Apr 29, 2025 Board Meeting

[00:00:03]

GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME. THIS REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING OF THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER,

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

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

DIRECTOR CHASE HERE. AND I'M DIRECTOR KATIMS. SO WE HAVE A QUORUM. NEXT, I'LL ASK DOCTOR MINER TO DO THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.

[3. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT-6:32 pm]

THE SDOHOBSH 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. AND NOW, IF EVERYBODY WILL RISE AND JOIN ME IN THE FLAG SALUTE.

[4. FLAG SALUTE-6:33 pm]

NEXT IS APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. DO I HEAR A MOTION AND A SECOND?

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

SOME LANGUAGE IS NEEDED TO THAT ITEM BEFORE WE REQUEST APPROVAL.

DO I HEAR A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR AMENDING THE AGENDA, AS DOCTOR MINER SUGGESTED.

SO MOVED. SECOND. I'VE HEARD A A MOTION AND A SECOND TO REMOVE ITEM 9.6 FROM THE AGENDA.

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

EVERYBODY IN FAVOR PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED NAY. ANY ABSTENTIONS. AND THE AMENDMENT NOW IS HAS BEEN APPROVED.

SO NOW I'M GOING TO ASK FOR A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE AMENDED ON THE AGENDA, AS AMENDED.

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

I'VE HEARD A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE AGENDA, AS AMENDED.

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

EVERYBODY IN FAVOR PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSITION, SAY NAY, ANY ABSTENTIONS AND THE AMENDED AGENDA IS APPROVED.

NEXT, I'LL ASK DOCTOR MINER FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.

[6. SUPERINTENDENT REPORT-6:35 pm]

SO THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MY UPDATE, SO WE'LL SAVE THAT.

WOW. SOUNDS GOOD. SO NEXT WE HAVE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.

[7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES-6:45 pm]

DO I HEAR A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 1ST, 2025 SPECIAL MEETING, WHICH WAS OUR MID-YEAR DATA REVIEW, THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 15TH, 2025 SPECIAL MEETING, WHICH WAS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, AND THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 15TH REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING.

MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THOSE THREE MEETINGS.

SECOND. I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 1ST, 2025 SPECIAL MEETING, THE APRIL 15TH SPECIAL MEETING, AND THE APRIL 15TH REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY, ANY ABSTENTIONS AND THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 1ST, 2025 SPECIAL MEETING, THE APRIL 15TH, 2025 SPECIAL MEETING, AND THE APRIL 15TH REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING ARE APPROVED.

NEXT IS TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS. THE GUIDELINES REGARDING PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE ON

[8. PUBLIC COMMENTS-6:50 pm]

WE ASK THAT YOU LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.

A TIMER WILL BE RUNNING SO THAT YOU CAN MONITOR YOUR TIME.

PLEASE BE SURE TO TELL US YOUR NAME, YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE, YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE DISTRICT, AND THE AGENDA ITEM OR SCHOOL DISTRICT TOPIC THAT YOU'RE ADDRESSING TONIGHT.

PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE MADE FROM THE FRONT PODIUM FACING US AND ARE DIRECTED TO THE BOARD, NOT TO THE AUDIENCE.

TONIGHT WE HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP, DIANA GIBBS.

[00:05:08]

MY HUSBAND ATTENDED EDMONDS SCHOOLS, AND I'M HERE JUST TO MAKE A GENERAL COMMENT.

I WANT TO THANK THE EDMONDS SCHOOL BOARD FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.

I KNOW YOUR DUTIES ON THE SCHOOL BOARD ARE TIME FOCUSED AND ENERGY CONSUMING, SO I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS.

THIS IS A CRITICAL TIME FOR ALL SCHOOLS, BUT PARTICULARLY THOSE FACING BUDGET CHALLENGES.

SO EDMONDS STUDENTS AND STAFF NEED OUR SUPPORT MORE THAN EVER.

WE RAISED TWO DAUGHTERS IN WASHINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND ARE GRATEFUL FOR THEIR QUALITY EDUCATION.

THE CURRICULUM WAS COMPREHENSIVE AND INCLUSIVE.

THEY HAD ACCESS TO A WIDE ASSORTMENT OF BOOKS CAREFULLY CURATED BY PROFESSIONAL LIBRARIANS, LGBTQ PLUS AND BIPOC STUDENTS WERE WELCOME. AS THE WASHINGTON STATE RESIDENTS, I WANT TO ENSURE THESE STANDARDS ARE SAFEGUARDED.

TIMES HAVE CERTAINLY CHANGED SINCE OUR DAUGHTERS ATTENDED SCHOOL, BUT MY HOPE IS THAT THE EXCELLENT PUBLIC EDUCATION THEY RECEIVED IS STILL AVAILABLE TO CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO TO EDUCATE THE STUDENTS OF THE EDMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOUR EFFORTS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU DIANA, WE APPRECIATE THAT.

NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH IS OUR LIST OF TYPICALLY ROUTINE ITEMS THAT WE CAN VOTE ON TOGETHER AS A BLOCK OR SEPARATE IF WE NEED TO.

[9. CONSENT AGENDA-7:20 pm]

ONE IS AN AGREEMENT WITH THE NORTHWEST ESD FOR SPECIAL ED SERVICES.

ONE IS A RENEWAL OF A TECH CONTRACT WHICH IS COVERED BY THE 2024 TECH LEVY.

ONE IS OUR MONTHLY BILLS AND VOUCHERS. ONE IS OUR UPDATE TO THE EDMONDS-WOODWAY HIGH SCHOOL ASB CONSTITUTION AND FIVE ARE FIELD TRIPS.

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

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

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? I HAVE A COUPLE COMMENTS.

ONE IS I APPRECIATE THE EDMONDS-WOODWAY ASB FOR REVISING THEIR FIRST DRAFT OF THAT CONSTITUTION SO THAT IT HAD GENDER INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE. AND ALSO WANTED TO NOTE THAT ONE OF MY FORMER LIBRARIAN COLLEAGUES IS RETIRING AT THE END OF THE YEAR. SO SHOUT OUT TO CLARENCE [INAUDIBLE] FROM LYNDALE.

THANK YOU. AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME SIGNIFICANT RETIREMENTS, THERE ARE TWO KEY CLASSIFIED PEOPLE WHO HAVE GIVEN YEARS AND YEARS OF AMAZING SUPPORT TO THE CENTRAL OFFICE. ONE IS MIRIAM CALLAHAN, WHO'S BEEN OUR DATA SUPPORT PERSON FOR MANY YEARS.

SHE TOOK A LITTLE TIME ELSEWHERE BUT CAME BACK AND HAS BEEN AMAZING.

AND THE OTHER I WANT TO DO A SHOUT OUT TO MANNY JUZON WHO HAS DONE OVER THE YEARS.

HE'S BEEN OUR PROTECTOR OF OUR MONTHLY BILLS AND VOUCHERS.

HE HAS DONE ALL OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS DISCLOSURES.

IT'S A THANKLESS JOB, AND I WANT TO THANK HIM BECAUSE I DON'T THINK HE'S GOTTEN ENOUGH THANKS.

SO THESE ARE TWO PEOPLE WE WILL MISS A LOT. ALL OF OUR STAFF WHO RETIRE, WE CARE ABOUT.

BUT I JUST, AS DIRECTOR GERRARD POINTED OUT, SOMETIMES THERE'S SOME SPECIAL PEOPLE WE JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THEY'VE GIVEN SPECIAL SERVICE. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS? HEARING NONE. I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING TONIGHT'S CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY.

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

WE JUST HAVE ONE REPORT THIS EVENING. I'LL WELCOME DIRECTOR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LYDIA SELLIE FORWARD FOR THE BUSINESS AND FINANCE REPORT FOR FEBRUARY

[10. REPORTS-7:30 pm]

SO I AM REPORTING ON FEBRUARY, WORKING ON MARCH, AND THEN I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT 25-26.

SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A WHIRLWIND. AND ACTUALLY, I HAVE TO ADMIT THIS IS A PRETTY EASY REPORT.

SO FEBRUARY IS LOOKING VERY GOOD, VERY TYPICAL AND NOTHING RAISES ANY CONCERNS FOR ME TO REPORT ON.

I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT TRAVEL. I USUALLY DO THIS ABOUT ONCE A YEAR.

WE BUDGET ROUTINE, KIND OF REGULAR TRAVEL IF A IF AN EMPLOYEE IS ASSIGNED BETWEEN TWO BUILDINGS, WE REIMBURSE THEM FOR THE MILEAGE IN BETWEEN THEIR TWO WORK SITES.

WHAT WE CAN'T PREDICT IS HOW MUCH STUDENT TRAVEL IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

AS YOU SEE, YOU APPROVE FIELD TRIPS JUST ABOUT EVERY BOARD MEETING AND THOSE GO UNDER THE TRAVEL CATEGORY.

[00:10:04]

AND SO YOU'LL ALWAYS SEE THAT TRAVEL BUDGET EXCEED EXPENDITURES, EXCEED THE BUDGET.

BUT REALLY IT'S THOSE STUDENT EXPENDITURES PAID FROM OTHER SOURCES THAT WE JUST CAN'T PREDICT WHEN WE DO THE BUDGET.

THIS IS JUST A YEAR TO YEAR COMPARISON. I'M GOING TO SEE IF I CAN'T DO A MULTIYEAR COMPARISON.

IF NOT NEXT MONTH, MAYBE APRIL. SEE WHAT THE WHAT I CAN DIG UP.

THIS IS JUST THE REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE WHAT THEY CALL THE DASHBOARD.

IT HELPS TO LOOK AT PAST, PAST, PAST TRENDS WHERE WE SHOULD BE BASED ON WHAT MONTH IT IS, WHERE 50% THROUGH THE YEAR AND HOW WE LOOK TO THE PREVIOUS MONTH.

SO TOTAL FUND BALANCE IS JUST SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN IT WAS IN JANUARY.

THE PROJECTION AND I BELIEVE MARCH IT WILL TICK UP A LITTLE BIT AGAIN, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE TREND AND YOU LOOK AT PRIOR YEAR THREE, WE HAD SOME CATCH UP CLAIMS WITH ESSER IN AUGUST, SO THAT THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A SPIKE. BUT WE ARE TRENDING VERY CONSISTENTLY WITH THE LAST TWO YEARS.

THE YEAR TO DATE AVERAGE SO FAR IS 19,283 FULL TIME EQUIVALENTS.

THAT'S K-12, THAT EXCLUDES RUNNING START AND OPEN DOORS, WHICH WHEN YOU INCLUDE THOSE.

WE ARE JUST OVER 20,200 FULL TIME EQUIVALENT STUDENTS THIS YEAR.

AND UNLESS ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS, I'LL BE BACK IN A FEW MINUTES.

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO OUR NEXT CONVERSATION WITH YOU IN THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE.

THANKS. WE HAVE ONE ITEM OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS THIS EVENING.

THAT'S A SECOND READING TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 25-12 THE 2025 -2026 REDUCED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM.

I DO WANT TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF A CLARIFICATION REGARDING THIS AGENDA ITEM 11.1.

I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT A NON-SUBSTANTIVE TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR IS IN THE BACKGROUND OF THIS ITEM.

THE NARRATIVE INCORRECTLY REFERS TO THIS AS A FIRST READING OF THE PLAN IN ONE PLACE.

THE FIRST READING WAS HELD APRIL 15TH GENERAL MEETING, AND THIS AGENDA ITEM IS CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED AS A SECOND READING, BOTH IN THE TITLE AND THROUGHOUT THE POSTED AGENDA.

WHILE IT'S CLEAR FROM THE OVERALL AGENDA THAT THIS IS A SECOND READING.

I DID WANT TO CONFIRM THIS GIVEN THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS RESOLUTION.

THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. DO I HEAR A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 25 - 12, WHICH IS THE 2025-2026 REDUCED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM.

MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND. I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? JUST A FEW QUESTIONS. WE WERE TOLD LAST TIME THAT THE ESTIMATE OF UP TO 12 HAD TO DO PARTLY WITH

[11. UNFINISHED BUSINESS- 7:45 pm]

SO IS THAT BEEN RECEIVED, AND HAS THAT GIVEN US ANY CLARITY ON WHERE THIS MIGHT FALL IN THE UP TO 12? DIRECTOR GERRARD I CAN SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT.

WE ARE ASKING TO HOLD WITH THE NUMBER OF 12 JUST TO BE SAFE.

WE DO ANTICIPATE, AS THINGS WORK OUT, THAT WE WILL LAND ON A NUMBER THAT'S SMALLER THAN 12.

I DID WANT TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL SO THAT OUR DIRECTORS UNDERSTAND WHERE THESE NUMBERS ARE COMING FROM, BECAUSE GIVEN THAT WE HAVE A STEADY ENROLLMENT PROJECTION YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE NUMBERS MAY, MAY SEEM OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH THAT. I WANT TO BE VERY CAREFUL WITH MY LANGUAGE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THE TAKEAWAY TO BE THAT I BELIEVE WE WERE OVERSTAFFED. WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS WE ARE SLIGHTLY ABOVE STAFFING FORMULA IN A COUPLE OF KEY CATEGORIES ELEMENTARY, CLASSROOM AND MULTILINGUAL. AND SO AS WE'RE WORKING THAT OUT, WE'VE GONE WITH THE STAFFING FORMULA THAT DOESN'T HAVE THOSE ENHANCEMENTS IN IT. AND SO SOME PEOPLE IN POSITIONS ARE FACING A RIFT THERE.

SO WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF ELEMENTARY POSITIONS AND A SMALL HANDFUL OF MULTILINGUAL POSITIONS.

[00:15:06]

SPECIAL EDUCATION, FOR EXAMPLE. WE ALSO HAVE SOME VACANCY IN COUNSELOR, IN FINE ARTS, SOME DIFFERENT AREAS.

BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT IT CATEGORY BY CATEGORY THE PLACE WHERE WE'RE STILL SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF POTENTIAL FOR RIFT IS THAT AREA.

WE'RE DOING WHATEVER WE CAN TO TRY TO GET ALL OUTSTANDING RESIGNATIONS AND RETIREMENTS AND LEAVES OF ABSENCE FOR NEXT YEAR SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE A SPOT FOR ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE. IF WE LOOK AT HISTORICAL TRENDS, EVEN WHEN WE'VE HAD A CASE WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN TEACHERS WITH ELEMENTARY QUALIFICATIONS AND IN SOME CASES, MULTILINGUAL QUALIFICATIONS, WE'VE ACTUALLY RECALLED 100% OF THEM.

AND SO WE'RE ACTUALLY POSITIONED, I THINK, AT THE END OF THE PROCESS, WHICH REALLY ISN'T UNTIL SOMETIME AFTER THE SCHOOL YEAR STARTS, WHEN WE HAVE STUDENTS IN SEAT FOR THE 25-26 SCHOOL YEAR.

I ANTICIPATE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE RECALLED ALL OF THOSE STAFF.

IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT WE DO HAVE TO SUBJECT SOME PEOPLE TO THIS PROCESS, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO GO THROUGH ANNUALLY AT DIFFERENT SCALES, SO THAT I HOPE THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION THAT HELPS.

AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. SO OUT OF THE 12, I THINK LAST TIME WE WERE GIVEN THE EXAMPLE OF LIKE MANDARIN, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE OFFERED AT SECOND YEAR.

SO THAT WAS LIKE A 0.2. ARE THERE ARE OTHER PARTS OF THE 12 THAT ARE FROM THAT KIND OF SITUATION? ONE CATEGORY AS AN EXAMPLE, WHICH IS IS NOT AS DISCRETE AS MANDARIN IS, WE HAVE 1.2 FTE IN SECONDARY ENGLISH THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.

HOWEVER, IT'S A VERY DYNAMIC THING. WE JUST RECEIVED NOTICE OF A 1.0 HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER THAT IS RETIRING.

THERE'S A GOOD LIKELIHOOD THAT SOMEONE WHO HAS A SOCIAL STUDIES ENDORSEMENT THAT MAY BE IN THE ENGLISH CATEGORY WOULD BE ABLE TO BE MOVED INTO THAT POSITION.

SO IT'S CERTAINLY NOT AN EXCUSE. IT'S JUST A WAY TO EXPLAIN KIND OF THE REALITY.

THERE'S A DYNAMISM TO THIS, AND IT ACTUALLY CHANGES EVERY SINGLE DAY.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE ANTICIPATING WE'RE GOING TO GET A 0.6 LEAVE.

WHILE THAT DOESN'T HELP OUR RIFT NUMBERS PER SE WE CAN PLACE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ON OUR RECALL LIST INTO PLACE, INTO SPOTS WHERE THERE'S A LEAVE OF ABSENCE. SO THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF PIECES THAT STILL NEED TO COME TOGETHER.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY, GIVEN THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENT OF GIVING NOTICE OF LAYOFF TO CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEES BY THE 15TH OF MAY.

THIS IS THE TIMELINE WE'RE UNDER. SO WOULD THE ON THE 15TH OF MAY, WOULD THERE BE COULD THERE BE I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S SOME UNKNOWNS AND SOME STILL FLEXIBILITY THAT'S NEEDED.

WHEN IT SAYS UP TO 12.0, DOES THAT MEAN THAT MORE THAN THAT COULD RECEIVE THOSE NOTICES? MORE PEOPLE THAN THAT COULD RECEIVE A NOTICE.

OKAY. BECAUSE IT'S NOT DIVIDED. IT MIGHT BE A POINT TWO OF SOMEONE, A POINT FOUR OF SOMEONE.

SO IT COULD BE THAT IT IMPACTS MORE THAN 12 PEOPLE.

IT WON'T IMPACT MORE THAN 12 FULL TIME EQUIVALENT POSITIONS.

WE DON'T HAVE AUTHORITY TO ISSUE IF THAT EXCEEDS 12.0 FTE.

I SEE OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THE RESPONSES TO MY QUESTIONS.

OUT OF ALL THE THINGS WE'VE DONE, THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS I TAKE LEAST OR MOST SERIOUSLY.

LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD EVERYTHING.

THANK YOU. CERTAINLY. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE BEEN DOING AND YOUR STAFF.

WE KNOW THIS IS REALLY TOUGH WORK. AND THIS IS WHEN YOU SAY IT CHANGES DAILY.

IT CHANGES MOMENTARILY, I THINK, TOO, BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING AFTER MAY 15TH.

YOU KNOW WHAT THE FINAL SITUATION IS THEN AND THEN AS THE AS THE WHOLE PROCESS CONTINUES HEARING REPORTS AND UPDATES OF AS PEOPLE ARE CALLED BACK. HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE THE SAME AS IT'S BEEN IN PREVIOUS YEARS WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO BRING EVERYBODY BACK.

YEAH. AND JUST AS AS REFERENCED, LAST YEAR, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT NUMBERS AROUND 26 AT THIS TIME.

AND WHEN ALL WAS SAID AND DONE, THE ACTUAL AMOUNT THAT WAS NOT RECALLED WAS UNDER FOUR FTE.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT SHOWS A GENERAL TREND THAT WE WE DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, FORTUNATELY,

[00:20:07]

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS COMMENTS. THANKS.

WE APPRECIATE IT. ANY OTHER WITH NO OTHER DISCUSSION.

I'LL CALL FOR, I THINK, IN THIS CASE, A ROLL CALL VOTE.

DIRECTOR GERRARD I VOTE IN FAVOR. DIRECTOR SMITH, AYE.

DIRECTOR CHASE, AYE. DIRECTOR KATIMS, AYE. AND SO, RESOLUTION 25-12 THE 2025 -2026 REDUCED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IS APPROVED. WE HAVE ONE ITEM OF NEW BUSINESS THIS EVENING 12.1 IS A SINGLE READING TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 25-11.

[12. NEW BUSINESS- 8:10 pm]

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 RESOLUTION 25-11 PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY. ANY ABSTENTIONS AND RESOLUTION 25-11 ACCEPTANCE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACT FOR THE MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL HVAC UPGRADES PROJECT GMP1 IS APPROVED.

AND NEXT WE HAVE OUR LEGISLATIVE UPDATE. THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, JUST AS A REMINDER TO OUR COMMUNITY,

[13. LEGISLATIVE UPDATES]

AND SO IT'S ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT LAGGING ON WHAT HAPPENS.

AND A LOT HAPPENED THIS WEEKEND. SO I'VE ASKED LINDA TO COME UP AND AFTER DIRECTOR CHASE HAS A CHANCE TO KIND OF GO OVER WHAT HAPPENED.

LYDIA WILL BE ABLE TO ASSIGN SOME NUMBERS TO THAT FOR US.

GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND, WELL, WE HAVE COME TO THE END OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION ON.

GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THANK YOU. WE ARE STILL IN OUR INTERACTING DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

WE'RE GOING TO BE MOVING ON TO THE DEVELOPING LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AND OUR ADVOCACY WHEEL THAT IS YEAR ROUND.

WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WELL, THE END OF SESSION DID HAPPEN ON THE ON SUNDAY THE 27TH.

THERE WERE ABOUT 1,800 BILLS THAT WERE INTRODUCED THIS THIS SESSION.

AND IT WHITTLED DOWN. I ONLY WAS ACTUALLY TRACKING THOSE THAT WERE RELATED TO EDUCATION FOR THESE PURPOSES TO ABOUT 46 BILLS COMBINING THAT WERE RELATED TO EDUCATION THAT PASSED. AND WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT WE WERE TRACKING THREE SPECIFIC CATEGORIES.

THE SESSION IN SPECIAL ED, MSOC FUNDING AND THE LEVY LID LIFT.

AND ALL OF THOSE BILLS HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.

OF COURSE, THEY DO NOT LOOK AS THEY DID WHEN THEY WERE FIRST DRAFTED.

THERE HAVE BEEN MANY AMENDMENTS AND CHANGES, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE SPEAKING TO SOME OF THOSE WHEN LYDIA GIVES US A REPORT ON THAT.

AND I REALLY WANT TO SAY THAT THE ADVOCACY OUT OF THIS DISTRICT AND OUR COMMUNITY, THE LEADERSHIP THAT'S BEEN SHOWN, HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL THIS YEAR. I THINK AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS SESSION, WE KNEW THAT WHILE WE ARE GOING TO GET SOMETHING, WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO GET EVERYTHING THAT WE WANTED, AND THAT IS THE CASE HERE.

BUT I DO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO DIRECTOR FOR DOCTOR KATIMS AND DOCTOR MINER FOR THE INCREDIBLE ADVOCACY, PUTTING OURSELVES OUT AS COMMUNITY LEADERS FOR EDUCATION THIS YEAR.

SO THANK YOU. AND LYDIA, PLEASE TELL US THE IMPACT OF ALL THESE CHANGES.

ABSOLUTELY. SO OF COURSE GENERALLY WHEN A LEGISLATIVE SESSION CONCLUDES, IT FEELS LIKE IN THE PAST THE GOVERNOR COMES THROUGH PRETTY QUICKLY. SO OUR GOVERNOR HAS SAID THAT HE WILL MAY SPEND A COUPLE OF WEEKS LOOKING THROUGH EACH LINE HE HAS UP TO 20 DAYS TO EITHER SIGN OR NOT SIGN.

IF HE DOES NOT SIGN, IT DOES GO INTO LAW. SO WE ARE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC THAT HE WON'T VETO ANY OF THOSE THREE, BUT I WILL TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY MEAN.

SO FOR THE SPECIAL ED BILL WHAT THEY DID WAS THEY PROVIDE FUNDING IN CATEGORIES, WE TYPICALLY HAD THREE CATEGORIES FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, WHICH WAS PRESCHOOL.

AND THEN ANOTHER DIVISION OF K THROUGH 22 YEAR OLD STUDENTS.

THEY HAVE GOT RID OF THE THREE DIVISIONS AND OUR FUNDING AT ONE RATE, AND THEY INCREASE THAT

[00:25:04]

WE ARE EXPECTING JUST OVER $1.85 MILLION AS A RESULT OF THOSE CHANGES.

I AM GOING TO HOP IN HERE, SORRY. YOU KNOW, WE ALL RECALL WHAT OUR NUMBERS WERE.

SO THIS IS A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE STILL OF WHAT WE FUND OUT OF LOCAL LEVY TO SUPPORT AND DELIVER THE QUALITY EDUCATION THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER TO OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION. OUR STUDENTS QUALIFY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION.

SO IT'S IT'S A QUITE A SMALL AMOUNT COMPARED TO WHERE THAT BILL STARTED.

YEAH. YEAH. AND IT'S A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY FUNDING.

YES. AND OF COURSE, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS POLICY LEVEL CHANGES.

I'M NOT DISCUSSING LIKE MAINTENANCE LEVEL CHANGES, WHICH IS IF YOU HAVE MORE KIDS, YOU SHOULD GET MORE FUNDING, THAT SORT OF THING. SO THIS IS JUST THE POLICY CHANGES.

THE MATERIAL SUPPLIES OPERATING COSTS , MSOCS, WERE A LITTLE BIT MORE DISAPPOINTING.

SO THEY BANTERED ABOUT SEVERAL DIFFERENT NUMBERS.

THEY CONCLUDED WITH JUST OVER $37, A FULL TIME EQUIVALENT STUDENT WHICH AND THEN THEY'LL DO THE SAME IN 26- 27, WHICH IS HELPFUL. AND THAT'S JUST UNDER $650,000.

AND AS A REMINDER, WITH THAT WE PAY FOR THINGS LIKE UTILITIES OUT OF THAT AS WELL, INSURANCE.

SO WHILE WE DON'T HAVE ALL OF THOSE COSTS YET BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF WE GET A UTILITY INCREASE AT HOME, THE DISTRICT GETS A UTILITY INCREASE IN THEIR BUILDINGS, RIGHT? SO WE'LL SEE IF THAT $37 KEEPS UP WITH INCREASED COSTS THAT WE ARE LIKELY TO INCUR.

DO WE RECALL WHAT THAT BILL, THE INITIAL BILL THAT DROPPED WAS? I'LL TAKE A QUICK LOOK, BUT IT WAS IN THE HUNDREDS.

I THINK. SO THE SPECIAL ED ONE HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN MORE LIKE, OH YEAH, 2 TO 3 TIMES.

IT WAS UP TO THAT'S THE SENATE BILL SIDE. AND THE MSOC ONE WAS SO MUCH HIGHER THAN THIS.

THERE THOSE ARE PALTRY AT BEST. IF YOU GIVE ME ONE QUICK SECOND I'LL FIND THAT ONE. OH IT'S OKAY WE CAN LOOK AT IT LATER AND I WILL FROM THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE THIS FRIDAY GET AN ANALYSIS TOO OF THE WHERE WE STARTED AND WHERE WE LANDED. YEAH, BUT IN TERMS OF US.

YEAH. YEAH. AT ONE POINT, I BELIEVE THE HIGHEST WAS JUST UNDER $2.8 MILLION FOR THE MSOCS. I COULD BE WRONG, BUT IT'S ONE OF MY VERSIONS.

SO HONESTLY, THE LEVY LIFT IS VERY, VERY CRITICAL.

IT WOULD ALLOW US TO COLLECT OUR FULL VOTER AUTHORIZATION IN 2026.

REMEMBER, WE RUN ON A FISCAL YEAR, THAT'S A CALENDAR YEAR VOTER AUTHORIZATION.

SO IN 25- 26, ROUGHLY HALF OF 25 CALENDAR YEAR, ROUGHLY HALF OF 26, THAT WOULD INCREASE OUR LEVY COLLECTIONS OVER THE CURRENT YEAR BY $6.3 MILLION. SO ALL THAT SAID, IF THESE THREE ARE NOT VETOED I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT WE WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $1.4 MILLION IN THE BLACK WITHOUT FURTHER BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS, WHICH IS WHICH IS GREAT NEWS.

SO THAT IS THAT IS OUR HOPE IS THAT THESE PROCEED.

AND $1.4, THAT IS THE DIRECTION I'M, I'M TIRED OF YEAR AFTER YEAR OF YOU KNOW, STRUGGLING TO MAKE IT, TO MAKE IT WORK. BUT DO REMEMBER, $1 MILLION IS ABOUT A QUARTER PERCENT TOWARDS FUND BALANCE OR MAYBE THREE DAYS WORTH OF BILLS AT MOST, BUT IT IS ABSOLUTELY IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT ANALYSIS.

SO, DIRECTOR CHASE, I'M CURIOUS. OBVIOUSLY OUR HOPE LIES WITH THE LEVY LIFT AND I THINK THAT'S

[00:30:02]

AND IT BRINGS IN ALL THE QUESTIONS PEOPLE WANT TO BRING IN OF EQUITY, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVEN'T HAD EQUITY FROM THE BEGINNING OF MCCLEARY OR ANYTHING.

IT'S BEEN CRAZY. DO YOU SEE, AT THIS POINT IN THE PROCESS ANY STRATEGIES FOR ADVOCACY WITH THE GOVERNOR, OR DO WE JUST SIT AND LIKE, PRAY? I WOULD SAY THERE'S UNTIL SOMETHING IS SIGNED, IT'S ALWAYS OPPORTUNITY FOR ADVOCACY.

AND I WOULD SAY THAT YOU KNOW, SHARING EDUCATION ON THE IMPACT TO OUR DISTRICT AND THE IMPACT TO OUR BUDGET THAT THIS PARTICULAR BILL WOULD HAVE IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA.

OKAY. SO MAYBE WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT. I HAD SENT THAT JOINT LETTER THAT DOCTOR MINER AND ANDY AND I HAD DONE. I SENT IT TO THE GOVERNOR. OKAY. BUT BUT BEFORE, I MEAN, IT WAS MAYBE I THINK I COPIED YOU, IT WAS MAYBE A MONTH AGO OR SEVERAL WEEKS AGO AND SAID HOW IMPORTANT THESE THREE THINGS WERE.

I JUST I THINK THE VOICE OF OUR DISTRICT AND THE IMPACTS ON STUDENTS IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD RELAY.

PARTICULARLY, AS LYDIA MENTIONED, THE LAST I HEARD, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT TIME FOR US TO MAKE SURE.

YEAH. SO YOU KNOW, THE LAST TIME, AND I DON'T.

I GOT NOTHING BACK, AND SO I, I DON'T KNOW THEM AS WELL AS I HAD KNOWN THE PEOPLE IN INSLEE'S OFFICE.

AND SO I SENT IT TO HIM AND HIS CHIEF OF STAFF AND HIS HEAD OF POLICY AND HIS HEAD OF ED POLICY.

DOES THAT SOUND LIKE THAT? SOUNDS EXACTLY RIGHT. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. YEAH, WE'LL WE'LL TAKE THAT ON. AND, DOCTOR KATIMS, I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD SHARE THE POINT YOU MADE ABOUT WHILE THE LEVY LID LIFT IMPACTS A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF DISTRICTS, THERE'S A JUXTAPOSITION BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS AND THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS.

AND I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD SHARE THAT. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE SAID THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO REMIND THEM THAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID, WELL, IT'S A SMALL NUMBER OF DISTRICTS, BUT THEY'RE MOSTLY BIG DISTRICTS, INCLUDING SEATTLE.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM LETTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES WHO WANT TO SUPPORT EDUCATION AT A TIME WHEN THE STATE ISN'T ABLE TO, IT'S A MUCH HIGHER PERCENTAGE THAN I I MIGHT GET THAT LIST.

LYDIA, DO YOU KNOW, HAVE THE LIST OF EVERYBODY WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE LEVY LIFT? I'VE SEEN THAT LIST. WE BOTH BELIEVE WE'VE SEEN IT, AND WE SPENT SOME TIME SCOURING TODAY AND WE COULDN'T FIND IT.

SO IT DOESN'T MEAN WE WON'T KEEP GOING BUT WE'LL LOOK.

WE'LL LOOK AND FIND IT. I'D BE HAPPY TO, LIKE, PULL THEIR NUMBERS OF KIDS AND FIGURE OUT WHAT PERCENT OF THE STATE STUDENT POPULATION THAT IS, AND USE THAT AS PART OF OUR EXPLANATION, BECAUSE I WORRY THAT THE, YOU KNOW, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE DISTRICTS? BECAUSE THEY THEY WERE GOING TO DO THE LOCAL EDUCATION ASSISTANCE PIECE AND THEY TOOK THAT OUT.

I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I WAS PLEASED, AND THIS ISN'T MONEY, BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THEY DID FINALLY TELL OSPI GET A TASK FORCE AND LOOK AT THE FUNDING FORMULAS AND TRY TO AND FIX IT.

SO THAT'S PART OF THAT LEVY LID BILL. YES. SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR IS FOR THEM TO FIX IT FOR THE LONG RUN.

LET'S HOPE THEY DO. AND THEY DON'T JUST DO WHAT THEY'VE DONE IN THE PAST, WHICH HAS HAD TASK FORCES AND LOVELY RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN THEN THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING.

LET'S HOPE THIS TIME THEY THEY MIGHT ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING.

KEEP MOVING FORWARD. BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT.

I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE THAT PEOPLE NEED TO THINK ABOUT, THAT IT'S STUDENTS WE SERVE, NOT DISTRICTS IN TERMS OF NUMBERS. OKAY. SO WE HAVE MIXED.

LET'S HOPE, LET'S HOPE I MEAN, IF THIS ALL COMES THROUGH, WE'RE GREAT.

WE'RE SOLID. IT WILL KEEP US FROM GOING FURTHER IN DEBT.

I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THIS ISN'T HELPING US GET BACK THE THINGS WE'VE CUT OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, BUT IT WILL HELP US NOT GO DEEPER INTO IT, WHERE WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN AT LEAST WHERE WE ARE.

EXACTLY. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? JUST LET'S JUST RUN THROUGH THOSE LAST FEW SLIDES REALLY QUICKLY.

IT'S IT IS JUST REMINDING FOLKS OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.

SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DOING WITH ADVOCACY IS THE BALANCING ACT SURVEY, TOWN HALL MEETINGS.

AND WE DO HAVE OUR 2025 PRIORITIES AND THE WSSDA LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.

AND IF YOU DO WANT TO CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS GET INFORMATION ON HOW TO PARTICIPATE AND THEY GO TO THE NEXT ONE, PLEASE. THESE ARE LEGISLATORS THAT REPRESENT THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND I BELIEVE THOSE ARE LINKED TO WAYS TO CONTACT THEM AND THANK THEM FOR

[00:35:07]

YOU JUST CONTINUE TO BE AN AMAZING PERSON, TO KEEP US ON TRACK AND TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON, TO KNOW WHAT BILLS WE NEED TO FOLLOW, TO HAVE ALL THOSE LINKAGES WE JUST SO APPRECIATE.

WELL THANK YOU. IT JUST TAKES A VILLAGE. IT TAKES A LOT OF SUPPORT TOO.

SO THANK YOU. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.

STUDENTS AS WELL ABOUT THE WHOLE BUDGET SITUATION, AND GO AHEAD.

I HAD A QUESTION. AND MAYBE THIS IS JUST BECAUSE I'M NOT SUPER EDUCATED ON LIKE LEGISLATION.

BUT I WAS WONDERING WHEN YOU GUYS WERE TALKING ABOUT LIKE MSOC.

I WAS WONDERING, LIKE IF YOU GUYS ARE GETTING, LIKE, A NUMBER PER FULL TIME STUDENT, LIKE, HOW DOES THAT WORK WITH, LIKE, RUNNING START, I GUESS WAS KIND OF WHAT I WAS WONDERING.

BECAUSE ALSO IF LIKE THE UTILITIES AND STUFF LIKE COME OUT OF THAT, IS THAT ALSO LIKE I GUESS BASED OFF OF LIKE HOW MUCH WE GO TO RUNNING START OR THINGS LIKE THAT? IT'S A SUPER INTERESTING QUESTION ACTUALLY.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS YOU BRING UP IS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT LIKE A DISTRICT LIKE SEATTLE, THINKING ABOUT CLOSING VERY SMALL SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS UNDER 200 STUDENTS BECOMES EXPONENTIALLY MORE EXPENSIVE PER STUDENT TO OPERATE A SCHOOL, LIKE OUR UTILITY COSTS WOULD BE THE SAME IF WE HAD 1,000 FEWER STUDENTS, OR 1,000 MORE, MAYBE NOT SO MUCH HEATING IF WE HAD 1,000 MORE, BECAUSE WE'D BE VERY CROWDED. BUT, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE FACTORS WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WITH THAT.

BUT I'LL LET LYDIA TAKE THE DETAIL OF YOUR QUESTION.

YES, WE DO GET A DIFFERENT MSOCS IF YOU'RE RUNNING START OR NOT RUNNING START.

SO THEY LOOK AND SAY, PERHAPS YOU TAKE THREE CLASSES AT RUNNING START AND YOUR POINT SIX RUNNING START THAT'S FUNDED ONE WAY, AND THEN YOUR REMAINING POINT FOUR AT THE HIGH SCHOOL IS FUNDED THE TRADITIONAL WAY.

AND SO YES, THEY, THEY ANTICIPATE LESS OF AN IMPACT AT THE HOME HIGH SCHOOL IF A STUDENT IS TAKING RUNNING START.

DOES THAT ANSWER? YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD ANSWER. THANK YOU. I WAS JUST WONDERING, BECAUSE I'M A RUNNING START STUDENT AND I WAS LIKE, WONDERING WHAT THE IMPACT, BECAUSE I STILL SPEND A LOT OF TIME AT MY HIGH SCHOOL, OF COURSE.

SO I WAS THINKING LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, I WAS THINKING LIKE, ESPECIALLY IF LIKE THE UTILITIES IS PUT IN THERE, LIKE, HOW WOULD THAT ALL KIND OF WORK? BUT YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S REALLY INFORMATIVE. THANK YOU. GOOD QUESTION.

OTHER QUESTIONS? SO AND I KNOW THAT THERE WERE THERE'S ADDITIONAL REVENUE FOR THE STATE IN THIS BUDGET A FIGURE I SAW AND I CAN'T REMEMBER THE SOURCE OF IT, BUT SHOWED THAT THE EDUCATION PERCENTAGE OF THE STATE BUDGET ACTUALLY IS DECLINED YET AGAIN.

SO I DON'T WANT TO SEEM UNGRATEFUL THAT WE GOT SOMETHING FROM THE LEGISLATURE, BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO INCREASE ALL THIS REVENUE, IT OUGHT TO BE GOING TO MEET YOUR PARAMOUNT DUTY.

AND, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY FRUSTRATED THAT IT'S DESPITE ALL THE EFFORT OF OUR ADMINISTRATION, OF OUR BOARD, OF OUR UNIONS WORKING TOGETHER, LOBBYING, TALKING TO OUR LEGISLATORS, HAVING TOWN HALLS, WRITING LETTERS, PUBLICIZING THIS, AND THEN TO CREATE THESE ADDITIONAL TAXES.

AND WE DON'T GET AN INCREASE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF THE BUDGET.

I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND PARAMOUNT DUTY IS NOT THE ONLY DUTY, I GET THAT, BUT PARAMOUNT MEANS IT'S YOUR MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING. WELL, I WANT TO POINT OUT. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.

THERE'S MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I'VE SEEN LEGISLATORS AND THE GOVERNOR SAY THE PERCENT OF THE STATE BUDGET GOING TO EDUCATION INCREASED, AND IT DIDN'T. AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT DECREASED FROM 43.4 TO 43.2.

IT'S A WSSDA HIGHLIGHT THAT I SENT OUT TO THE BOARD.

SO WE'VE SEEN IN THE NEWSPAPER THE OPPOSITE OF THAT SAYING IT INCREASED.

AND THE GOVERNOR HAD SAID HE WANTED IT. THAT'S ACTUALLY A GOOD POINT, BECAUSE WHEN I WRITE THIS LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, I NEED TO POINT OUT YOU HAD SAID YOU WANTED THE THE PERCENT TO INCREASE AND IT DID NOT.

SO DON'T LET IT GO DOWN FROM AT LEAST WHERE THEY'VE GIVEN IT TO US.

AND IN THE GOVERNOR'S. I THINK I'M TURNED OFF IN THE GOVERNOR'S STATEMENT.

HE DOES SAY HE SUMMARIZED THE BUDGET. HE DID SAY WHEN I CAMPAIGNED FOR GOVERNOR, I PROMISED TO INCREASE THE PERCENT OF OUR GENERAL FUND DEVOTED TO OUR K-12 SYSTEM. THIS OPERATING BUDGET MEETS THAT GOAL.

AND COMPUTATIONS BY OTHER GROUPS HAVE INDICATED IT DOES NOT MEET THAT GOAL, THAT IN FACT, IT HAS DECREASED BY 2/10 OF A PERCENT. YEAH. YEAH.

SO THIS IS GREAT. I'M TAKING LITTLE NOTES. SO WE HAVE MORE WORK.

[00:40:05]

WE NEED EVERYBODY TO HELP. BUT I THINK I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT DIRECTOR CHASE THAT US GETTING SOMETHING TO THAT AND GETTING OTHERS TO AS WELL. YOU MIGHT REACH OUT TO YOUR NETWORK AND YOUR SUPERINTENDENTS NETWORK.

AND JUST LET'S NOT ASSUME THAT IT'S A DONE DEAL WITH WITHOUT US MAYBE ADVOCATING SOME MORE.

WELL, THE CHALLENGE ON THIS ONE IS GOING TO BE THAT LOTS OF PEOPLE DON'T SUPPORT THIS MOVE, WHICH IS WHY WE NEED TO MAKE SURE. SO LIKE MY SUPERINTENDENTS NETWORK IN TERMS OF LIKE THIS IS WHERE IT COMES IN THAT IT'S A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF DISTRICTS, A MUCH LARGER PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS. CERTAINLY THERE WAS VOCAL AND ACTIVE OPPOSITION TO THIS.

ALTHOUGH, SO WE'RE IN A WE'RE IN A FORTUNATE POSITION IN THAT OUR VOTERS HAVE IN THAT WE ASKED THEM FOR MORE THAN WE WERE ALLOWED TO GET, AND THEY'VE GIVEN IT TO US EVEN THOUGH WE CAN'T GET IT.

BUT CAN'T OTHER DISTRICTS NOW GO OUT AND ASK THEIR VOTERS FOR MORE? YEAH. DISTRICTS CAN, WITHOUT GETTING TOO DEEP INTO THIS.

A DISTRICT COULD GO OUT IF THEY HADN'T AUTHORIZED MORE, THEY COULD GO OUT IN AUGUST AND ASK THEIR VOTERS TO AUTHORIZE MORE AT THIS TIME.

THERE IS, THOUGH, AND THIS IS THIS IS A CHALLENGE, AND I CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THIS CHALLENGE.

WE ARE A WE HAVE MUCH MORE PROPERTY VALUE THAN SOME OTHER PLACES FOR SOME DISTRICTS TO BE ABLE TO LEVY THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE GETTING IT WOULD BE DOLLARS UPON DOLLARS PER THOUSAND THAT WE CAN DO IT WITH PENNIES ON A THOUSAND.

SO THERE IS AND THAT'S WHERE THE LEA COMES IN.

IF YOU'RE A DISTRICT WHO DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF PROPERTY VALUE, YOU KNOW THERE ARE DISTRICTS WHO HAVE OVER $1 MILLION PER STUDENT OF PROPERTY VALUE IN THEIR DISTRICT. AND THERE ARE DISTRICTS THAT HAVE PROBABLY I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBER IS TODAY, BUT AT ONE POINT IT WAS PROBABLY AROUND $280,000 OF PROPERTY PER STUDENT.

SO THEY THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME ABILITY TO GENERATE REVENUE.

AND THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO HIT THEIR CAPS IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH THEY CAN LEVY.

THAT'S WHERE THE LEVY EQUALIZATION ASSISTANCE, WHICH USED TO BE A PRACTICE, COMES INTO PLAY.

BUT THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE BILL, WHICH IS WHAT MADE IT MORE CONTROVERSIAL.

THANK YOU. EVERYTHING'S COMPLICATED. ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS TOPIC? ON THE LEVY LIFT I THINK IT REALLY HELPS US. BUT IT'S INEQUITABLE, AND WE CAN'T JUST.

WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR DISTRICT. BUT WE CAN'T JUST LET THAT STOP AT THE BOUNDARIES OF THE DISTRICT.

LIKE, THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR THE STATE. SO THEY'VE SIDESTEPPED, TRIED TO SIDESTEP THE PROBLEM BY ALLOWING THIS. AND SO I, I'M ALSO UPSET ABOUT THAT. SO, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE HAD WEIRD FLAWS IN THE SYSTEM FOR ON AND OFF. SO WHEN THEY FIRST DID THE MCCLEARY, THEY CREATED THIS REGIONALIZATION FACTOR.

RIGHT. AND FOR ONE VERY TINY LITTLE FACTOR THAT SEPARATED US FROM THE CUT OFF POINT FOR FROM THE AVERAGE SALARY OF TEACHERS IN 2016 -2017, WE MISSED THE 24% REGIONALIZATION FACTOR THAT ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS GOT.

WE GOT 18%, WHICH COST US $10 MILLION OVER FOUR YEARS.

THAT WAS INEQUITABLE. NOBODY TRIED TO HELP US, EVEN THOUGH WE KEPT SAYING, HEY, WHY ARE THEY GETTING ALL THIS MONEY AND WE'RE NOT.

AND WHEN I DID THE RESEARCH ON THIS, BECAUSE IT WAS RIGHT AT THE TIME THAT I WAS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THIS, I WAS REALLY ANGRY ABOUT THIS ONE. AND YOU CAN YOU CAN FIND LOTS OF THINGS.

SO WHAT THEY WERE DOING WAS GIVING MORE MONEY TO THE RICH DISTRICTS AS A BRIDGE TO HELP THEM COVER, BECAUSE THEY WERE ALREADY PAYING THEIR TEACHERS MORE. SO THEY DIDN'T WANT THEM TO SUFFER TRYING TO GO INTO THIS.

I'M SORRY, THIS ISN'T JUST THE FIRST TIME THEY GO BACK AND FORTH.

THEY THERE ARE THINGS WHERE THEY'VE GIVEN MONEY, DEPENDING ON THE PERCENT OF MULTILINGUAL KIDS THAT YOU HAVE VERSUS NOT.

THEY NEVER USE A SLIDING SCALE. THEY ALWAYS USE A CUT OFF POINT, WHICH MATHEMATICALLY IS JUST UNFAIR.

YOU KNOW, IF YOU THINK THE PERCENT OF MULTILINGUAL KIDS IS MATTERS IN TERMS OF HOW YOU'RE GIVING OUT MONEY, IT SHOULD BE A SLIDING SCALE. IT SHOULDN'T BE YOU HAVE 35%, YOU HAVE 32%, SORRY THE CUTOFF IS 33%, YOU GET MONEY AND YOU GET 0. THERE ARE TONS OF THESE DIFFERENT KINDS OF EXAMPLES OF HOW IT HAS BEEN INEQUITABLE.

[00:45:02]

BUT IN THIS CASE LET'S GET RELIEF WHERE WE CAN GET RELIEF.

AND THEY WHEN WE ASKED THEM TO GIVE MORE MONEY TO THE DISTRICTS THAT COULDN'T GET MONEY FROM THEIR LOCAL LEVY, AND THAT THE LEGISLATORS TOOK OUT OF THAT. THAT WAS IN THAT BILL, AND THEY TOOK IT OUT.

SO WE TRIED THAT WAS PART OF OUR RATIONALE, AS WE SAID, AND JUST HELP THOSE DISTRICTS, YOU KNOW, LET OUR LET OUR COMMUNITY HELP US, THEY'RE WILLING TO HELP US AND THEY'RE ABLE TO HELP US.

LET OTHERS, YOU KNOW, YOU HELP THE OTHERS. AND IT WAS IN THAT BILL AND THEY TOOK IT OUT.

SO THEY MADE THAT CHOICE. THE LEGISLATORS MADE THAT CHOICE.

ANYWAY, YOU CAN I GET HOT UNDER THE COLLAR BECAUSE EQUITY HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT MEANINGS.

AND IN THE CASE OF FUNDING, I'VE SEEN SO MANY EXAMPLES OF INEQUITY ON ON BOTH SIDES GIVING IT TO THE RICH, GIVING IT TO THE POOR, AND NOT DOING IT IN A MATHEMATICALLY ACCURATE WAY OR A FAIR WAY.

I CAN SEE I CAN SEE YOU GATHERING YOUR THOUGHTS.

THE OTHER THING IS, YOU KNOW, SOME DISTRICTS, SOME COMMUNITIES DON'T PASS LEVIES.

THERE ARE RECENT EXAMPLES OF SEVERAL, AT LEAST ONE.

I DON'T KNOW IF THE OTHER ONE MADE IT OVER THE BAR OR NOT, WHO HAD A DOUBLE LEVY FAILURE SO THEY CAN'T RUN AGAIN IN TIME FOR NEXT YEAR.

WELL, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD NOT IT WOULD CERTAINLY NOT BE EQUITABLE WHEN A COMMUNITY CAN'T GET TO 50% TO AGREE TO PROVIDE A LEVY TO THEIR DISTRICTS, THAT ALL OF US WOULD BE PUNISHED FOR, FOR THAT, WHEN OUR COMMUNITY HAS, HAS PROVIDED US WITH THAT SUPPORT.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE. SOMETIMES THEY SAY, WELL, THEY CAN'T LEVERAGE IT BECAUSE THEIR COMMUNITY, THEIR THEIR COMMUNITY WON'T SUPPORT A LEVY. WELL, WE CAN'T HAVE SOLUTIONS WHICH ANCHOR ALL BOATS, RATHER THAN ALLOWING, YOU KNOW, THOSE, YOU KNOW, RATHER THAN ALLOWING THE BOATS THAT CAN, CAN FLOAT TO FLOAT. YEAH. I THINK I'VE DESCRIBED PUBLICLY AND TO OUR LEGISLATORS THAT IN THEIR QUEST IN MCCLEARY TO MAKE EVERYTHING EQUITABLE, THEY'VE MADE US ALL EQUALLY POOR.

THAT'S THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THE GOAL, BRINGING EVERYBODY DOWN.

IT WOULD BE LIKE SAYING, OH, WE HAVE THESE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS WITH OUR STUDENTS SO OH LOOK, WE'VE GOT WE'VE NARROWED THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP.

WHAT? BY BRINGING THE HIGH ACHIEVERS DOWN. NO, THAT WOULDN'T BE WHAT THE GOAL WOULD BE.

IT WOULD BE TO BRING THE LOWER ONES UP. THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO THINK ABOUT THAT, ANYWAY. I THINK THERE'S LOTS OF WAYS TO CAST THIS ARGUMENT.

THE ONE WAY I HOPE WE AVOID IS ARGUING THAT PRESENT INEQUITIES ARE JUSTIFIED BECAUSE OF PAST INEQUITIES.

BECAUSE IF WE GO DOWN THAT ROAD AS A SOCIETY, WE'RE IN DEEP TROUBLE.

JUST POINTING OUT FLAWS THEY'VE HAD IN THEIR FUNDING FORMULAS FOR YEARS.

WHICH IS WHY IT'S GOOD. AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY KEEP THE STUDY GOING TO TO REALLY SEE HOW CAN WE BETTER FUND HOW CAN THE STATE BETTER FUND K-12 EDUCATION? ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH YOU. OTHER COMMENTS.

OTHER QUESTIONS? GREAT DISCUSSION. I WOULD SAY IN SUMMARY TONIGHT, ONCE WE GET THE FINAL FINAL, I AM GOING TO SUGGEST THAT WE TAKE A LITTLE TINY BREAK OVER THE MEETINGS WHERE WE HAVE AN INTENSE NUMBER OF STUDENT CELEBRATIONS COMING UP.

I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO I HOPE LOTS OF PEOPLE TUNE IN THINGS FROM THIS WILL BE MY SUPERINTENDENT COMMENTS.

I'LL KEEP THEM SHORT TONIGHT. THINGS FROM DRAMA PRESENTATIONS.

SOME KIDS COMING TO DO ACT OUT SOME OF THEIR PLAY, ROBOTICS, NEWSPAPER, ALL KINDS OF THINGS COMING UP.

SO MAYBE AFTER WE GET THIS DONE, WE'LL TABLE THE LEGISLATIVE DISCUSSION BETWEEN NOW AND MEETINGS, MAYBE IN SEPTEMBER, BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE ARE JUST HEATING UP LEFTOVERS AND NOBODY NEEDS THAT DURING DURING THE SUMMERTIME, SO. WELL SAID, NONE OF US LIKES, WELL HEATED UP LEFTOVERS.

NEVER KNOW. OKAY, WE READY FOR BOARD COMMENTS?

[14. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]

I SHOULD HAVE WARNED. I SHOULD HAVE WARNED YOU I COULD WE COULD GO ON TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE.

AS FAR AS BOARD COMMENTS GO, I THINK WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MONEY, IT GETS VERY SCARY, ESPECIALLY MOVING FORWARD AND WITH ALL THE CUTS THAT WE'VE HAD.

BUT I THINK THAT WE'LL WE'LL MAKE IT OUT. WE'LL WE'LL FIGURE OUT HOW TO MOVE FORWARD.

WE'LL AT TERRACE I'M NOT I'M NOT TOO BIG INTO THE SPORTS RIGHT NOW, BUT I KNOW THAT WE'RE DOING PRETTY WELL AS FAR AS TRACK GOES.

AND WE DO HAVE AN EVENT COMING UP. WE HAVE A STAFF OR STUDENT BASKETBALL GAME HOSTED BY BSU COMING UP ON MAY 28TH.

[00:50:05]

YEAH, ACTUALLY THE DISTRICT TEAM, BUT WONDERFUL.

TATIANA, YOU WANT TO GO NEXT? HI EVERYONE, I'M TATIANA I'M FROM EDMONDS HEIGHTS.

FIRSTLY, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I THINK THAT YOU SHOULD ALL COME SEE HADESTOWN.

IT OPENS MAY 9TH AT MY SCHOOL AND I'M GOING TO BE IN IT.

SO YEAH, IT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY EXCITING SHOW.

AND OUR ADVANCED MUSICAL THEATER LEVEL, WHICH IS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS HAS BEEN WORKING ON IT, AND I'M VERY PASSIONATE AND EXCITED ABOUT IT.

ADDITIONALLY, THEY CLOSED SPONGEBOB THE MUSICAL LAST WEEK, WHICH IS LIKE OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL ISH AGE RANGE.

I HEARD IT WENT VERY WELL. I WASN'T ABLE TO SEE IT, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE IT WAS SUCCESSFUL.

ADDITIONALLY, OUR PRINCIPAL IS BACK. SHE HAD A LEAVE, BUT SHE'S BACK.

KATHLEEN AND I THINK WE'RE ALL PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

THAT'S GOING PRETTY WELL. YEAH, SHE CAME BACK MONDAY, SO IT'S HER SECOND DAY BACK.

ADDITIONALLY, TODAY I HAD, LIKE, A STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD MEETING AT MY SCHOOL, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, LIKE, CREATING BECAUSE MY SCHOOL HAS A LOT OF, LIKE, PARENTS ON CAMPUS, WHICH I THINK DIFFERS FROM A LOT OF THE OTHER SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT. AND SO A LOT OF US STUDENTS WERE TALKING ABOUT CREATING STANDARDS FOR THE PARENTS. ARE THERE ARE ALREADY ONES IN PLACE, OF COURSE, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT WOULD ALSO BENEFIT US JUST IN THE WAY OF PARENT SCHOOL CONNECTION ON CAMPUS. AND SO THAT WAS A REALLY INTERESTING DISCUSSION WE HAD.

WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT STANDARDS FOR EACH SPACE AND ONE THAT WAS A PRETTY HEATED TOPIC, WHICH I DIDN'T REALIZE WAS BATHROOMS. PEOPLE ARE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT HANGING IT OUT IN THE BATHROOMS. SO THAT WAS YEAH, REALLY FUN DISCUSSION WE HAD TODAY.

ADDITIONALLY, MY SCHOOL'S ROBOTICS TEAM WILL BE AT THE STEM EXPO ON THURSDAY AT MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL.

AND WE WILL BE DOING A PRESENTATION. AND I WILL BE STANDING AT A TRIFOLD BOARD PRESENTING, AND THE REST OF MY TEAM WILL BE WORKING WITH ROBOTS WITH YOUNGER STUDENTS THAT WILL PROBABLY COME.

AND SO I ENJOYED GOING LAST YEAR, AND I'M PROBABLY GOING TO ENJOY GOING AGAIN THIS YEAR.

AND LASTLY, I JUST WANTED TO SAY ON KIND OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, FUNDING AND BUDGET.

I THINK THAT, YEAH, OBVIOUSLY LIKE EQUITY IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR DISTRICT.

BUT I ALSO THINK THAT STUDENTS ALL OVER THE STATE DEFINITELY SUFFER FROM THESE CHOICES.

AND A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS THAT I HEAR ABOUT IN OUR DISTRICT, I HEAR THE SAME THINGS FROM FRIENDS I HAVE IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS.

AND SO I THINK ACROSS THE BOARD, IT'S PRETTY SAD WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR STATE FOR EDUCATIONAL FUNDING.

AND I THINK IT'S ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT AT THIS TIME WHEN WE ARE HAPPY ABOUT THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN OUR DISTRICT ARE SAD, LIKE THERE'S ALSO STUDENTS IN OTHER DISTRICTS THAT ARE AT THE EXPENSE OF THIS. AND THAT'S YEAH, PRETTY HARD.

SO THAT'S ALL, THANKS. THANK YOU. SCARLETT.

ON THE TOPIC OF, LIKE, FINANCIAL STUFF AND BUDGET THINGS, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE BOARD BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ALL WORK REALLY HARD TO TRY TO WORK WITH THE BUDGET WE HAVE, AND IT'S NOT EASY SO I REALLY RESPECT THAT.

FOR MY SCHOOL, TODAY WE HAD THE CLASS OF 2026 ASB OFFICER ELECTIONS.

AND I THINK THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN LEADERSHIP CHANGES NOT JUST FOR ASB, BUT FOR CLUBS AND A BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS.

SO I THINK IT'S A COOL TURNOVER. AND THEN THE EDMONDS-WOODWAY BASEBALL BEAT THE LYNNWOOD ROYALS FOR A PERFECT GAME 10 TO 0.

AND NATIONAL DECISION DAY IS MAY 1ST SO SENIORS WILL WEAR MERCH.

ALSO ON MAY 1ST, WHICH IS THIS THURSDAY ASIDE FROM THE STEM EXPO.

AT THE SAME TIME, THE EDMONDS-WOODWAY PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA WILL BE HAVING OUR MASTERWORKS CONCERT AT SHOREWOOD HIGH SCHOOL AT 7:30 P.M..

SO THE ELGAR CELLO CONCERTO, SAINT-SAENS VIOLIN CONCERTO, AND LIKE THE VIVALDI GLORIA WILL BE PLAYING.

SO IF YOU'RE FREE ON THURSDAY, YOU CAN ALSO COME TO THAT, THAT'S AN OPTION.

FOR ME, I'M CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF PUBLISHING A CHILDREN'S BOOK ABOUT A CHINESE KOREAN GIRL CALLED MIA, WHO FINDS OUT ABOUT HER FAMILY LEGACY THROUGH A SCHOOL PROJECT.

AND THE INITIAL IDEA OF THIS BOOK WAS TO CELEBRATE ASIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE.

BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW MAY IS COMING UP, WHICH IS AANHPI MONTH, AND I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS, SO I'M EXCITED THAT SOME PROGRESS IS BEING MADE.

I'M ALSO PARTNERING WITH DOCTOR NINA KUNIMOTO FROM EDMONDS COLLEGE, WHO IS THE SOCIOLOGY AND DIVERSITY STUDIES DEPARTMENT HEAD FOR A SERIES OF AANHPI CELEBRATIONS NEXT MONTH, AS WELL AS ONE IN JUNE.

THESE EVENTS WILL BE FREE AND THEY INCLUDE A KEYNOTE SPEECH BY MY FRIEND GRACE GOH, WHO IS ALSO MY COAUTHOR FOR THE CHILDREN'S BOOK, AND SHE WAS CHOSEN AS ONE OF PBSS 20 UNDER 20 EMERGING STORYTELLERS FOR 2024 AND IS ALSO A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT FOR THE NPR HONOR MINES ELECTION

[00:55:08]

I WILL ALSO BE DOING A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT A WEEK LATER AND ALSO IN MAY, DOCTOR MARI ACOB-NASH AND CHRISTINE KOBAYASHI WILL SHARE THE HISTORY OF ALOHA AND HULA WHILE TEACHING HOW TO STRING YOUR OWN LEI.

THIS EVENT DOES REQUIRE REGISTRATION BECAUSE WE WILL BE USING REAL FLOWERS, BUT IT HONORS THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN PART OF AA NHPI FOR OUR EVENT.

SO I HAVE A LOT OF THINGS COMING UP IN MAY AS WELL AS AN IB EXAM, BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND SHARING STORIES OF ASIAN AMERICANS. THANKS [APPLAUSE]. GREAT UPDATE AND CONGRATULATIONS ON WRITING A BOOK.

GOOD FOR YOU. THAT IS SUPER NEWS. I HOPE YOU GIVE US ALL A COPY.

I THINK WE SHOULD PROBABLY BUY A COPY. I THINK WE COULD.

WE'LL BUY THE FIRST COPIES IF YOU IF YOU AUTOGRAPH THEM FOR US.

YES. OKAY, THAT SOUNDS GOOD. AMIN-ERDENE YOU'RE NEXT.

YEAH. OKAY. WELL, SCARLETT ALREADY MENTIONED A FEW OF THE STOCKS THAT I WANTED TO MENTION, WHICH IS LIKE SENIORS LEAVING, YOU KNOW THAT TIME OF THE YEAR.

TODAY WAS I HAD MY LAST ASB MEETING AFTER THREE YEARS OF BEING PART OF IT, AND IT WAS IT WAS SAD, BUT I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT I'M FREE NOW. THOSE EARLY MORNING MEETINGS WERE BRUTAL.

BUT YEAH, AND NOT JUST ASB, LIKE, ALL THE CLUBS ARE RENEWING THEIR LEADERSHIPS, AND THERE ARE NEW LEADERS AT OUR SCHOOL NOW.

SO I'M VERY, VERY HAPPY FOR THEM AND I HOPE THEY DO GOOD IN THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.

AND AP EXAMS ARE STARTING NEXT WEEK. STUDENTS ARE STARTING TO PREPARE, GETTING NERVOUS.

TEACHERS ARE ALSO GETTING NERVOUS. YEAH. AND ON THE TOP OF THAT, I AM WELL, AS SENIOR SENATOR, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON GRADUATION, AND DUE TO THE BUDGET CUTS, IT HAS BEEN A LITTLE SAD AND DISAPPOINTING FOR US.

AND IT'S A HARD TIME AS GRADUATIONS ARE SHORTER NOW THIS YEAR, AND I'M PRETTY SURE THAT IT'S NOT LIKE LIVE STREAMING.

AND I'VE HEARD A LOT OF STUDENTS SAY IT WAS KIND OF DISAPPOINTING, BUT OUR PRINCIPAL, MISS WHITWORTH, AND OUR ADVISOR AND OUR SENIOR SENATORS, WE ARE ALL WORKING VERY HARD TO MAKE IT AS GOOD AS POSSIBLE.

AND I'M HOPING THAT A LOT OF STUDENTS ENJOY IT.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE STAFF OR STUDENTS, SENATORS THAT ARE HELPING OUT WITH GRADUATION.

IT IS VERY, VERY HARD WORK. SO YEAH, SHOUT OUT TO YOU GUYS.

ON THE TOPIC OF CLUBS I THINK NATIONALS ARE COMING UP NOW, COMPETITIONS.

I KNOW THAT DECA HAS BEEN PART OF LAST WEEK AND THIS WEEK, SO GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE STUDENTS AND I'M SURE ALL MORE NATIONAL COMPETITIONS ARE COMING UP SOON. SO GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE STUDENTS AND I HOPE YOU GUYS BRING SOME AWARDS HOME.

YEAH, THAT'S IT FOR ME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GREAT UPDATE.

DIRECTOR GERRARD. SO, SCARLETT, CAN I FIRST ASK YOU WHERE I CAN GET A COPY OF YOUR BOOK? IT'S STILL IN THE PROCESS OF PUBLISHING. IT IS NOT FINALIZED, BUT IT WILL BE ON AMAZON, SO.

OH, EXCELLENT. OKAY. DOCTOR MINER, THE SIXTH GRADE MUSIC IS PUBLIC, CORRECT? YES. OKAY. WE JUST HAVE HEARD. I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY HERE KNEW THAT, BUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PUBLIC COMMENTS TO THE BOARD ABOUT SIXTH GRADE BAND AND ORCHESTRA, AND SO JUST MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS WE HAD A SOLUTION THAT ALL SIXTH GRADERS WILL TAKE BAND AND ORCHESTRA AS THEIR MUSIC INSTRUCTION, RATHER THAN HAVING VOCAL MUSIC AND SOME OPTIONAL PARTICIPATION IN BAND AND ORCHESTRA.

SO THERE'S A SOLUTION THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ARRIVE AT TO PRESERVE THAT EXPERIENCE FOR KIDS IN SIXTH GRADE.

JUST A COUPLE THINGS I VISIT. SO SCARLETT TALKED ABOUT BEING AN AUTHOR LAST WEEK.

DOCTOR MINER AND I WERE BOTH HAPPENED TO BE AT THE EDMONDS LIBRARY.

WE HAD GRADUATES OF SCRIBER LAKE WHO HAD WRITTEN THERE USED TO BE AN ANNUAL BOOK PUBLISHED THEIR WRITING PROJECT.

IT'S DISCONTINUED FOR THE MOMENT AT LEAST. BUT PAST SORT OF ALUMNI OF THOSE BOOKS CAME AND READ A LITTLE BIT OF FROM THEIR EXPERIENCES. AND THEN THEY WERE TALKED ABOUT LIKE WHERE THEY WERE NOW IN THEIR LIVES.

[01:00:02]

AND FINALLY I JUST SAY DOWN AT 2ND AND MAIN STREET IN EDMONDS, THERE'S A PLACE CALLED I THINK ART START NORTHWEST.

IT'S A GALLERY ON THE SOUTH EAST CORNER OF IT, AND THEY HAVE A I WAS ABLE TO SEE ART DISPLAYED FROM FIVE OF OUR TITLE ONE SCHOOLS, WHERE THE TEACHERS WERE RECEIVED SOME INSTRUCTION AND TEACHING ART.

AND THEN THEY HAD THE KIDS MAKE ART, AND THAT'S ON DISPLAY DOWN THERE.

AND IT'S SOME REALLY NICE STUFF. AND OF COURSE, I KNOW THE EDMONDS ARTS FESTIVAL IS COMING UP, SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE PROBABLY MORE AT THOSE EVENTS.

BUT IF YOU CAN'T WAIT FOR THE EDMONDS ART FESTIVAL, GO DOWN TO ART START NORTHWEST AND CHECK THAT OUT.

THANKS. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR SMITH. WELL, I WAS GOING TO SAVE ALL OF MY COMMENTS ABOUT THE LEVY LID FOR THE END HERE, BUT THAT GOT TALKED TO DEATH. SO I'M NOT GOING TO REHASH ALL OF THAT, BUT I DO WANT EVERYONE HERE TO THINK ABOUT SOMETHING AS THEY ADVOCATE IN THE FUTURE REGARDING SCHOOL FUNDING AND WHAT THE EFFECTS OF THE LEVY LID LIFT ARE GOING TO HAVE, WHICH IS THERE'S GOING TO BE THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TIME IN THE LAST 50 YEARS THE STATE HAS TRIED THIS, THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM, THE EXACT SAME SOLUTION.

BE THE THIRD TIME THEY GET SUED. IT WILL BE THE THIRD TIME THEY LOSE. IT WILL BE THE THIRD TIME AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF STUDENTS GET LEFT BEHIND. THERE'S NO WAY TO LOOK AT THIS OTHER THAN THE LEGISLATURE LOOKED AT STUDENTS AND PROPERTY POOR DISTRICTS AND SPIT IN THEIR EYE, SAID, WE DON'T CARE. AND I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO THINK THAT IN 20 YEARS, WHEN THOSE KIDS GROW UP AND THEY ARE VOTING AND THE NEXT DEMAGOGUE SHOWS UP AND SAYS, YOU WERE LEFT BEHIND. THE PEOPLE IN POWER DON'T CARE.

YOU WEREN'T GIVEN A FAIR SHOT. HE WILL BE RIGHT.

THEY WILL VOTE FOR HIM. AND THE PEOPLE WHO GREW UP IN PROPERTY RICH DISTRICTS WILL LOOK AT THOSE WHO GREW UP IN PROPERTY POOR DISTRICTS AND SAY, HOW CAN THEY VOTE THAT WAY? AND THE ANSWER WILL BE THE DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE TODAY SET UP THE NARRATIVE THAT THOSE STUDENTS DON'T MATTER. SO WHATEVER YOU DO AS WE GO FORWARD, I AM HAPPY THE LEVY LID GOT LIFTED.

IT'S GOING TO SAVE US FROM BANKRUPTCY. IT IS FANTASTIC FOR OUR DISTRICT.

IT IS TERRIBLE FOR OUR DEMOCRACY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

THANK YOU. DIRECTOR CHASE. WELL, I WILL SAY I AM REALLY PLEASED AS I LOOK IN THE AUDIENCE AND I SEE FOLKS THAT I DO KNOW HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION AND, AND AT THE DAIS HERE TOO, THAT I'M REALLY PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY.

AND WE'LL SEE CROSS OUR FINGERS THAT THINGS GET PASSED AND DON'T GET VETOED.

ON THAT, I JUST WANT TO ADD TO TO THE CELEBRATIONS THAT I DID GET TO GO TO THE NATIONAL JOURNALISM CONVENTION AND SEE THAT THE MOUNTLAKE TERRACE LEARNING COMMUNITY, THEY'RE CALLING IT GOT THE IT WAS THE 15TH, IS IT THE 15TH, 15TH TIME AND THE 12TH TIME IN A ROW, THE FIRST AMENDMENT PRESS FREEDOM AWARD.

AND I WAS JUST SO THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO BE A PART OF THAT AND PROUD OF THE COMMUNITY.

THEY ALSO FOUND OUT THAT THE HAWKEYE PLACED THE BEST IN SHOW, TAKING SIXTH PLACE NATIONALLY IN SCHOOLS WITH FEWER THAN 1,800 STUDENTS.

AND THIS IS JUST A TESTAMENT TO HOW PROUD WE ARE AND HOW SUPPORTIVE WE ARE OF STUDENT JOURNALISM IN OUR DISTRICT, AND THERE ARE ALSO A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL AWARDS ALSO.

I ALSO JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M DOING STARTING TO DO IT'S LIKE SHARING WHAT I'M READING.

AND I JUST HAVE THIS THE DEPARTMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES IN MARYLAND HAS BEEN DOING SOME RESEARCH ON STUDENT DISCIPLINE.

AND I THEY SENT ME THEIR BOOK. AND SO I'M GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

AND I'LL REPORT BACK ON HOW IT IS. THERE WE GO.

THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR NEIGHBOR FROM SHORELINE WHO CAME AND TOOK THE TIME TO EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR US.

WE APPRECIATE THAT. ALONG WITH LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL THE CELEBRATIONS OF STUDENTS IN JOURNALISM AND ROBOTICS AND JUST LOTS AND LOTS OF NATIONAL LEVEL AND STATE LEVEL ACHIEVEMENTS.

I'M ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR GRADUATIONS, WHICH ARE COMING UP, AND WE'VE ALL SIGNED UP FOR THE ONES THAT WE WILL BE AT,

[01:05:05]

AND I KNOW SOME OF OUR STUDENT ADVISORS, WE WILL SEE THERE WALKING ACROSS THE STAGE.

SO I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY HERE FOR A ROBUST DISCUSSION.

WE ALSO HAD A VERY INTERESTING STUDY SESSION EARLIER ON, JUST BEFORE THIS MEETING, ON ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE BY OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF ON GRADING PRACTICES AND BRINGING CONSISTENCY AND MAKING THE WHOLE SET OF INFORMATION THAT COME WITH GRADES AS FAIR AND ACCURATE AND TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE.

AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT'S BEING DONE.

AND I WANT TO DO A SHOUT OUT TO JASON AILLAUD FOR ALL OF THE WORK HE'S BEEN DOING ON THAT, AND ALSO TO DOCTOR YOUNG, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL AS WELL.

SO WE'RE SEEING HARD WORK ACROSS THE DISTRICT, NOT ONLY TO ADVOCATE FOR RESOURCES SO WE CAN CONTINUE DOING THE WORK, BUT EVEN IN THIS SITUATION, WHEN WE ARE REALLY AT A DIFFICULT FINANCIAL TIME, WE SEE A LOT OF HARD WORK TOWARD TRYING TO HELP IMPROVE TEACHING AND LEARNING ACROSS THE DISTRICT, WHICH IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.

SO I WANT TO JUST EXPRESS THANKS TO EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN THAT, DOCTOR MINER.

WELL, I DON'T THINK I HAVE MUCH TO ADD THIS EVENING. VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CELEBRATIONS.

WE HAVE A NUMBER OF THEM COMING UP IN MANY BOARD MEETINGS WILL BE AT LEAST DOUBLED UP WITH CELEBRATIONS OF OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR SUCCESSES, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO TO THOSE EVENTS COMING UP.

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

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.