HAVING PLACED IN STATE.

ONE ACHIEVED SECOND PLACE FOR WRITTEN TEST FOR I'M NOT SURE.

AND ANOTHER ACTUALLY ATTENDED THE STATE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, I BELIEVE TWO WEEKENDS AGO IN SPOKANE.

AND SHE HAS PLACED SECOND PLACE IN PHARMACY AND HAS QUALIFIED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE FOR HOUSTON IN JUNE.

AND SHE APPRECIATES THE CTE FUNDS BEING ABLE TO COVER HER TRAVEL EXPENSES.

AND I CAN'T GO MORE THAN ONE MEETING WITHOUT MENTIONING FIRST ROBOTICS.

YES. SO THAT'S THE TREASURER FOR THE MOUNTLAKE TERRACE TEAM.

SO TWO WEEKENDS AGO, BOTH HIGH SCHOOL AND TERRACE ROBOTICS TEAMS COMPETED AT BONNEY LAKE.

LYNNWOOD HIGH SCHOOL DID NOT DO VERY WELL THIS TIME, TYING FOR SEVENTH PLACE HAVING FACED A HARD SCHEDULE.

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, THEY ACHIEVED SECOND PLACE ONCE AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS [APPLAUSE].

AS THE STANDINGS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST DISTRICT IS LYNNWOOD HIGH SCHOOLS IN 20TH TERRACE IS IN 9TH, BOTH ARE WILL BE COMPETING AT THE DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS DURING SPRING BREAK NEXT WEEK, AND BY THE TIME BY THE TIME THE NEXT BOARD MEETING COMES OUT.

I'LL SHARE WHAT HAPPENS AT THE DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP IF ANY OF US QUALIFIED FOR WORLDS AND WHAT HAPPENS.

THANK YOU, AMAYA.

I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M GLAD THERE'S NO [INAUDIBLE] DURING THIS MEETING.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT I HAVE NO COMMENT.

THANK YOU. WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE.

DIRECTOR CRAMER.

YEAH, I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO APPRECIATE THE PASSION AND THE CAREFUL THOUGHT THAT EACH OF OUR SPEAKERS TONIGHT PRESENTED TO US AND ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE THE VOICE OF OUR COURAGEOUS STUDENTS.

YOUR VOICE MATTERS TO ME, AND YOUR VOICE MATTERS TO US.

AND I WANT TO REITERATE THAT PEOPLE HAVE MADE THE COMMENT THAT THIS IS BEING CUT OR THAT'S BEING CUT.

NOTHING HAS BEEN CUT YET.

NO DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE.

BUT THE ONLY DECISION THAT HAS BEEN MADE IS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE CUTS IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR DISTRICT AFLOAT.

[01:25:03]

WHERE THOSE CUTS ARE GOING TO BE MADE.

THOSE HAVEN'T. THOSE DECISIONS HAVE NOT BEEN MADE.

SO WE LISTENED TO I LISTENED TO THESE COMMENTS.

WE LISTEN TO THESE COMMENTS AND WE TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY.

WHEN THE EMAILS COME WE READ THESE EMAILS, WE TALK ABOUT THESE EMAILS AND IN OPEN MEETINGS, AND WE WANT TO MAKE THE BEST DECISION ON BEHALF OF ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS.

UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE COMPETING INTERESTS, BUT ULTIMATELY, WE HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION TO KEEP OUR DISTRICT AFLOAT SO THAT WE CAN LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY AND WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP THE PRESSURE ON OUR LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVES.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR CRAMER.

DIRECTOR SMITH.

YEAH. SO A LOT OF THINGS WERE TOUCHED ON TONIGHT.

I WANT TO START, THOUGH, BY THANKING HILLTOP FOR COMING IN AND GIVING US THAT EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.

I ALSO WANT TO THANK THEIR PRINCIPAL FOR COMING IN AND TALKING TO US ABOUT OUR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.

I AM HAPPY TO HEAR THAT ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS, AT LEAST I'M SURE OTHER SCHOOLS ARE GROWING AS WELL, BUT AT LEAST THAT ONE IS GROWING AT A PRETTY GOOD RATE.

AND I'VE LIVED IN THE HILLTOP AREA.

I'M DOWN THE HILL FROM IT, BUT I'VE LIVED KIND OF IN THAT AREA FOR YEARS, AND I'VE SEEN THAT A LOT OF HOUSES GOING THERE.

THEY'RE KIND OF GEARED TOWARDS SINGLE, YOU KNOW, FOR FAMILIES, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.

SO IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVING IN THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE CHILDREN WHO ARE THEN COMING INTO OUR SCHOOLS.

SO THAT'S THAT'S GREAT.

I ALSO WANTED TO THANK PRESIDENT KATIMS FOR ALL THE WORK THAT SHE'S DONE OVER THE LAST YEAR, WRITING THE OP ED TO OUR LEGISLATORS.

SHE'S TESTIFIED AT MEETINGS.

SHE HAS SPOKEN ONE ON ONE TO OUR LEGISLATORS.

AND I KNOW SOME OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES HAVE DONE THAT.

I'VE SPOKEN TO SOME LEGISLATORS AS WELL ALL OF US TRYING TO KEEP THAT HEAT ON THE PUBLIC.

BUT AS ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS MENTIONED EARLIER TODAY, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE THE COMMUNITY BEHIND THESE SORT OF MOVEMENTS IS AN IMPORTANT THING BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, EVEN THOUGH I NOT TONIGHT BUT TYPICALLY SIT AT THE TABLE UP THERE MY I'M ONE VOTE TO A LEGISLATOR.

SO IF THEY THINK THAT THEY CAN DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES ME MAD AND THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO LOSE ONE VOTE, THAT THAT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING TO THEM.

BUT IF THERE'S A GROUP OF VOTERS WHO WILL SAY, I'M NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR YOU, IF YOU DON'T DO THESE THINGS, THEN THAT MATTERS.

SO AS WE'VE BEEN SAYING IN A LOT OF THESE MEETINGS, CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS, WRITE THEM LETTERS, GET MAD AT THEM.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LOOK AT, LIKE, THE INTRICACIES OF THIS UNTIL BUDGET TIME, AND THEN THEY STILL PROBABLY DON'T LOOK AT THE INTRICACIES OF THE WAY THE WASHINGTON TAX SYSTEM WORKS. BUT IT'S JUST NOT FAIR TO THE SCHOOLS WHEN THE LEGISLATURE HAS BEEN TOLD IT'S THEIR PARAMOUNT DUTY AND THEY CONTINUE TO FAIL TO FUND IN A WAY THAT ACTUALLY MAKES US SOLVENT.

AND THAT KIND OF GETS TO WHAT DIRECTOR CRAMER WAS SAYING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WE HAVE TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS.

I ASKED IN ONE OF THE MEETINGS ON OUR BUDGET, WHAT IF WE JUST RAN THIS BUDGET BACK? AND THE ANSWER WAS, WE'LL BE BANKRUPT.

JUST A HARD STOP.

WE'RE GOING TO BE BANKRUPT.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION BECAME, IN MY MIND, WHAT IF WE SPENT OUR LAST DOLLAR ON THE LAST DAY? AND IF MY NUMBERS ARE RIGHT, WE'D STILL HAVE TO CUT 5 AND A HALF, $6 MILLION WORTH OF STUFF TO BE ABLE TO TO GO BANKRUPT, BUT ONLY GO BANKRUPT AFTER THE SCHOOL YEAR ENDED.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S NOT GREAT.

AND THERE'S NOT A SINGLE THING ON THE BALANCING ACT THAT I WANT TO CUT.

SOME PEOPLE SEND US EMAILS SAYING THEY FELT LIKE IT WAS A SETUP.

IT WASN'T A SETUP.

WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SAME THINGS YOU ARE.

I CAN MAKE AN ARGUMENT FOR EVERYTHING ON THEIR STAND.

AND THAT'S NOT TO BELITTLE ANYONE'S POINT THAT THAT THERE'S A PROGRAM THAT REALLY HELPED THEM OR SOMETHING ELSE, I UNDERSTAND THAT.

I CAN'T MAKE A SINGLE GOOD ARGUMENT FOR CUTTING OTHER THAN WE JUST DON'T HAVE WE WE CAN'T PAY FOR IT, YOU KNOW? WE JUST CAN'T PAY FOR IT.

AND THAT'S WHAT'S TERRIBLE HERE, IS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE AREN'T AT THIS TABLE WITH US RIGHT NOW.

AND SO WE GOT TO TAKE OUR VOICE TO THEM.

SO I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU, PLEASE REACH OUT TO THE LEGISLATURES.

YOU ALL HAVE AUTHORIZED US MONEY THAT WE CAN'T TAKE EVERY YEAR BECAUSE THEY'VE SET A LID ON THE TAXES WE CAN TAKE.

IT'S JUST CRAZY WHAT THEY'RE ASKING US TO DO.

AND SO PLEASE BE PART OF THE SOLUTION WITH US.

AND THAT MEANS THIS YEAR, IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE A LITTLE LEAN UNTIL THE NEXT SESSION, WHEN HOPEFULLY WE CAN PUT ENOUGH PRESSURE ON THEM TO ACTUALLY DO THE RIGHT THING.

WITH THAT, I THINK THAT'S ABOUT ALL I HAVE FOR TONIGHT.

BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT HERE AND EXPRESSING YOUR DIS NOT DISDAIN, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN JUST UNHAPPINESS WITH THE POTENTIAL CUTS, BECAUSE I, I TOTALLY

[01:30:05]

UNDERSTAND AS WELL.

DIRECTOR SMITH, DIRECTOR CHASE.

WELL, I THINK KEITH GOT A GOT IT IN ON HOW WE WANT EVERYONE TO HELP US BE PART AND BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.

SO THAT WAS GOOD ADVOCACY.

SO THANK YOU, KEITH.

I'LL JUST ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO KEEP PARTICIPATING AND HELP WITH THESE DECISIONS THAT ARE COMING FORWARD AND ADVOCATING IN OLYMPIA.

I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION OF THE NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHERS.

I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE THE RECEPTION TODAY, BUT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE WORK, AND I'M REALLY I'M THRILLED THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GATHER AND HONOR THESE GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF OUR EDUCATORS IN THE DISTRICT.

SO THAT'S IT. GREAT DIRECTOR KILGORE.

THANK YOU.

WELL A FEW WEEKS AGO, I KIND OF GOT GOT A LITTLE EMOTIONAL ABOUT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND GRADUATION RATES.

AND TONIGHT I'M FEELING A LITTLE BIT MORE POSITIVE.

BUT I WANTED TO ONCE AGAIN, SORT OF MAKE A PLUG FOR STAYING FOCUSED.

AND WE SEE THAT ONE REASON I'M FEELING VERY POSITIVE IS WE SAW THAT IN THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT.

AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST THE NUMBERS.

OH, JUST THE NUMBERS WENT UP SO I'M HAPPY.

I MEAN, WE SAW A PRESENTATION WHERE A PRINCIPAL HAD VISION HAD TAKEN TAKE, YOU KNOW, USED THAT THAT VISION AND TURNED IT INTO PRACTICE WITH HER LEADERSHIP.

I ALSO SAW DR.

YOUNG GIVE HER A LITTLE CHEER AS SHE WAS LEAVING, AND WE CAN SEE THAT THAT IS ALSO A TESTAMENT TO SOME OF OUR LEADERSHIP AT THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OFFICE, WHO ARE HELPING OUR PRINCIPALS LEAD THE WAY ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.

SO I REALLY I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S EFFORTS.

YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S GOING TO BE SLOW, BUT I'M FEELING PRETTY HOPEFUL.

I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DEALING WITH AND DIRECTOR SMITH SORT OF POINTED IT OUT OR ILLUMINATED FOR US, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME TRYING TO CONVINCE THE LEGISLATURE TO FUND US ADEQUATELY.

AND THAT TAKES OUR FOCUS AWAY FROM WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, WHICH IS HELPING OUR STUDENTS SUCCEED AND BECOME WHAT THEY WANT TO BE AND WHAT THEY NEED TO BE IN THE FUTURE.

AND SO I CAN'T RECALL WHO SAID IT, MAYBE DIRECTOR CHASE, YOU KNOW, TELLING OUR STORY IN OLYMPIA, TELLING THE EDMONDS STORY IS IMPORTANT.

I HOPE WE DON'T HAVE TO TELL IT FOR TOO MUCH LONGER, BUT THAT THEY WILL FINALLY BE DONE AND THAT THEY WILL UNDERSTAND AND THEY WILL GET FOCUSED ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. I MEAN, THAT IS AT THE END OF IT.

THAT IS WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR.

AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I, I ABSOLUTELY AM LISTENING TO OUR SPEAKERS AND THE PEOPLE WHO WRITE TO US. AND AND IT'S HEARTBREAKING THE DECISIONS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS YEAR.

HOPEFULLY THEY'RE NOT PERMANENT.

WHATEVER. WHATEVER CUTS WE HAVE TO MAKE, HOPEFULLY THEY WON'T BE PERMANENT.

HOPEFULLY, BECAUSE WE KNOW WE KNOW THAT ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, WHETHER IT'S CTE OR MUSIC OR ATHLETICS, I'VE SEEN IT YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT KEEP OUR KIDS COMING BACK TO SCHOOL.

YOU KNOW, THE THE THINGS THAT YOU DON'T THINK NECESSARILY ARE ARE AS IMPORTANT.

BUT THEY DO KEEP A KEEP OUR KIDS COMING BACK AND KEEP THEM ENGAGED AND, AND KEEP THEM ON THE PATH TO ACHIEVEMENT.

SO WITH THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE ADDED ANYTHING TO THIS CONVERSATION OTHER THAN I'M ALSO VERY PLEASED THAT WE HAVE PASSED THE BOND.

THANK YOU, TAXPAYERS.

AND THAT IS GOING TO BE SO MEANINGFUL TO OUR STUDENTS AS YOU SAID, FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

THANK YOU EVERYBODY.

I WANTED TO THANK THE HILLTOP FOLKS FOR COMING.

THEY DID A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION AND ALSO, I AGREE, GAVE HOPE TO WHEN YOU HAVE FOCUS AND KIDS TAKING LEADERSHIP ROLES AND WORKING TOGETHER AND CARING ABOUT EACH OTHER, IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE.

I WAS ALSO REALLY PLEASED TO GET TO SPEAK WITH THE NATIONAL BOARD FOR PROFESSIONAL TEACHING STANDARDS HONOREES TONIGHT.

THEY DO AMAZING WORK.

I KNOW WHAT'S INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS, AND IT IS VERY RIGOROUS.

AND THEY HAVE REALLY SHOWN THEIR PROFESSIONALISM BY BY BEING ABLE TO EARN THAT ENDORSEMENT.

[01:35:02]

I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE RETREAT LAST WEEK.

THE BOARD SPENT FOUR HOURS TOGETHER.

WE LOVE EACH OTHER, BUT IT WAS A LITTLE MUCH.

NEVERTHELESS, WE WENT CAREFULLY OVER THE DETAILS OF THE BALANCING ACT.

DON'T TELL MY HUSBAND.

I SAID THAT BECAUSE HE WONDERS ABOUT WHERE I'M SPENDING ALL MY TIME.

THE THE RESULTS OF THE BALANCING ACT WE WENT THROUGH IN GREAT DETAIL AND DISCUSSED IT.

LIKE DOCTOR, DIRECTOR CRAMER SAID, I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU A DOCTOR TOO THERE.

THERE HAVE BEEN NO DECISIONS MADE.

ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT, THE COMMENTS IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S A REAL HIGH FREQUENCY OF COMMENTS REGARDING THE FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE ELEMENTARY BAND AND ORCHESTRA PROGRAM.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THERE IS IN PLACE A K-6 GENERAL MUSIC PROGRAM.

ALL OUR STUDENTS GET GENERAL MUSIC STARTING IN KINDERGARTEN.

AT FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE THEY'VE BEEN GETTING BASICALLY A DOUBLE DOSE OF MUSIC.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DOES DO IS TAKE SOME OF THE KIDS OUT OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM FOR THE ONES WHO OPT FOR BAND AND ORCHESTRA.

SO IT'S BEEN A HIT ON OUR INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM I'VE HAD OVER THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE DISTRICT, WHICH IS 25 YEARS WITH A BREAK OF ABOUT 4 OR 5 YEARS WHO HAVE TALKED ABOUT HOW THAT'S DIFFICULT FOR THEM.

I'VE SEEN IN THE COMMENTS PEOPLE ASKING WHY CAN'T STUDENTS AT FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE CHOOSE TO DO OR BE REQUIRED TO DO BAND AND ORCHESTRA AND NOT GENERAL MUSIC? YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT THAT'S A LOCKED PIECE.

YOU ANYBODY WHO DID THE BALANCING ACT SAW THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE, QUOTE, LOCKED AND THEY'RE LOCKED BY EITHER FEDERAL MANDATES, STATE MANDATES OR CONTRACTUAL ISSUES. THIS IS A CONTRACTUAL ISSUE IN THE DISTRICT.

SO I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND MUSIC IS NOT WOULD NO MATTER WHAT THE DECISION IS IN TERMS OF FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE BAND AND ORCHESTRA, GENERAL MUSIC WILL STILL BE THERE.

ON A HAPPIER NOTE DR.

MINER AND I VISITED EDMONDS ELEMENTARY YESTERDAY, AND IT WAS REALLY FUN BECAUSE THE PACIFIC SCIENCE CENTER FOLKS WERE THERE DOING STEM AND PARTICULARLY ENGINEERING PRACTICES WITH THE KIDS.

AND IT WAS WONDERFUL TO WATCH THE KIDS DOING ALL KINDS OF SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS, TESTING OUT THINGS, TESTING OUT THEIR IDEAS, TRYING TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN, MAKE SOLUTIONS.

IT WAS REALLY GREAT.

REALLY ENJOYED THAT.

SO WE'RE GOING TO WORK VERY HARD.

I'VE WE'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF EMAILS AND WE APPRECIATE THE EMAILS AND THE COMMENTS.

SOMEBODY SAID IN ONE OF THEM THAT THIS SEEMS LIKE WE'RE MAKING PROGRAMS COMPETE AGAINST EACH OTHER.

I GAVE THAT A LOT OF THOUGHT.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE OUR PERSONAL BUDGETS AT HOME.

MY HUSBAND AND I ARE TALKING ABOUT THINGS.

THERE ARE THINGS HE WANTS TO SPEND MONEY ON.

THERE ARE THINGS I WANT TO SPEND MONEY ON.

WE HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO AND IN WHAT ORDER, AND HOW CAN WE USE OUR MONEY MOST WISELY TO MEET OUR GOALS.

AND I GUESS IT'S VERY SIMILAR IN TERMS OF HOW WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THIS.

WE CARE ABOUT OUR KIDS HERE SO MUCH, AND WE WANT TO DO WHAT'S BEST.

WE WILL KEEP FIGHTING FOR MORE STATE FUNDING, AND WE WILL TRY TO KEEP US SOLVENT SO THAT WE COULD PERHAPS SOLVE THE PROBLEM WITH THE STATE AND NOT GO BANKRUPT, BUT CONTINUE TO MEET OUR STUDENTS NEEDS.

THANK YOU. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THAT WHILE MANY OF US, PARTICULARLY INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF, WILL BE OFF NEXT WEEK, MANY OTHER PEOPLE CONTINUE TO WORK IN THE DISTRICT. SOMETIMES THAT'S IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR BUILDINGS READY AND PREPARED FOR STUDENTS.

OUR GROUNDS TIDY, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS OUR MEADOWDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WILL BE MOVING FROM ITS CURRENT LOCATION.

I SEE ONE PERSON CELEBRATING BACK THERE.

I WAS ABLE TO STOP BY THIS WEEK AND TALK TO SOME STUDENTS, BY AND LARGE, THEY'RE QUITE EXCITED TO MOVE BACK TO THEIR REGULAR SCHOOL.

A FEW THINGS THEY LIKE ABOUT THE NEW SCHOOL, THEIR NEW SCHOOL.

AND SO JUST TO CHAT WITH THEM ABOUT THAT, BUT THEY'RE LOOKING FORWARD.

THOSE STUDENTS WILL BE OFF SCHOOL ON MONDAY AFTER THE BREAK.

SO THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN EXTENDED BREAK IN ORDER TO GET THEIR TEACHERS IN THERE TO GET THEM UNPACKED.

BUT A BIG MOVE WILL BE HAPPENING.

THE SCHOOL IS LOOKING GREAT AND READY TO RECEIVE ITS STUDENTS AGAIN.

REALLY WAS NO SMALL LIFT ON THE PART OF THE FOLKS WHO COORDINATED THAT PROJECT, MADE SURE THAT THAT WORK WAS GETTING DONE AND THAT SCHOOL WOULD BE READY.

[01:40:01]

WE WONDERED IF IT WAS GOING TO BE SPRING BREAK OR END OF THE YEAR.

ALSO, NO SMALL FEAT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE THEM THERE AND NOT HAVE TO GO ONLINE FOR THIS PERIOD OF TIME.

WE MISSED A FEW DAYS AND WERE ONLINE FOR A FEW DAYS, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, KIDS AND STAFF HAVE BEEN SO REALLY RESILIENT AND ADAPTABLE IN THEIR NEW BUILDING.

AND WE'LL GET THEM SETTLED BACK IN OVER SPRING BREAK AND LOOK FORWARD TO THEM RETURNING TO MEADOWDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT MEADOWDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

GOOD TO HEAR.

LAST ON THE AGENDA.

ARE THERE ANY NEW TOPICS?

[16. ITEMS FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION OR INFORMATION]

EVERY TIME I SAY THAT NOW, I THINK THEY HAVE TO BE RELATED TO OUR FOCUS.

ANY NEW TOPICS THAT WE SHOULD PUT ON AN AGENDA THAT ISN'T ALREADY ON THE AGENDA? AND ONE THING I HADN'T MENTIONED, THAT I DID WANT TO MENTION THAT AT OUR RETREAT WAS OUR WORK ON OUR STRATEGIC PLAN UNDER DR.

CHUNG'S LEADERSHIP, WHICH WE REALLY APPRECIATE, AND THAT HELPS US TO KEEP OUR FOCUS ON THE TOPICS THAT MATTER AS WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS ON OUR GOALS.

SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THANK YOU EVERYBODY.

HAVE A GREAT SPRING BREAK.

AND THIS REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING OF THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS ADJOURNED.

THANKS, EVERYBODY.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.