CARIN CHASE: GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. [1. CALL TO ORDER-6:30 pm] [00:00:02] GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CARIN CHASE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE EDMOND SCHOOL BOARD. IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU TONIGHT AND CALL THE SCHOOL BOARD REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING TO ORDER. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO START WITH THE ROLL CALL OF OUR DIRECTORS. [2. ROLL CALL-6:30 pm (ALL TIMES ARE ESTIMATED)] DIRECTOR CRAMER? HAWK CRAMER: PRESENT. CARIN CHASE: DIRECTOR GARRARD? THOM GARRARD: PRESENT. CARIN CHASE: AND I AM PRESENT. CARIN CHASE. DIRECTOR KATIMS IS ABSENT THIS EVENING. DOCTOR MINER, WOULD YOU PLEASE LEAD US [3. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT-6:31 pm] IN THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT? REBECCA MINER: THANK YOU, DIRECTOR CHASE. 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 CONNECTIONS 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. CARIN CHASE: THANK YOU, DOCTOR MINER. WOULD YOU PLEASE RISE AND JOIN ME IN THE FLAG SALUTE? [4. FLAG SALUTE-6:31 pm] SPEAKER: 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. CARIN CHASE: THANK YOU. WE ARE MOVING ON TO THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. [5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA-6:32 pm] I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION. THOM GARRARD: I MOVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA. HAWK CRAMER: I'LL SECOND THAT. CARIN CHASE: THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE AGENDA. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED? SEEING NONE. OUR AGENDA IS ADOPTED. WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT. [6. SUPERINTENDENT REPORT-6:33 pm] DOCTOR MINER? REBECCA MINER: IN LIGHT OF OUR CELEBRATIONS THIS EVENING, I'LL KEEP IT A LITTLE BIT SHORT. BUT I DID WANT TO TELL YOU THAT I ATTENDED THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON FRIDAY AT BRIER TERRACE MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHICH IS WORKING TO ADVANCE THE WORK OF THE BOARD THROUGH YOUR GRADING RESOLUTION. AND I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE VERY EXCITED TO GET YOUR NEXT UPDATE ABOUT THAT, BUT IT WAS REALLY GREAT FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO SIT-IN WITH DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND HEAR THEIR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT GRADING PRACTICES AND HOW THAT WORK IS GOING, AND HERE ARE SOME OF THE CONCLUSIONS THEY REACHED. CARIN CHASE: THANK YOU. NOW, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. [7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES-6:35 pm] WE HAVE TWO SETS OF MINUTES TO APPROVE. ONE IS A SINGLE READING TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 13TH SPECIAL MEETING OF THE OAK HEIGHTS DEDICATION, AND THE OTHER IS THE MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 13TH REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING. DO I HEAR A MOTION? THOM GARRARD: I MOVE TO APPROVE BOTH SETS OF MINUTES. HAWK CRAMER: SECOND. CARIN CHASE: ALL RIGHT. HEARING A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE TWO SETS OF MINUTES. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES? I SEE NO OBJECTIONS. AND OUR MINUTES ARE ADOPTED. NOW WE MOVE ON TO THE CELEBRATION SECTION [8. CELEBRATIONS- 6:35 pm] OF OUR AGENDA THAT WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT-- THE CELEBRATION OF STUDENT ARTISTS. REBECCA MINER: THANK YOU SO MUCH, DIRECTOR CHASE. I KNOW YOU SAW THE SCROLLING ART AS WE BEGAN THE MEETING BEFORE THE MEETING, AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO CELEBRATE OUR STUDENT ARTISTS THIS EVENING. AND TO DO SO, WE'RE WELCOMING FORWARD AMANDA RALSTON COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST, AND CURTIS CAMPBELL, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS. AMANDA RALSTON: THANK YOU, AND GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS AGAIN AMANDA RALSTON, AND HERE WITH ME IS CURTIS CAMPBELL FROM OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT. WE ARE THRILLED TONIGHT TO REPRESENT OUR VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS DEPARTMENT. WE'VE GOT LINDSAY MORRIS HERE FROM THE DEPARTMENT, AND ALL OF OUR ART TEACHERS AND FAMILIES WHO ARE ENCOURAGING OF ART IN OUR SCHOOLS. WE ARE EXCITED TO INTRODUCE A SPECIAL GROUP OF STUDENTS WHO ARE OUR 2026-2027 FEATURED STUDENT ARTISTS. SO A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY. LAST SPRING, WE HAD OUR FAMILIES SUBMIT ARTWORK DIRECTLY TO THE EDMONDS ARTS FESTIVAL. WE HAD OVER THOUSAND 100 PIECES SELECTED AND SHOWN AS PART OF THE ARTS FESTIVAL. FROM THERE, WE HAD A COMMITTEE COME TOGETHER AND GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT ARTWORK, AND WE SELECTED THESE 38 PIECES OF ART TO REPRESENT OUR SCHOOLS. IT'S A VARIETY OF AGES OF STUDENTS, DIFFERENT SCHOOLS. WE'RE LOOKING AT 3D ART, POTTERY, DRAWING, LOTS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF WONDERFUL ART. [00:05:03] AND SO WE ARE HERE TO CONGRATULATE OUR 2026-2027 FEATURED ARTISTS. SO AS PART OF THE CELEBRATION THIS EVENING, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS I'M GOING TO CALL EACH NAME. I'M GOING TO GO IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY LAST NAME. WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, I'D LOVE FOR YOU TO COME UP TO THE FRONT HERE. CURTIS IS GOING TO HAND YOU OUR CERTIFICATE. AND THEN I'D LOVE FOR YOU TO STAY UP FRONT. SO ONCE WE GET EVERYBODY UP FRONT, WE'LL TAKE A GROUP PICTURE WITH OUR SCHOOL BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT. ARE WE READY? OK. UP FIRST, I'D LIKE TO INVITE UP GRAYSON BEAN FROM HAZELWOOD ELEMENTARY WITH AN ARTWORK PIECE TITLED NORTH POLE NEIGHBOR. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU. OK. UP NEXT, WE HAVE ELISE CHAN REPRESENTING TERRACE PARK AND CHALLENGE ELEMENTARY WITH PERCH. [APPLAUSE] OK. UP NEXT, I'D LIKE TO INVITE BELLA ROSE DIAMANTE FROM MEADOWDALE HIGH WITH CARDBOARD PORTRAIT. [APPLAUSE] UP NEXT, IS JANELLE GOWLAND FROM MOUNTLAKE TERRACE ELEMENTARY WITH A PIECE CALLED THE SECRET. [APPLAUSE] UP NEXT, I'D LIKE TO INVITE THEODORE GRAY FROM ALDERWOOD EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER WITH SOLAR SYSTEM. [APPLAUSE] OK. UP NEXT, WE GOT WEI NING FUNG FROM MOUNTLAKE TERRACE ELEMENTARY WITH ANIMAL PICTURE DAY. [APPLAUSE] AND NEXT, I'D LIKE TO INVITE IRENE KIM FROM MADRONA K-8 WITH FLOWERS BY THE SEA BREEZE. [APPLAUSE] AND NEXT, I'D LIKE TO INVITE OLIVIA KIM FROM MADRONA K-8 WITH SPRINGTIME IN EDMONDS. [APPLAUSE] AND PLEASE WELCOME HANNAH DEETNA FROM SPRUCE ELEMENTARY WITH HALF GIRL. [APPLAUSE] AND UP NEXT IS LEAH CRISTINA MARTINES FROM MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH WITH REFLECTION. [APPLAUSE] AND UP NEXT, ISABELLA JAYA FROM HILLTOP ELEMENTARY WITH BRIDGE ACROSS A LITTLE POND. [APPLAUSE] UP NEXT, WELCOME AUDREY LEE FROM MEADOWDALE MIDDLE WITH A PIECE TITLED EAGLES WATCHING. [APPLAUSE] AND PLEASE WELCOME NOAH LEE FROM MEADOWDALE ELEMENTARY WITH PUGET SOUND ORCA. [APPLAUSE] AND A SIMILAR THEME. PRESTON LYNCH FROM EDMONDS ELEMENTARY WITH THE ORCA. [APPLAUSE] OK, I INVITE TAYLOR MCGEE FROM CEDAR VALLEY ELEMENTARY WITH EMOTIONS. [APPLAUSE] NEXT, PLEASE WELCOME ZOE MARTIN FROM BEVERLY ELEMENTARY WITH SEA CREATURES. [APPLAUSE] UP NEXT IS ABBETT MEARNS FROM COLLEGE PLACE MIDDLE WITH THE LAUNCH. [APPLAUSE] AND WELCOME MEADOW PERCY FROM SHERWOOD ELEMENTARY [00:10:04] WITH THE RAINBOW ROAD. [APPLAUSE] AND NEXT WELCOME GRAYSON PETTOSA FROM SEAVIEW ELEMENTARY WITH A BEAUTIFUL SPRING FLOWER. [APPLAUSE] PLEASE WELCOME AMELIA PIPER FROM MARTHA LAKE ELEMENTARY WITH A PIECE CALLED JAPANESE FISH. [APPLAUSE] OK. WELCOME OLIVIA LEE FROM BRIAR ELEMENTARY WITH SAME. [APPLAUSE] AND PLEASE WELCOME MICAH SCHWAB FROM MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH WITH A 3D PIECE CALLED BLOCKS CHAIN BRACELET. [APPLAUSE] OK. UP NEXT, FELICITY SILVERS FROM EDMONDS HEIGHTS, K-12, WITH A PIECE TITLED AT THE THRESHOLD. [APPLAUSE] NEXT, WELCOME ALINA TOMSUK HUANG FROM ALDERWOOD MIDDLE WITH PINCH POT CREATURE. [APPLAUSE] OK. NEXT, WELCOME NAYELI IBARRA FROM LYNNDALE ELEMENTARY WITH SUMMER WATERMELON. [APPLAUSE] AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE HAVE ANNA ZENI FROM MEADOWDALE HIGH WITH A PIECE CALLED HONEY, WHERE DID THE COW GO? [APPLAUSE] OK. WAS THERE ANYONE THAT I MIGHT HAVE MISSED COMING IN THAT IS HERE AND WOULD LIKE TO BE RECOGNIZED? I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. OK, WELCOME. WE'RE JUST GOING TO TAKE A GROUP PICTURE. IF WE COULD HAVE THE SCHOOL BOARD COME FORWARD, AND WE'LL TRY TO ORGANIZE OURSELVES FOR A MINUTE. AND THEN WE'LL GIVE OUR PARENTS A PAPARAZZI MOMENT AS WELL. YEAH, PICTURES. REAL QUICK. EVERYBODY GOT THEIR PICTURE? OK, THANK YOU SO MUCH. LET'S GIVE OUR LAST ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO OUR 2026-2027 FEATURED ARTIST. NICE JOB. AND, OF COURSE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY. BUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN US BACK OUT IN THE FOYER WHERE WE CAN UNPIN OUR ART, AND WE CAN TAKE IT HOME WITH US. WE HAVE ENJOYED IT IN OUR LOBBY FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. THANK YOU. [00:15:01] THANK YOU. YES. CARIN CHASE: AS OUR ARTISTS ARE MOVING OUT, WE'RE GOING TO BE MOVING ON TO OUR REPORTS NEXT. [9. REPORTS-6:45 pm] AND WE ARE JUST SO THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE ARTISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AND ALLOWING US TO SHOWCASE YOUR ART STUDENTS. REBECCA MINER: FOLLOWING THE STUDENT ARTISTS IS NO EASY TASK, BUT IF THERE WAS A TEAM THAT COULD DO IT, I HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN OUR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION TEAM. I'M JUST GOING TO INTRODUCE YOU, DIRECTOR MARK MADISON, AS OUR DIRECTOR OF CTE PROGRAMS, AND I'M GOING TO LET YOU INTRODUCE THE REST OF YOUR ESTEEMED TEAM. AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR PRESENTATION TONIGHT. DIRECTOR MARK MADISON: GREAT. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DOCTOR MINER AND BOARD MEMBERS AND STUDENTS AND THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE. IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO COME TO YOU EACH YEAR AND SHARE AN UPDATE ABOUT OUR CTE PROGRAMS. TONIGHT, I'M JOINED WITH SOME MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM TO HELP ME IN THIS PRESENTATION. GENEVIEVE MENINO, WHO IS MY CTE TOSA IN OUR DEPARTMENT, VANESSA MEDALLA, WHO IS MY BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP AND CAREER CONNECTED LEARNING COORDINATOR. ONE OF THE LONGEST TITLES IN THE DISTRICT, I THINK. AND THEN ONE OF OUR STUDENTS, HASSET KASA, WHO IS ONE OF OUR STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN OUR SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. AND SHE'LL BE SHARING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE. SO BEFORE DIVING INTO THE DATA AND THE DETAILS, I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK 30,000 FOOT OVERVIEW OF HOW THINGS ARE RIGHT NOW IN CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN THE EDMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT. AS YOU CAN SEE ON SCREEN, WE OFFER A VAST ARRAY OF CTE PATHWAYS, OR WHAT WE CALL PROGRAMS OF STUDY THAT ARE REPRESENTED ACROSS MULTIPLE SECONDARY SCHOOLS AT THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. EACH OF THESE IS ARTICULATED WITH A COLLEGE PROGRAM OR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, AND PROVIDE STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CURRENTLY MEET THEIR ELA AND MATH GRADUATION PATHWAY BY COMPLETING TWO CREDITS IN ONE OF THE CTE PROGRAM OFFERINGS. WE ALSO PARTNER WITH SNO-ISLE SKILL CENTER, WHO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS AS WELL TO ACCESS PROGRAMS THAT DUE TO COSTS AND FACILITIES, ARE QUITE OFTEN UNABLE TO PROVIDE THE SPECIALTY PROGRAMS THAT SNO-ISLE IS ABLE TO OFFER OUR STUDENTS. WE ARE ABLE TO OFFER SOME OF THOSE, AND WE DO OFFER WHAT WE CALL INTERDISTRICT PROGRAMS, WHICH ARE HOUSED AT A PARTICULAR HIGH SCHOOL, BUT WE DO BUS STUDENTS THERE AS PART OF THEIR DAY. THOSE ARE OUR AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING, AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY, CARPENTRY, CONSTRUCTION, AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONS, AS WELL AS OUR STEM MAGNET PROGRAM THAT WE CURRENTLY RUN OVER AT MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL. IN TERMS OF OUR ENROLLMENT PICTURE, WE ARE CURRENTLY SITTING WITH VERY FULL CLASSES IN CTE, WHICH IS ALWAYS A GOOD THING TO SEE. OUR OVERALL ENROLLMENT IS SLIGHTLY BELOW WHERE WE WERE A YEAR AGO AT BOTH THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. BUT THAT IS PRETTY MUCH IN KEEPING WITH THE GENERAL DROP IN ENROLLMENT OVERALL FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS IN OUR DISTRICT THIS YEAR. SO AS A DEPARTMENT, WE ARE VERY COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THE EDMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH HIGHEST QUALITY CTE PROGRAMS THAT WE CAN PROVIDE, AND WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN THAT WORK. AND WE WORK VERY, VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR STAFF AND OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO CONTINUALLY IMPROVE WHAT WE DO. AT THE HEART OF THAT IS OUR PROGRAM EVALUATION PROCESS. AND EVERY SPRING, WE EVALUATE OUR PROGRAMS THROUGH THE EYES OF OUR STUDENTS, THROUGH THE EYES OF OUR TEACHERS, AND THROUGH THE EYES OF PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO SUPPORT AND OVERSEE OUR PROGRAMS. AND THROUGH THAT, WE IDENTIFY AREAS WHERE WE'RE IN ALIGNMENT AND AREAS [00:20:01] WHERE WE'RE OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND NEED CONTINUED WORK AND PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT IN RELATION TO SOME VERY SPECIFIC PROGRAM STANDARDS AND QUALITY INDICATORS. AND I WON'T READ THEM, BUT THEY'RE ON SCREEN. THESE COME DIRECTLY TO US AND GUIDE US FROM BOTH THE STATE LEVEL AND FEDERAL LEVEL IN TERMS OF WHAT QUALITY CTE LOOKS LIKE. AND OUR PROGRAM EVALUATION PROCESS FOCUSES HEAVILY ON EACH PROGRAM EVALUATED IN EACH OF THESE AREAS. FROM THAT EVALUATION, WE IDENTIFY ACTION ITEMS, GOALS, AND AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT. AND WE DOCUMENT THAT IN WHAT'S CALLED OUR FOUR-YEAR PLAN OF WORK. AND THAT IS, AS IT STANDS, IT ARTICULATES THOSE ITEMS THAT WE WILL FOCUS ON AS A DEPARTMENT, WHAT WE WILL MONITOR AND MEASURE AND MAKE AS THE DIRECTION OF THE WORK THAT WE DO AS A DEPARTMENT. AND THAT FOUR-YEAR PROGRAM OF WORK IS UPDATED ANNUALLY AS WE CONTINUE TO EVALUATE AND UPDATE OUR PROGRAM. AS PART OF THAT WORK, AND PART OF THE MEASURES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THAT ARE WHAT WE CALL OUR KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES. AND THESE ARE PARTICULAR QUALITY MEASURES THAT WE FOCUS ON AND WE COLLECT DATA AROUND AND THAT WE DOCUMENT AND SHARE WITH OSPI AS PART OF OUR ACCOUNTABILITY WITH OSPI FOR OUR PROGRAMS AND FOR CONTINUED PROGRAM APPROVAL AND FUNDING, AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD AS PROGRAMS FOR THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO WITH THAT BACKGROUND IN MIND, THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE DRIVEN BY A FOUR-YEAR PLAN OF WORK AND THAT IDENTIFIES KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT WE DOCUMENT AND WE MONITOR, WE'RE GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU A BIT OF AN UPDATE AS TO HOW WE DID THIS LAST YEAR IN 2025-2026 ON SOME OF THESE KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES. SO I'LL INVITE TO THE MIC GENEVIEVE MEDINO TO START US OFF. GENEVIEVE MEDINO: SO ONE OF OUR FIRST PERFORMANCE INDICATORS THAT I GET TO SPEAK ABOUT IS OUR CTE DUAL CREDIT, COLLEGE CREDIT. CTE DUAL CREDIT IS COLLEGE CREDIT EARNED SPECIFICALLY IN CTE COURSES THAT WE OFFER IN THE DISTRICT. THESE COURSES ARE ARTICULATED WITH OUR NEIGHBORING AND LOCAL COLLEGE PARTNERS. THEIR AGREEMENTS ARE UPDATED AND REFINED YEARLY, AND CTE PATHWAY CONCENTRATORS ARE THOSE CTE STUDENTS THAT ARE COMPLETING TWO OR MORE CREDITS, IN PARTICULAR CTE PROGRAM OF STUDY. SOMETHING TO NOTE IS THAT CTE DUAL CREDIT, THOSE CREDIT OPTIONS ARE THE MOST ACCESSED DUAL CREDIT COURSES IN EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT. OUR NEXT INDICATOR IS INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED CERTIFICATIONS. THESE ARE VERY UNIQUE CERTIFICATIONS AND CREDENTIALS THAT CTE STUDENTS GET TO EARN WHILE THEY'RE GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL IN OUR COURSES. THEY'RE RECOGNIZED BY INDUSTRY GROUPS AND EMPLOYERS, AND STUDENTS EARN THESE SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE THAT STEP UP IN ENTERING THE INDUSTRY AS THEY ARE RECOGNIZED BY INDUSTRY. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE STARTED THESE IN 2020, 2021, AND SINCE THEN, WE'VE HAD EXTREME GROWTH NEARLY EVERY YEAR, AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT GROWTH AGAIN THIS YEAR, IN ADDITION TO ADDING A FEW NEW CERTIFICATIONS AND THEN EXPANDING THOSE THAT WE CURRENTLY ARE OFFERING. ANOTHER INDICATOR FOR OUR STUDENTS IS OUR CTSO'S AND LEADERSHIP EQUIVALENTS. CTSO'S, CAREER TECHNICAL STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS OR LEADERSHIP EQUIVALENTS TO A CAREER TECHNICAL STUDENT ORGANIZATION. SO WE HAVE A VERY DIVERSE OFFERING AMONGST OUR PROGRAMS ACROSS OUR CTE COURSES. THEY'RE AN EXTENSION OF OUR CTE COURSE CURRICULUM, SO THEY GO HAND IN HAND WITH OUR COURSES. OUR TEACHERS OFFER EITHER A CTSO OR A LEADERSHIP EQUIVALENT, DEPENDING ON WHAT BEST FITS THE NEEDS OF THEIR STUDENTS. THEY CONSIST OF ELECTED OFFICERS, REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS, COMPETITIONS, OR EVEN SHOWCASES. AND LAST YEAR, WE HAD DECA, HOSA, TSA, AND JEA FROM MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL THAT WERE ALL AT THE NATIONAL LEVELS WITH THEIR COMPETITIONS AND SHOWCASE ITEMS. IN THE PICTURES THERE, WE HAVE DECA AT DECA STATE. AND THEN WE HAVE COLLEGE PLACE, MIDDLE SCHOOL, TSA WHO IS AT THEIR NATIONALS, AND THEY WERE ALSO INVITED TO VISIT SENATOR CANTWELL'S OFFICE WHEN THEY WERE IN DC FOR THAT. AND I'M NOW GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO VANESSA. [00:25:02] VANESSA: MANY OF US ONLY KNOW THE CAREERS THAT WE GREW UP WITH. CAREER CONNECTED LEARNING EXPANDS AWARENESS AS WELL AS EXPLORATION FOR OUR STUDENTS. BY CONNECTING THEM TO INDUSTRY SPEAKERS, CAREER EVENTS, AND TAKING THEM RIGHT INTO WORKPLACES, WE OPEN DOORS TO OPPORTUNITIES AND NEW CAREERS THAT THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT. LAST YEAR, WE HAD OVER 03,000 STUDENTS PARTICIPATE, AND THIS YEAR WE OPENED THE CAREER CONNECTED LEARNING EXPERIENCE WITH TRADE UP EVENT, WHICH WAS FOCUSED ON SKILLED TRADES AND PATHWAYS IN APPRENTICESHIPS. NOW, THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE ALREADY EXPLORED, WE GET THEM PREPARED THROUGH INTERNSHIP CONNECT, WHICH IS FUNDED BY THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT FOUNDATION. OUR JUNIORS AND SENIORS GET HANDS ON EXPERIENCE WHILE GETTING PAID AT A LOCAL BUSINESS. THEY PRACTICE WORKPLACE SKILLS, PREPARE WITH MENTORS, AS WELL AS TEST THEIR CAREER INTERESTS. THE BEST PART IS GETTING TO KNOW WHETHER THEY DO WANT TO FOLLOW THAT CAREER. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IF THEY DON'T. THESE WERE OUR PARTNERS LAST SUMMER. MANY OF THEM ACTUALLY HIRED SOME OF OUR STUDENTS OR UPON GRADUATIONS, HAVE HIRING. I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE MY INTERN HASSAD KASA. HASSAD KASA: HI, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS HASSAD. I'M A SENIOR AT EDMONDS-WOODWAY HIGH SCHOOL THIS YEAR, AND I RECENTLY COMPLETED AN INTERNSHIP OVER THE SUMMER. I WAS AN INTERN AT THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AT THE CITY OF LYNNWOOD WITH KYLE WARD, AND I HAD A REALLY GREAT EXPERIENCE DURING MY TIME THERE. I WROTE A MEMO ON THE NEEDS OF THE CITY OF LYNNWOOD AND HOW THEY WERE BEING ADDRESSED. I PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF FOOD AND HUNGER RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND I SAT IN MEETINGS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND CITY OFFICIALS. I SAT IN ONE MEETING WITH THE MAYOR. IT WAS PRETTY COOL. AND I GOT TO DO A WHOLE LOT OF REALLY COOL THINGS LIKE THAT. I WAS ALSO ABLE TO TOUR A LOT OF CITY BUILDINGS. I WAS ABLE TO GO TO THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, WHICH WAS PRETTY COOL. IT WAS STINKY, BUT IT WAS COOL. AND THEN I GOT TO MEET A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE AS WELL. AND SO FOR ME PERSONALLY, IT WAS A REALLY GREAT EXPERIENCE. DIRECTOR MARK MADISON: THANK YOU, HASSET. AND THAT'S WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO. I MEAN, I CAN JUST TELL YOU THAT THAT'S WHY I DO WHAT I DO IS TO HEAR THAT. IN ADDITION TO SOME OF THE MEASURES THAT WERE JUST SHARED WITH YOU IN TERMS OF OUR KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, AND OUR EXPERIENCES, SUCH AS OUR CAREER CONNECTED LEARNING THAT WE FOCUS ON HEAVILY ON THE JOB TRAINING, WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL MEASURES THAT ARE WHAT ARE KNOWN AS OUR FEDERAL PERKINS ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES. AND THESE ARE MEASURING OUR PERFORMANCE OF A GROUP OF STUDENTS, WHICH ARE CALLED CTE CONCENTRATORS. AND CTE CONCENTRATORS ARE OUR SENIORS WHO HAVE COMPLETED TWO OR MORE CREDITS IN A CTE PROGRAM AREA. AND ON SCREEN, YOU CAN SEE TO THE LEFT COLUMN THE PARTICULAR AREAS THAT WE ARE MEASURED AGAINST AND HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR. THE STATE IDENTIFIES ACCOUNTABILITY TARGETS THAT WE ARE TO REACH OR EXCEED. AND I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THAT THIS FOR OUR LAST MEASURED COHORT, WHICH IS OUR 2024-2025 COHORT, WE MET OR EXCEEDED ALL THE MEASURES FOR THE STATE. WE HAVE NO PLAN OF IMPROVEMENT THAT IS REQUIRED FOR CTE IN EDMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH IS AN HONOR TO SAY, AND IT'S A BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT. THE DATA-- THERE IS ALWAYS A ONE YEAR LAG IN THE DATA, SO WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE THE 2025-2026 DATA. WE WILL HAVE THAT DATA IN THE SPRING, AT WHICH TIME WE WILL GO THROUGH AGAIN UPDATING OUR PLAN OF WORK ON OUR EVALUATION. THE OTHER SLIDE THAT I ALWAYS ENJOY SHARING IS OUR CTE CONCENTRATOR FOUR-YEAR GRADUATION RATE. AND AGAIN, THESE ARE OUR SENIORS WHO GRADUATED AS CONCENTRATORS, WHO COMPLETED TWO OR MORE CREDITS IN ONE OF OUR CTE PATHWAYS IN 2025. THAT NUMBER WAS ROUGHLY 490 STUDENTS. THEIR FOUR-YEAR GRADUATION RATE PERCENTAGE, 96.1% OF THAT GROUP GRADUATED IN FOUR YEARS. AND THAT PERCENTAGE EXCEEDED OUR STATE AND DISTRICT GRADUATION RATE. AND WE EXCEEDED THE DISTRICT GRADUATION RATE IN CTE IN EVERY STUDENT GROUP, AS YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SEE ON SCREEN. AND THAT DATA IS VERY SIMILAR STATEWIDE AND NATIONWIDE, BECAUSE CTE CONTINUES TO SHOW ITSELF AS AN INCREDIBLE, IMPACTFUL EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS [00:30:02] IN TERMS OF GRADUATING ON TIME. AND AS WE WRAP UP, I WANT TO SPEND JUST A LITTLE BIT OF TIME HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THE ITEMS FROM OUR PROGRAM OF WORK THAT WE'LL BE FOCUSING ON THIS SCHOOL YEAR. WE JUST SPENT TIME LOOKING BACK. THIS IS LOOKING AHEAD. THE FIRST IS OUR WORK ON EXPANDING OUR STUDENT RUN CREDIT UNION PROGRAM. LAST FALL, WE LAUNCHED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GESA CREDIT UNION, A ACTUAL STUDENT LED CREDIT UNION AT LYNNWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. IT IS AN OPERATIONAL CREDIT UNION THAT IS MANAGED BY A BUSINESS AND MARKETING STUDENT FROM LYNNWOOD HIGH SCHOOL, WHO IS HIRED AND TRAINED BY GESA, AND THEN OPERATES THE CREDIT UNION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR. IT LAUNCHED LAST FALL AND IS CURRENTLY OPERATION AGAIN THIS YEAR. AND BECAUSE OF THE SUCCESS OF THAT INITIAL PILOT, WE ARE NOW WORKING WITH EDMONDS-WOODWAY HIGH SCHOOL TO LAUNCH A SECOND CREDIT UNION AT THAT SITE, LOOKING AT A START DATE OF THE BEGINNING OF SECOND SEMESTER THIS YEAR. IT'S AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY. IT'S AN INCREDIBLE PROGRAM WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS RUNNING CREDIT UNIONS IN OUR SCHOOLS. THESE ARE CREDIT UNIONS ONLY FOR THOSE IN THE SCHOOL. WE DON'T HAVE COMMUNITY COMING IN, BUT THEY FULLY MANAGE A CREDIT UNION, JUST LIKE YOU WOULD MANAGE A CREDIT UNION OUTSIDE OF LYNNWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. ANOTHER AREA THAT WE ARE FOCUSING ON IS WHAT WE CALL REALITY FAIRS. THE REALITY FAIR IS ESSENTIALLY A SIMULATION WHERE STUDENTS, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GO THROUGH REAL WORLD SCENARIOS OF ACTUALLY DEALING WITH SETTING UP A BUDGET, FIGURING OUT COSTS, AND MAKING FINANCIAL DECISIONS RELATED TO LIVING INDEPENDENTLY AFTER GRADUATION. AND THIS IS DONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WASHINGTON SCHOOL EMPLOYEES CREDIT UNION. IT IS PART OF THEIR FINANCIAL LITERACY EMPHASIS. AND THIS LAST YEAR, WE PILOTED THIS AT MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL IN OUR PERSONAL FINANCE AND BUSINESS RELATED COURSES. AND IT WAS VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBSERVE AND ENGAGE, AND ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT I WALKED AWAY FROM AS A STUDENT THAT SHARED, I NEVER REALIZED HOW DIFFICULT A DECISION IT WOULD BE TO FIGURE OUT HOW I BOTH FEED MYSELF AND MY CAT. AND AGAIN, JUST THE REALITY OF HOW MUCH THINGS COST AND DEALING WITH MAKING THOSE DECISIONS. BECAUSE OF THAT SUCCESS, WE WILL BE EXPANDING TO ALL FOUR HIGH SCHOOLS THIS YEAR. A CONTINUED NEED FOR OUR PROGRAMS IS THE ADDING OF INDUSTRY COMMUNITY PARTNERS FOR OUR PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEES. THE PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEES OVERSEE EACH ONE OF OUR CTE PROGRAMS THAT I SHARED WITH YOU EARLIER AND THAT ARE LISTED ON SCREEN, AND THOSE ARE THE EYES AND EARS OF OUR INDUSTRY THAT KEEP US ALIGNED TO INDUSTRY NEEDS, REQUIREMENTS, AND TRENDS. WE HAD A FAIRLY ROBUST MEMBERSHIP PRIOR TO COVID. THE COVID YEARS OCCURRED, AND NOW WE ARE IN A REBUILDING PHASE. AND SO WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON OUTREACH FOR OUR PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEES. AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, EVERY FOUR YEARS, CTE PROGRAMS GO THROUGH WHAT IS CALLED THE RE-APPROVAL PROCESS. AND THE RE-APPROVAL PROCESS INVOLVES SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION TO OSPI FOR CONTINUED APPROVAL OF A PROGRAM AND FUNDING OF A PROGRAM FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. THAT PROCESS OF SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION IS QUITE EXTENSIVE. IT INVOLVES A LOT OF WORK FROM OUR TEACHERS UPDATING THEIR CURRICULUM TO CURRENT STANDARDS, AS WELL AS OUR PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEES DOING A THOROUGH EVALUATION OF LABOR MARKET PROJECTIONS AND DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT LABOR MARKET INDICATES A NEED TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAM, AS WELL AS COLLECTING A LOT OF DOCUMENTATION. AND SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS THIS YEAR THAT ARE UP FOR RE-APPROVAL, AND THAT APPLICATION WILL BE SUBMITTED IN NOVEMBER. AND SO WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING WITH THOSE TEACHERS AND OUR PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEES TO COMPLETE THAT PROCESS. AND SUBMIT OUR APPLICATION. AND THEN WE AWAIT OSPI'S REFLECTION DECISION ON THAT APPLICATION. SO WITH THAT, I WILL CLOSE. AND AGAIN, JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR TAKING THE TIME TO HEAR US AND ALLOW US TO PRESENT. AND AS ALWAYS, YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF CTE IN THE EDMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT. I FEEL VERY BLESSED. AND WITH THE TIME REMAINING, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? [00:35:03] CARIN CHASE: THANK YOU SO MUCH, MARK. DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS, BOARD? STUDENT ADVISORS OR BOARD MEMBERS? HAWK CRAMER: MARK, AS ALWAYS, I'M SUPER IMPRESSED WITH YOUR PRESENTATIONS AND WITH EVERYTHING THAT CTE IS DOING. I HAVE A COUPLE OF SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. OF ALL THE CERTIFICATIONS THAT YOU GUYS GIVE OUT-- OR THE KIDS THAT YOU DON'T GIVE THEM OUT, KIDS EARN THEM-- WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON ONES? MARK MADISON: THE MOST COMMON, I WOULD SAY, ARE FIRST AID CPR CERTIFICATION. SINCE WE TEACH PRETTY MUCH, I WOULD SAY 80% OF THE HEALTH CLASSES AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. IN EVERY CLASS THAT WE TEACH IN HEALTH, WE REQUIRE STUDENTS TO OBTAIN THEIR FIRST AID, CPR, AED CERTIFICATION. SO THAT'S OUR LARGEST. I WOULD SAY OUR SECOND IS PROBABLY OUR FOOD HANDLER'S CARDS AND PERMITS THROUGH OUR CULINARY PROGRAMS. HAWK CRAMER: OK, GREAT. AND THEN THE FOLLOW UP TO THAT ONE IS OF ALL THOSE CERTIFICATIONS, WHAT ARE AMONG THE MOST RIGOROUS OR THE MOST DIFFICULT TO ATTAIN? MARK MADISON: OUR AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE, OR WHAT WE CALL ASE, ARE QUITE RIGOROUS. IF YOU WERE TO TAKE YOUR VEHICLE IN TO BE SERVICED, IF YOU GO TO ANY SHOP, YOU WILL SEE A BLUE EMBLEM THAT SAYS ASE. THAT IS WHAT AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE CERTIFICATION IS. AND I MEAN, AS WITH THE VEHICLES, THEY ARE VERY COMPLEX. AND THE READING LEVEL FOR THAT CERTIFICATION IS QUITE HIGH. THE OTHERS ARE, FOR INSTANCE, OUR SOLIDWORKS CERTIFICATION. MANY OF THESE ARE TYPICALLY EARNED AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, AND WE HAVE BEEN VERY INTENTIONAL IN WORKING WITH TEACHERS AND OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEES TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO EMBED THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS. HAWK CRAMER: YEAH, THANK YOU. AND THEN LAST QUESTION IS TO HASSAD, WITH YOUR INTERNSHIP, HOW HAS THAT SHAPED YOUR THINKING ABOUT WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU AND YOUR FUTURE? HASSAD KASA: YEAH, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. SO I GREW UP WITH-- MY PARENTS ARE IMMIGRANTS FROM ETHIOPIA. SO ALL I HEARD FROM A CHILD-- LIKE MY CHILDHOOD WAS DOCTOR. AND SO THAT'S THE PLAN THAT I HAD FOR MYSELF. I WAS LIKE, OH, I'M GOING TO BE DOCTOR. I'M GOING TO GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL. AND I TRULY DO HAVE A PASSION FOR HELPING PEOPLE. BUT I ALSO LOVE THE BEHIND THE SCENES STUFF OF IT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO POLICY MAKING AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I'M INVOLVED ON THE SUPERINTENDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE LYNNWOOD YOUTH COUNCIL, AND I'M PRETTY INVOLVED IN THOSE KIND OF THINGS. AND SO WITH THIS INTERNSHIP, IT WAS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES. SO BASICALLY WHAT KYLE DOES IS HE WORKS WITH A LOT OF LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS, LIKE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE NONPROFITS, THINGS LIKE THAT, TO PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR THE CITY OF LYNNWOOD AND PEOPLE WHO NEED IT, LIKE PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY, UNHOUSED PEOPLE, PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE, THINGS LIKE THAT. AND SO WHAT KIND OF HELPED ME A LOT WITH THIS INTERNSHIP WAS LIKE KNOWING HOW BROAD HIS SCOPE OF WORK GOES, I GUESS. LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I HAVE A PASSION FOR HELPING PEOPLE. AND I ALSO HAVE A PASSION FOR POLICY AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO BRIDGE THAT. BUT SEEING HOW HE WORKS WITH ALL THESE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND ALSO CONNECTING THEM WITH EACH OTHER SO THEY CAN EXPAND EVEN MORE RESOURCES REACH MORE PEOPLE, IT WAS REALLY COOL TO ME. AND THERE WAS ONE PARTICULAR MEETING THAT I SAT IN ON, WHICH BLEW MY MIND. IT WAS WITH THIS GROUP CALLED SOUND PATHWAYS. AND BASICALLY THEY DO MOBILE, LIKE MEDICAL SERVICES. SO THEY HAVE A VAN AND THEY GO AND PROVIDE MEDICAL SERVICES TO PEOPLE. AND SO THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY WERE DOING THAT AT THE HEALTH CENTER. AND THEY CALLED IT LIKE STREET MEDICINE. AND I REMEMBER I WROTE THAT DOWN IN MY NOTEBOOK. AND I WAS LIKE, POTENTIAL CAREER OPTION? BECAUSE I WAS LIKE, WHOA. I DID NOT KNOW THAT WAS A POSSIBILITY. AND THAT JUST REALLY INTRIGUED ME. THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS I THOUGHT WAS SUPER COOL. AND SO SHOWING ME HOW MANY CAREER OPTIONS THERE WAS REALLY NICE. ALSO LIKE THE NETWORK THAT IT GAVE ME BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO GO TO MEETINGS WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT I STILL KEEP IN CONTACT RIGHT NOW. MY FRIENDS AND I ARE PLANNING A HEALTH AND SAFETY FAIR AT EDMONDS-WOODWAY IN NOVEMBER. AND SO WE'LL BE REACHING OUT TO A LOT OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT I WAS ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THERE. SO IT WAS SUPER GREAT. I LOVE IT. I STILL KEEP IN CONTACT WITH KYLE, TOO. SO IT WAS GREAT. HAWK CRAMER: IT'S FANTASTIC. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MARK MADISON: NICE JOB. THOM GARRARD: YEAH, THE LYNNWOOD YOUTH COUNCIL. AND THE ACTE, I WAS HEARING ABOUT THE AUTO MECHANICS, THE COST OF REPAIRING A CAR HAS GONE UP 50% SINCE THE PANDEMIC, [00:40:02] LARGELY BECAUSE THERE'S 40,000 MORE PEOPLE LEAVING THAT JOB THAN THERE ARE COMING IN. SO THERE'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT CAN COMPLETE THE ASE PROGRAM. SO, MARK, I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION HAS DEVELOPED A PROPOSAL FOR NEW GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL. AND THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE. BUT I UNDERSTAND THE BILLS BEING DRAFTED, SO IT WILL BE CONSIDERED IN THIS COMING SESSION. SO ON THEIR WEBSITE, THEY SAY THE PROPOSAL IS NOT INTENDED TO REDUCE ACCESS OR OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPATING IN CTE COURSES. IS THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF IT? I MEAN, HAVE YOU INVESTIGATED THIS, AND DO YOU HAVE OTHER INFORMATION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THAT? MARK MADISON: CERTAINLY. SO WHEN I BEGAN MY CAREER IN EDUCATION, WE HAD PASSED WHAT WAS CALLED HOUSE BILL 1209, WHICH ESTABLISHED THE BASIC PURPOSE OF THE CORE OF BASIC EDUCATION, AND THAT WAS TO PREPARE ALL STUDENTS TO BE CAREER AND COLLEGE-- BROADLY DEFINED, COLLEGE READY. AND EVERY CONTENT AREA WHICH WAS PART OF THE CORE, INCLUDING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, WERE PARTNERED IN ACHIEVING THAT END. MY CONCERN ABOUT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION'S FUTURE READY BECAUSE FUTURE READY HAS TAKEN CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION OUT OF THE CORE REQUIREMENTS. IT HAS MAINTAINED EVERYTHING ELSE BUT MOVED CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION OUTSIDE. PRIOR TO THAT, CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, AND RIGHTLY SO, WAS RECOGNIZED AS VALUABLE FOR EACH AND EVERY STUDENT. AND I BELIEVE YOU CAN SEE WHY. BECAUSE WHAT I KNOW FROM STUDENTS AND TALKING TO THEM ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IN HIGH SCHOOL, THEY WANT TO KNOW HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO AFTER HIGH SCHOOL? AND HOW DO I FIGURE OUT WHERE I FIT AND WHERE DOES MY PASSION FIT? THAT'S WHAT WE DO. THAT IS WHAT CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION DOES. AND WHAT FUTURE READY HAS DONE IS ESSENTIALLY AS DIMINISH THAT. AND IT IS UNDERVALUED. AND IT HAS MOVED CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION AS THE ONLY CONTENT AREA THAT IS LISTED AS SOMETHING YOU CAN SUBSTITUTE OUT. AND THAT IS OF GREAT CONCERN TO ME. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, TOM, BUT THAT'S WHERE I AM. THOM GARRARD: YEAH, THANK YOU. CARIN CHASE: ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT. WELL, MARK, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I ALWAYS REALLY ENJOY THIS REPORT AND JUST THRILLED. YOU SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF THE PROGRAM AND THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING. ALL OF YOU. MARK MADISON: WE ABSOLUTELY ARE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CARIN CHASE: ALL RIGHT. [10. PUBLIC COMMENTS- 7:05 pm] WE NOW MOVE TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF OUR AGENDA. THE PUBLIC COMMENT ITEMS ON THE AGENDA IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS TO ADDRESS THE BOARD. THE ITEMS BROUGHT FORWARD ON THE AGENDA WILL NOT BE ACTED UPON BY THE BOARD AT THIS TIME. WE HAVE HAD 15 WRITTEN COMMENTS SUBMITTED, 14 CONCERNING THE BOUNDARY REVISION AND ONE ADVOCATING FOR HAZELWOOD TO BE IN THE NEXT GROUP OF SCHOOLS TO BE BUILT. THESE WILL BE ATTACHED TO THE MEETING MINUTES AND REST ASSURED THAT OUR BOARD DOES READ ALL OF THESE. SO, DOCTOR MINER, CAN YOU ASSIST WITH THE LIST OF FOLKS COMING FORWARD? THERE'LL BE 30 MINUTES OF PUBLIC COMMENT WITH THREE MINUTES PER COMMENT. REBECCA MINER: OUR FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTER TONIGHT, AND FORGIVE ME IF I MAKE ANY MISTAKES ON PRONUNCIATION IS SHASHANK BHUPALA. SHASHANK BHUPALA: HI. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENT MINER MY NAME IS SHASHANK YOU HAVE SEEN ME MANY TIMES HERE. I AM A PARENT OF AN AMAZING SIX-YEAR-OLD BOY. I SPEAK FOR THE FAMILIES OF PLANNING AREA 47. HILLTOP IS BASICALLY OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. SO I'M NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT NUMBERS. YOU ALREADY KNOW THEM. TONIGHT IS ABOUT THE TRUTH. AS PARENTS, WE DESERVE ANSWERS. FOR MONTHS, WE HAVE ASKED ONE SIMPLE QUESTION. WHY US? WE NEVER GOT A REAL ANSWER. WE CAME TO EVERY OPEN HOUSE. WE FILLED OUT EVERY SURVEY. WE EVEN SENT YOU A BETTER PLAN USING YOUR OWN DATA. ALL WE GOT BACK WERE SHORT REPLIES AND SILENCE. THESE ARE OUR CHILDREN'S LIVES. THEY ARE NOT LINES ON A MAP. MY SON, WHO IS 6 YEARS OLD, AS I SAID. WHEN HE BREAKS SOMETHING, HE TELLS ME THE TRUTH. AND HE TELLS ME WHY. MY SIX-YEAR-OLD HAS BEEN MORE TRANSPARENT AND OPEN WITH ME THAN THE ADULTS ON THIS COMMITTEE AND THE BOARD. ISN'T IT IRONIC? THERE ARE PLANS THAT MEET THE DISTRICT GOALS WITHOUT BREAKING [00:45:03] UP OUR ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD. WHY WERE THEY NEVER LOOKED AT? WE ARE SHOCKED. WE HAVE ONLY SEEN THINGS LIKE THIS ON THE NEWS. WE NEVER EXPECTED THAT IT WOULD HAPPEN TO US AND OUR OWN KIDS. IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, PEOPLE USED TO TALK ABOUT PLAY DATES AND SCHOOL EVENTS. NOW THEY TALK ABOUT SELLING THEIR HOMES. WHO WILL LIST FIRST, WHO WILL GET THE BEST PRICE. AND NOT SURPRISINGLY, MY FAMILY IS ONE OF THEM. SO WE BOUGHT OUR HOME THINKING THAT HILLTOP IS OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. IF THIS PLAN GOES THROUGH, WE'LL SELL AND LEAVE. THERE'S NO OTHER CHOICE. IT IS 2026. TRANSPARENCY IS NOT A COURTESY IN PUBLIC GOVERNANCE. IT IS THE JOB. TONIGHT, YOU CAN UPROOT THE PLAN AS IT IS, OR YOU CAN STOP AND GIVE THESE FAMILIES THE ANSWERS THEY DESERVE. BEHIND EVERY AREA ON YOUR MAP IS A CHILD WAITING FOR AN ANSWER. SO PLEASE CHOOSE THE FAMILIES. AND AGAIN, WE ARE NOT AGAINST THE SPIRIT BEHIND THE EFFORT. WE ARE JUST AGAINST THE METHODOLOGY BEING USED. WE ARE AGAINST HOW IT IS BEING DONE. WE ARE AGAINST THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. SO HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND AND MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION. [APPLAUSE] REBECCA MINER: NEXT, WE HAVE VAIBHAV DESHMUKH AND FOLLOWING VAIBHAV WE HAVE MICHELLE MARCOUX. VAIBHAV DESHMUKH: GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS. I'M A PARENT AND A RESIDENT OF BELLFLOWER NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING AREA 47. SHASHANK AND I ARE NEIGHBOR. HIS SON SIX-YEAR-OLD, AMY, AND MY DAUGHTER, ROO, GO TO THE SAME CLASS IN HILLTOP ELEMENTARY. THEY REALLY LIKE THEIR SCHOOL, COMMUNITY, THE PRINCIPAL, TEACHER. I IN FACT TALKED TO MISS SAMOSA THIS MORNING THAT HEY, WE ARE HAVING A BOARD VOTING ON THIS, EXPRESS MY CONCERN. WE DO ACKNOWLEDGE-- PLUS 1 TO EVERYTHING THAT SHASHANK SAID. LIKE WE DO FEEL LIKE WE HAVEN'T BEEN HEARD. WE SENT NUMEROUS NUMBER OF EMAILS. YOU MUST HAVE SEEN ME MULTIPLE TIMES TALKING HERE. WE FEEL LIKE WE DIDN'T GET OUR ANSWERS. ALSO, THESE ARE KIDS. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PUT THIS IN WORDS. IT IMPACTS KIDS. IT IMPACTS PARENTS. IT IMPACTS EVERYTHING THAT GOES IN A HOUSE. WE REALLY BOUGHT THE HOUSES IN THIS COMMUNITY THINKING HILLTOP IS OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I RELOCATED FROM CALIFORNIA BAY AREA. THIS WAS MY HOUSE FIVE YEARS BACK. I ALSO FEEL LIKE SELLING AND LEAVING JUST BECAUSE OF THIS REZONING. I ACKNOWLEDGE THE DISTRICT'S ENROLLMENT CHALLENGES, BUT THE PROPOSAL DIRECTLY CONTRADICTS YOUR OWN GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND HIGHLIGHTS. I'M REPEATING MYSELF. THIS IS LIKE THE FOURTH TIME I'M TALKING HERE IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS. MANY OF US HAVE TALKED. WE HAVE SENT EMAILS. WE HAVE MET YOU. A LOT OF THE THINGS LIKE PROXIMITY AND TRANSPORTATION, STUDENT CONTINUITY, LACK OF PROCESS AND TRANSPARENCY, FAILURE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THESE ARE HIGH LEVEL POINTS I CAN REITERATE OFF TOP OF MY MIND. OUR MESSAGE TONIGHT IS SIMPLE AND CONSISTENT. WE REALLY OPPOSE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD REZONING FROM HILLTOP REQUESTING BELLFLOWER NEIGHBORHOOD TO KEEP WITH HILLTOP ELEMENTARY. WE FULLY SUPPORT YOUR LONG-TERM DISTRICT PLANNING GOALS ON OPENING THE NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL IN 2028. HOWEVER, THIS PROPOSED REASSIGNMENT IS UNNECESSARY AND AVOIDABLE GIVEN THE ERECT DISTRICT'S OWN EXCESS CAPACITY DATA. THIS PROPOSAL DIRECTLY CONFLICTS THE SCHOOL BOARD POLICY 6960. AGAIN, REPEATING MYSELF, WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE DISTRICT TO LET THE NEIGHBORHOOD STAY WITH HILLTOP. WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR SPECIAL TREATMENT. WE ARE ASKING FOR TRANSPARENCY. WORK WITH US. DELAY THIS DECISION. GIVE US SOME TIME. WE CAN FIND A BETTER OPTION THAT WORKS FOR ALL OF US. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] REBECCA MINER: FOLLOWING MICHELLE WILL BE ALLISON HAMMERAND. MICHELLE MARCOUX: GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT. MY NAME IS MICHELLE MARCOUX, AND I'M A SHERWOOD ELEMENTARY PARENT. I'M ASKING YOU TONIGHT, AS YOU HEAR ALL OF THESE WORDS FROM PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO REMEMBER WHY YOU HOLD THE OFFICE THAT YOU DO. PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT RIGHT NOW TO REFLECT ON THE REASON THAT YOU DO THIS WORK. AS OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES, YOU ARE CHOSEN BY THIS COMMUNITY TO SAFEGUARD OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION AND WELL-BEING. THAT ELECTED POSITION COMES WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY TO LISTEN TO THE FAMILIES WHO LIVE WITH THE DAILY CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR VOTE. AS I KNOW YOU ARE NOW WELL AWARE, MY DAUGHTER AND MANY OTHER SHERWOOD FAMILIES [00:50:02] FACE A HIGHLY DISRUPTIVE SITUATION WITH THIS PROPOSAL MOVING TO FOUR SCHOOLS IN FOUR YEARS DUE TO CONSTRUCTION. THIS IS NOT A STANDARD BOUNDARY CHANGE. IT'S AN UNACCEPTABLE UPROOTING OF OUR CHILDREN'S LIVES. DECADES OF CLINICAL RESEARCH PROVE THAT FREQUENT DISRUPTIONS TO SCHOOL STABILITY DEGRADE STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH, ELEVATE CHRONIC ANXIETY, AND SEVERELY DAMAGE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. WHEN CHILDREN LOSE THEIR STABLE ENVIRONMENT, THEIR SENSE OF SAFETY GOES WITH IT. WE'VE BROUGHT THIS REALITY TO YOU. YOU WENT THROUGH THE MOTIONS OF ASKING FOR OUR FEEDBACK THROUGH SURVEYS AND OPEN HOUSES. WE DID OUR PART. WE SHOWED UP, WE FILLED OUT THE FORMS, AND WE SPENT HOURS PORING OVER THE DATA TO SUGGEST REAL, DATA-DRIVEN ALTERNATIVES AND ASK YOU CRITICAL QUESTIONS. WE EXPLICITLY CALLED OUT THE SEVERE PSYCHOLOGICAL TOLL THESE REPEATED TRANSITIONS WILL TAKE ON OUR KIDS. BUT YOU'VE COMPLETELY IGNORED THE WORK THAT WE'VE PUT IN. INSTEAD OF PROTECTING STUDENT STABILITY, THE LEADERSHIP HAS IGNORED THE SCIENCE OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT. OUR CONCERNS REGARDING THE REAL TRAUMA HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY DISMISSED. REDUCING A MULTI-YEAR SYSTEMIC DISPLACEMENT DOWN TO A CLICHÉ, CHANGE IS HARD, IS INSULTING TO US AS PARENTS, AND IT'S A DANGEROUS DISREGARD FOR THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF THE STUDENTS YOU'RE SWORN TO PROTECT. A TOP DOWN DECISION THAT IGNORES THE HEAVY EMOTIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL TOLL ON FAMILIES ERODES THE VERY PUBLIC TRUST YOU WERE ELECTED TO UPHOLD. THIS CLOSED DOOR RUSH IS ENTIRELY SELF-INFLICTED. JUST RIGHT NOW, SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS PROVING THAT A DISTRICT CAN CHOOSE A BETTER ALTERNATIVE. THEY ARE FACED WITH MAJOR RESTRUCTURING. THEY ARE INITIATING TRANSPARENT, MONTHS LONG PROCESS BUILT ON DEDICATED FAMILY WORKSHOPS AND PUBLIC DIALOGUE TO EXPLICITLY MAP OUT STUDENT WELL-BEING BEFORE MAKING A CHOICE. THEY'RE COLLABORATING, AND I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE CHECKING BOXES. WHAT'S EQUALLY ALARMING IS THAT WHEN THIS BOARD WAS DIRECTLY ASKED ON OCTOBER 13TH EXACTLY, HOW MANY SPECIFIC STUDENTS WOULD BE DISPLACED BY THIS ENTIRE PROPOSAL? YOU COULDN'T EVEN ANSWER. YOU DON'T KNOW OR ARE REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE HOW MANY CHILDREN'S LIVES YOU'RE REWRITING. OUR CHILDREN ARE HUMAN BEINGS, NOT DATA POINTS. [APPLAUSE] REBECCA MINER: AFTER ALLISON WILL BE MOLLY MAUER. ALLISON HAMMERAND: HELLO. I'M A PARENT OF A FIRST YEAR AND A 2027 FUTURE KINDERGARTENER AT SEAVIEW. I URGE THE BOARD TO DELAY THE BOUNDARY VOTE UNTIL FAMILY FEEDBACK IS MEANINGFULLY INCORPORATED. THIS PLAN RAISES SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT LEAVING SEAVIEW UNDER-ENROLLED AND SENDING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO A SCHOOL THAT IS ALREADY OVERCAPACITY, DISRUPTING STUDENTS, TEACHERS, FRIENDSHIPS, AND COMMUNITY. OUR CHILDREN DESERVE STABILITY AND OUR FAMILIES DESERVE A VOICE. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW OUR FEEDBACK HAS BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THIS PLAN, AND WHAT PATH THERE CAN BE TO ALLOW STUDENTS LESS DISRUPTION. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] REBECCA MINER: FOLLOWING MOLLY WILL BE ADI CEE. MOLLY MAUER: HELLO, MY NAME IS MOLLY MAUER. I AM A MOM TO A FIRST GRADER AT SEAVIEW ELEMENTARY, AND I'M ALSO A TEACHER AT MEADOWDALE HIGH SCHOOL AND A RESIDENT OF EDMONDS. LIKE MANY OTHERS HERE TONIGHT, I HAVE SOME MAJOR CONCERNS REGARDING THE PROPOSED BOUNDARY REVISIONS, PARTICULARLY WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL, SEAVIEW. ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY AND MANY OTHERS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WE FEEL THAT THE DECISION TO REDRAW THE BOUNDARIES IS NOT ONLY UNNECESSARY, BUT ALSO EXTREMELY INEQUITABLE. BASED ON THE PROPOSED BOUNDARY REVISIONS, MANY SCHOOLS WOULD STILL BE AT OVERCAPACITY. NOT EXACTLY SURE HOW THIS IS SOLVING PROBLEMS, BUT I AM SURE THAT IT'S CREATING PROBLEMS FOR MY FAMILY AND MANY OTHERS. I HOPE THAT YOU'LL RECONSIDER AND VOTE NO. [APPLAUSE] REBECCA MINER: FOLLOWING ADI CEE WILL BE HEATHER REED. [00:55:06] ADI CEE: HI. I'M A HILLTOP PARENT SPEAKING FOR PLANNING AREA 47 WITH RESPECT TO THE BOUNDARY REVIEW. THIS IS SIMPLY NOT ABOUT A DISAGREEMENT OVER A MAP, BUT WHETHER THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY HAVE RECEIVED ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO EVALUATE THIS DECISION. FIRST IS THE LACK OF SUPPORTING DATA DURING THE OCTOBER 13TH MEETING-- AS SOMEONE ALREADY POINTED OUT-- ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS ASKED FOR SIMPLE ENROLLMENT NUMBERS, WHICH WAS NOT READY. THIS IS BASIC INFORMATION THAT SHOULD BE READILY AVAILABLE AT THIS STAGE OF THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. THE DISTRICT ALSO MODELED USING ENROLLMENT FORECASTS, CAPACITY, AND UTILIZATION, WHICH ONLY SHOW WHY HILLTOP MUST BE REASSIGNED ELSEWHERE WITHOUT PROVIDING ANY SUPPORTING EVIDENCE LIKE TRANSPORTATION DISTANCES, TRAVEL TIMES, FEEDER PATTERN EFFECTS, AND OTHERS. SECOND IS THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. THE STUDY SESSION LASTED APPROXIMATELY 90 MINUTES, BUT YOUR APPROVED MEETING MINUTES SUMMARIZE THIS DISCUSSION IN ONE SENTENCE. THEY CONTAIN NO BOARD QUESTIONS, FLOW ANALYTIC RESPONSES, PLANNING AREA 47 ANALYSIS, OR ANY EXPLANATION OF WHY ALTERNATE DATA MODELS PROVIDED BY THE COMMUNITY WERE REJECTED. THERE IS ALSO A MENTION OF A BOUNDARY STUDY WITHOUT ANY SUPPORTING EVIDENCE OF THAT DATA IN THE OFFICIAL MEETING MINUTES. FINALLY, DURING THE OCTOBER 13TH MEETING, FAMILIES WERE ASKED TO TRAIN THEIR CHILDREN TO EMBRACE CHANGE. PARENTS UNDERSTAND THEIR CHILDREN BEST. AND WE TEACH THEM RESILIENCE EVERY DAY. BUT ASKING ELEMENTARY KIDS TO ACCEPT CHANGE DOES NOT RELIEVE THE DISTRICT OF ITS RESPONSIBILITY TO CLEARLY EXPLAIN AND JUSTIFY THE CHANGES IT'S MAKING. GOING FORWARD, I REQUEST THE SCHOOL BOARD TO NOT GIVE FAMILIES UNSOLICITED ADVICE AND INSTEAD FOCUS ON PROVIDING CLEAR, TRANSPARENT, AND DATA-DRIVEN COMMUNICATION. PLEASE POSTPONE THE FINAL ACTION UNTIL THE DISTRICT PUBLISHES ALL THE DATA POINTS FROM BOUNDARY STUDY, REASONS WHY PLANNING AREA 47 CANNOT BE RETAINED AT HILLTOP, AND WHY COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVES WAS REJECTED. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT WE EXPECT THE DISTRICT TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY AND NOT AROUND OR AGAINST US. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] REBECCA MINER: FOLLOWING HEATHER REED WILL BE SREENATH CATELLA. HEATHER REED: GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENT. MY NAME IS HEATHER REED. I LIVE IN EDMONDS AND I AM THE PARENT OF TWO CHILDREN IN THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT. I HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROPOSED BOUNDARY PLAN. I UNDERSTAND THAT REBOUNDING IS NECESSARY AND I APPRECIATE THE DIFFICULTY OF THIS WORK. I'M HERE TO ASK FOR THREE THINGS BEFORE YOU VOTE. FIRST, I ASK FOR A SPECIFIC AND DETAILED EXPLANATION OF HOW THE DECISION WAS MADE TO LEAVE SHERWOOD AT SUCH LOW UTILIZATION, WHILE SPLITTING NEIGHBORHOODS AND ELIMINATING WALKABILITY FOR FAMILIES. OUR COMMUNITY'S ALTERNATIVE WOULD KEEP NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER AND PRESERVE WALKABLE ROUTES. MOVING SIXTH GRADERS TO MIDDLE SCHOOL WILL FREE UP SPACE AT SHERWOOD, ENOUGH TO KEEP THE STUDENTS THAT ARE SLATED TO MOVE. WE HAVE ASKED THIS QUESTION REPEATEDLY AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED A SPECIFIC ANSWER. PLEASE PROVIDE ONE ON THE RECORD BEFORE YOU VOTE. SECOND, I ASK THAT THE NUMBER OF AFFECTED STUDENTS BE PRESENTED ON THE PUBLIC RECORD. AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING, A BOARD MEMBER ASKED HOW MANY STUDENTS WERE IMPACTED, AND THE QUESTION WENT UNANSWERED. THIS DATA EXISTS, SO WE PULLED IT USING THE DATA PROVIDED BY FLOW ANALYTICS AND PUBLICLY POSTED. THE CURRENT PROPOSAL WILL IMPACT BETWEEN 1,200 AND 1,500 STUDENTS ACROSS THE DISTRICT. MANY OF THEM IN THEIR FINAL YEAR OF ELEMENTARY OR MIDDLE SCHOOL. I ASK THE BOARD TO CONSIDER A ROLLING APPROACH THAT WOULD REDUCE THE NUMBER OF DISRUPTIVE STUDENTS BY AS MUCH AS 75% AND STILL COMPLETE THE TRANSITION BY 2030. I CAN EMAIL YOU THE DETAILS. THIRD, I ASK THE BOARD TO CONSIDER A PRIORITY TRANSFER POLICY FOR OUR MOST AT-RISK LEARNERS. BOTH OF MY CHILDREN ARE NEURODIVERGENT, AND IN MY DAY JOB, I SUPPORT THE NEURODIVERGENT COMMUNITY VERY CLOSELY, SO I AM INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH THE CHALLENGES THAT THESE STUDENTS FACE. A NEW SCHOOL MEANS NEW PEERS, NEW STAFF, AND NEW ROUTINES WHICH STRAIN EXECUTIVE FUNCTION AND EMOTIONAL REGULATION. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT MULTIPLE SCHOOL MOVES AND RELOCATIONS ARE EXTREMELY DETRIMENTAL TO THE LEARNING OF NEURODIVERGENT STUDENTS. I'M TOLD THERE IS CURRENTLY NO PROGRAM TO PRIORITIZE THE STUDENTS WHO NEED TO STAY WHERE THEY ARE THE MOST AND THAT THE BOARD WOULD [01:00:02] NEED TO VOTE TO CREATE ONE. BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ALREADY ADVOCATED FOR PRIORITY ENROLLMENT FOR DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS, SO THEY AREN'T HARMED BY THESE CHANGES. I ASK THAT YOU EXTEND THE SAME CONSIDERATION TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS. OUR FAMILIES ARE NOT ASKING FOR YOU TO ABANDON THE PLAN ALTOGETHER. WE ARE ASKING FOR CLEAR ANSWERS, COMPLETE DATA AND A PATH FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] REBECCA MINER: FOLLOWING SREENATH WILL BE TANISHA MACOMBER. SREENATH CATELLA: GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT MINER. MY NAME IS SREENATH. I'M HERE REPRESENTING OVER 600 FAMILIES AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSED ELEMENTARY BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS, INCLUDING FAMILIES FROM PLANNING AREA 047 BELLFLOWER ROAD, NORTH ROAD, BALDWIN ROAD, AND SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS. OUR REQUEST IS SIMPLE. WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO REMAIN AT HILLTOP ELEMENTARY, AND WE STRONGLY OPPOSE THE PROPOSED REASSIGNMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY. DESPITE MONTHS OF OUTREACH, OUR VOICES HAVE NOT BEEN MEANINGFULLY HEARD. OUR CONCERNS REMAIN UNANSWERED AND THERE IS NO TRANSPARENT FEEDBACK LOOP PROCESS. DURING THE LAST BOARD MEETING, IT WAS STATED THAT THE DISTRICT HAD RESPONDED TO THE COMMUNITY CONCERNS. HOWEVER, THE 600 PLUS FAMILIES WE REPRESENT HAVE NOT RECEIVED MEANINGFUL RESPONSES, AND WE ALSO QUESTION WHETHER THE FAMILIES MOST DIRECTLY AFFECTED WERE ADEQUATELY REPRESENTED IN THE CONSULTATION PROCESS. THE PROPOSED CHANGES HAVE ATTRACTED SIGNIFICANT MEDIA ATTENTION, INCLUDING THE COVERAGE BY KINGFI HERALD, REFLECTING THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE CONCERNS RAISED BY OUR COMMUNITY. AS A FATHER, THIS IS DEEPLY PERSONAL. MY DAUGHTER ATTENDS HILLTOP, WHERE SHE FEELS SAFE AS BUILT FRIENDSHIPS AND DEVELOPED STRONG SENSE OF BELONGING. SHE WANTS TO STAY AT HILLTOP AND SO DO HUNDREDS OF OTHER CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE CONTINUE TO HAVE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS REGARDING THE BOARD POLICY 6960, STUDENT SAFETY, TRANSPORTATION, ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS, AND THE FACTUAL JUSTIFICATION FOR THESE CHANGES. GIVEN THE CONTINUED LACK OF MEANINGFUL RESPONSES AND TRANSPARENCY, OUR COMMUNITY INTENDS TO ENGAGE SPECIALIZED LEGAL COUNSEL TO FORMALLY REVIEW THE REVIEWED THE PROPOSED BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS, EXAMINE COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE BOARD POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, AND ASSESS THE LEGAL OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES INTERESTS. WE WOULD PREFER TO RESOLVE THESE CONCERNS COLLABORATIVELY. WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE BOARD RECONSIDER THE REASSIGNMENT OF THE PLANNING AREA 047, PRESERVE OUR COMMUNITIES ASSIGNMENT TO HILLTOP ELEMENTARY, AND POSTPONED ITS FINAL DECISION AT LEAST UNTIL JANUARY 2027, ALLOWING TIME FOR A FAIR REVIEW AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS. OUR VOICES DESERVE TO BE HEARD. OUR PROPOSAL DESERVES A FAIR REVIEW AND OUR CHILDREN DESERVE TO STAY AT HILLTOP. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] REBECCA MINER: FOLLOWING TANISHA WILL BE NATASHA SURENDRAN. TANISHA MACOMBER: GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS TANISHA MACOMBER, AND I'M A PARENT AND RESIDENT OF THE BELLFLOWER NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING AREA 47. I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS REGARDING THE PROPOSED REASSIGNMENT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD FROM HILLTOP TO HAZELWOOD ELEMENTARY. I RECOGNIZE THE DISTRICT IS FACING ENROLLMENT CHALLENGES. AND THAT BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS ARE SOMETIMES NECESSARY. HOWEVER, I'M STRUGGLING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS PARTICULAR DECISION ALIGNS WITH THE DISTRICT'S OWN GUIDING PRINCIPLES. FIRST, LET'S TALK ABOUT PROXIMITY. HILLTOP ELEMENTARY IS JUST ONE MILE FROM OUR HOME. THERE'S ANOTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT'S 1.3 MILES FROM OUR HOME. AND YET THE DISTRICT IS PROPOSING TO SEND OUR CHILDREN TO HAZELWOOD, WHICH IS 3.1 MILES AWAY. THAT IS MORE THAN THREE TIMES THE DISTANCE TO OUR CURRENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. ONE OF THE DISTRICT'S STATED GUIDING PRINCIPLES IS TO MAXIMIZE PROXIMITY TO HOME AND LIMIT TRANSPORTATION TIME. HOW DOES MOVING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ACCOMPLISH THIS. SECONDLY, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE DISRUPTION TO OUR COMMUNITIES. THIS WOULD NOT EVEN-- THIS CHANGE WOULD NOT EVEN KEEP OUR CHILDREN GOING TO THE SAME MIDDLE SCHOOL. YOU'RE GOING TO REMOVE OUR CHILDREN, MAKE THEM ADJUST TO A NEW SCHOOL, AND THEN THEY'LL STILL LOSE HALF OF THEIR PEERS TO A DIFFERENT MIDDLE SCHOOL. THERE'S CONSTANT CHURN TO THIS PARTICULAR COMMUNITY. I FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE THAT I HAD WRITTEN, I WOULD JUST BE REPEATING, THERE'S BEEN A COMPLETE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN HERE AT HAD SOME REPRESENTATION HERE AT SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS. WE'VE FILLED OUT EVERY SURVEY. SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN REPEATED AT LENGTH TONIGHT IS THAT WE DON'T FEEL LIKE OUR VOICES ARE BEING HEARD, [01:05:02] AND WE ARE BEING TOLD TO JUST GET ON BOARD. AND WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT. I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE TO OUR CHILDREN. IF WE JUST ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE PUSHED AROUND AND NOT TO ADVOCATE FOR THEM. AND IT'S VERY DISAPPOINTING THAT THE ADVOCACY THAT ALL OF THESE PARENTS HAVE DONE IS FALLING SO SHORT. WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR SPECIAL TREATMENT. BUT WE ARE ASKING FOR TRANSPARENCY. AND THERE'S BEEN A COMPLETE LACK THEREOF UP TO THIS POINT. AND THAT'S IT. NATSET, DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? HE REALLY WANTED US TO LET HE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO STAY AT HILLTOP. [APPLAUSE] REBECCA MINER: FOLLOWING NATASHA WILL BE SUSAN SALAS. NATASHA SURENDRAN: GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENT MINER. MY NAME IS NATASHA SURENDRAN, AND I AM A RESIDENT OF CITY OF BOTHELL, PARENT TO NAOMI WHO IS CURRENTLY ATTENDING HILLTOP ELEMENTARY. WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS SAME AS MY FRIENDS, ABOUT THE BOUNDARY REASSIGNMENT. WHEN WE MOVED TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, OUR DAUGHTER WAS FOUR YEARS OLD. AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE LOOKED AT WHILE BUYING OUR HOUSE WAS THE SCHOOL IT IS ASSIGNED. WE DID A LOT OF RESEARCH, CAREFULLY CONSIDERED OUR OPTIONS, AND FINALLY DECIDED THAT HILLTOP IS A SCHOOL THAT WILL MEET OUR EXPECTATIONS. NOW, JUST FIVE YEARS LATER, JUST AS MY YOUNGER DAUGHTER IS ABOUT TO START HER ELEMENTARY, WE HEAR ABOUT THIS BOUNDARY REASSIGNMENT TO A SCHOOL THAT IS NOT AS ACADEMICALLY STRONG AS WE WANT OUR KIDS TO GO TO. I UNDERSTAND SOME SCHOOLS IN THIS DISTRICT ARE GENUINELY OVERCROWDED AND NOBODY DISPUTES THAT, BUT HILLTOP IS NOT ONE OF THEM. BY THE DISTRICT'S OWN NUMBERS, HILLTOP IS ONLY ABOUT 15 STUDENTS OVER CAPACITY, EVEN 10 YEARS FROM NOW. MOVING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD DOES NOT FIX OVERCROWDING WHERE IT ACTUALLY EXISTS. IT ONLY DISRUPTS OUR KIDS. I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT FAMILIES ONLY GOT A 10 DAYS SURVEY, AND MANY OF US LEARNED ABOUT THIS AFTER THE FIRST OPEN HOUSE. A DECISION THIS BIG, THE FIRST BOUNDARY CHANGE IN THREE DECADES DESERVES MORE THAN THAT. SO MY ONLY ASK TONIGHT IS TO KEEP OUR AREA ASCEND TO HILLTOP ELEMENTARY, OR AT LEAST TONIGHT GIVE US SOME MORE TIME SO THAT WE BOTH HAVE SOME TIME TO LOOK AT ALTERNATE PROPOSALS THAT CAN WORK FOR BOTH OF US, WHICH IS FIXING OVERCROWDING, ACCOMMODATING THE NEW SCHOOL, AND NOT TAKING AWAY THE SCHOOL WE ARE ALREADY ASSIGNED. WHEN YOU ARE A PARENT AND YOUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION IS AT THE CENTER OF SO MANY IMPORTANT DECISIONS, THIS JUST DOESN'T FEEL FAIR. I'M SURE THERE CAN BE A WAY THAT WILL WORK FOR ALL OF US. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] REBECCA MINER: FOLLOWING SUSAN SALAS WILL BE KELLY REEVES. SUSAN SALAS: HI, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS SUSAN SALAS, AND I'M THE PARENT OF A SENIOR AT MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL. I AM NOT HERE TO DISCUSS THE BOUNDARIES. AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, A STUDENT BROUGHT A GUN TO MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL ON THURSDAY. I RECEIVED THE WORST TEXT THAT ANY PARENT COULD POSSIBLY GET IN THEIR ENTIRE LIVES. SORRY IF I CRY. MY DAUGHTER TEXTED ME AT 1:45 ON FRIDAY SAYING THE SCHOOL WAS IN FULL LOCKDOWN. AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHY. THIS IS NOT ONLY THE FIRST-- NOT THE FIRST LOCKDOWN THAT WE'VE HAD RECENTLY. WITHIN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, WE HAVE HAD SIX LOCKDOWNS AT MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL. AS A PARENT OF A CHILD WHO, THANK GOD, IS GRADUATING THIS SPRING, I AM TIRED OF HAVING TO HAVE THE SAME CONVERSATION WITH HER OVER AND OVER AND OVER. SHE IS AN INCREDIBLY BRAVE AND EMPATHETIC KID, AND SHE CAME HOME AND HER CONCERN WAS NOT FOR HERSELF, BUT IT WAS FOR HER FRIEND WHO WAS IN A CLASSROOM WHERE THE TEACHER DID NOT TAKE THE LOCKDOWN SERIOUSLY, DESPITE THE FACT THAT ALL OF THE STUDENTS IN THE CLASS KEPT ASKING WHAT WAS HAPPENING, THE TEACHER KEPT INDICATING THAT SHE ASSUMED THAT IT WAS A DRILL. NOT ONLY DID SHE NOT LOCK THE DOOR, SHE DIDN'T COVER THE WINDOWS OR FOLLOW ANY OF THE PROTOCOLS FOR LOCKDOWN. MY DAUGHTER WAS ENRAGED. AND THEN THE NEXT DAY, IT TURNS OUT THIS IS ACCORDING TO THE STUDENTS. I WOULD NEED TO GET VERIFICATION FROM THE SCHOOL, BUT THAT THERE WAS A LIST OF STUDENTS GENERATED BY TEACHERS THAT WERE THEN REFERRED TO EXTRA COUNSELING BECAUSE THEY SEEMED EXCEEDINGLY DISTRESSED BY THE EVENTS THAT HAPPENED. THE ONLY COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE SCHOOL IS A SINGLE EMAIL FROM THE PRINCIPAL STATING WHAT HAPPENED. [01:10:03] THE STUDENTS HAVE RECEIVED EVEN LESS. THEY GOT A COPY OF A RECORDING THAT THE PRINCIPAL, PRINCIPAL FRIEDL, GAVE IN A STAFF MEETING. THEY DIDN'T EVEN GET A DIRECT ADDRESS FROM THE PRINCIPAL. WE KNOW THAT THIS STUDENT, ACCORDING TO THE OTHER KIDS, WAS AN UNDERCLASSMEN. I WOULD NEVER, EVER EXPECT TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION SHARED WITH ME OR ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC. BUT WHAT I SIMPLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND IS WHY NOTHING HAS BEEN COMMUNICATED TO THE PARENTS ABOUT THE ACTIONS THAT THE SCHOOL IS TAKING, OTHER THAN TO SAY HOW PROUD PRINCIPAL FRIEDL WAS OF THE STUDENTS FOR BEING INCREDIBLY MATURE. WHY ARE WE CONGRATULATING STUDENTS FOR BEING MATURE IN THE FACE OF ANOTHER STUDENT BRINGING A GUN TO SCHOOL? THAT IS HORRIFYING. AND IN ADDITION, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT IS DOING TO PREVENT THESE SITUATIONS. WE RECEIVE ALMOST NO COMMUNICATION REGARDING DE-ESCALATION, INTERVENTIONS, EDUCATION TOWARDS STUDENTS, IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL VIOLENT INCIDENCES. I HEAR EVERY DAY ABOUT FIGHTS IN THE BATHROOM, IN THE HALLWAY AND OTHER ESCALATED INCIDENTS, AND I WOULD BEG OF THE SCHOOL BOARD TO PLEASE COMMUNICATE WITH THE PARENTS, BRING IN EXPERTS, AND TELL US EXACTLY WHAT IS BEING DONE TO KEEP OUR STUDENTS SAFE. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] REBECCA MINER: FOLLOWING KELSEY REEVES WILL BE CAMERON SANDQUIST. KELSEY REEVES: GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT. MY NAME IS KELSEY REEVES, AND I'M A SHERWOOD ELEMENTARY PARENT. I'VE ATTENDED EVERY BOUNDARY REVIEW MEETING BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITY OF THIS PROCESS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING DECISIONS THAT BENEFIT OUR ENTIRE DISTRICT. BUT AFTER WATCHING THIS PROCESS UNFOLD, I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT THE CURRENT PROPOSAL DOES NOT EQUITABLY APPLY THE VERY GUIDING PRINCIPLE THIS COMMITTEE WAS ESTABLISHED TO FOLLOW. AT THE LAST PUBLIC REVIEW MEETING, IT BECAME CLEAR TO ME THAT THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAD NOT FULLY RECOGNIZED THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE LATEST CHANGES PROPOSED FOR SHERWOOD. WHAT ORIGINALLY INVOLVED SPLITTING STUDENTS BETWEEN TWO SCHOOLS NOW DIVIDES OUR COMMUNITY AMONG THREE. EVEN MORE CONCERNING, THESE CHANGES COINCIDE WITH WESTGATE'S CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE, POTENTIALLY FORCING SOME SHERWOOD STUDENTS TO ATTEND THREE OR EVEN FOUR DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OVER THREE OR FOUR CONSECUTIVE YEARS. I WAS BOTH HEARTBROKEN AND EXTREMELY CONCERNED WHEN FOUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, WHEN ASKED DIRECTLY WHETHER WESTGATE'S CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE HAD BEEN CONSIDERED AND THAT PROPOSED BOUNDARY CHANGES CONFIRMED THAT IT HAD NOT. THEY ALL LOOKED SHOCKED THAT I HAD ASKED THAT QUESTION. HOW CAN WE BE ASKED TO SUPPORT A PLAN THAT COULD REQUIRE CHILDREN TO ATTEND THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT SCHOOLS IN CONSECUTIVE YEARS, WHEN SUCH A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR WAS NOT FULLY CONSIDERED. FOR ME, THIS IS DEEPLY PERSONAL. MY SON HAS ATTENDED SHERWOOD SINCE KINDERGARTEN. UNDER THE CURRENT PROPOSAL, INSTEAD OF FINISHING HIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YEARS ALONGSIDE HIS CLASSMATES, TEACHERS, AND COMMUNITY, HE HAS GROWN UP WITH-- HE WOULD GRADUATE WITH STUDENTS FROM WESTGATE THAT HE HAS NEVER GONE TO SCHOOL WITH AT A TEMPORARY SCHOOL LOCATION. HE WOULD MISS OUT ON THE TRADITIONS, CELEBRATIONS, AND SOCIAL MILESTONES THAT MAKE THE FINAL YEARS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SO MEANINGFUL. THESE ARE EXPERIENCES THAT BUILD BELONGING, STRENGTHEN FRIENDSHIPS, AND GIVE CHILDREN A SENSE OF CONNECTION TO THEIR SCHOOL COMMUNITY. AND MY SON IS JUST ONE OF MANY FACING THESE UNNECESSARY DISRUPTIONS. WE CANNOT TALK ABOUT PRIORITIZING STUDENT WELL-BEING WHILE OVERLOOKING THE EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF REPEATEDLY SEPARATING CHILDREN FROM THEIR ESTABLISHED SCHOOL COMMUNITIES. RESEARCH ON SCHOOL MOBILITY HAS ASSOCIATED REPEATED SCHOOL CHANGES WITH INCREASED EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DIFFICULTIES, DISRUPTED PEER RELATIONSHIPS, AND LOWER ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. THESE ARE NOT SIMPLY LOGISTICAL INCONVENIENCES. THESE ARE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES FOR THE CHILDREN WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROTECTING. AND IMPORTANTLY, THIS DISRUPTION IS NOT INEVITABLE. FAMILIES ACROSS THE DISTRICT WHO ARE ALL HERE TODAY ARE NOT SIMPLY COMPLAINING ABOUT CHANGES. THEY ARE BRINGING FORWARD THOUGHTFUL, DATA INFORMED SOLUTIONS THAT SEEK TO UPHOLD THE DISTRICT'S GUIDING PRINCIPLES. THE K-5 SHERWOOD PETITION IS ONE EXAMPLE. IT PROPOSES TARGETED PLANNING AREA ADJUSTMENTS INTENDED TO PRESERVE NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITIES, MAINTAIN BALANCED BUILDING UTILIZATION, PROTECT EDUCATOR PLACEMENTS, IMPROVE WALKING SAFETY, AND REDUCE UNNECESSARY TRANSITIONS. THESE ARE PRECISELY THE OUTCOMES THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES ASK THE-- [APPLAUSE] REBECCA MINER: FOLLOWING CAMERON WILL BE STEPHANIE HOCKETT. CAMERON SANDQUIST: THANK YOU. MY NAME IS CAMERON SANDQUIST. MY COMMENTS ARE REGARDING THE PRESENTED PLANS FOR THE WESTGATE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL REDESIGN. I'M A NEW PARENT. MY WIFE IS AT HOME WITH OUR THREE-MONTH-OLD. SO WHILE I'M SAD TO BE MISSING BEDTIME, I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE AS A NEW MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL [01:15:05] DISTRICT COMMUNITY. WE LIVE WALKING DISTANCE FROM THE SCHOOL, AND WE'RE REALLY PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AND GLAD TO SEE THE INVESTMENT IN A NEW CAMPUS FOR OUR YOUNGEST COMMUNITY MEMBERS. I PERSONALLY LOOK FORWARD TO BEING A PARENT, VOLUNTEER AND A COACH ONE DAY IN THIS COMMUNITY. I BELIEVE PLAY ALONGSIDE OF ACADEMICS AND SCHOOL IS VITAL. THEY'RE NOT COMPETING PRIORITIES. PLAY, EXERCISE AND SPORT ARE NOT JUST BETTER FOR YOUR HEALTH, BUT THEY'RE FORMATIVE EXPERIENCES FOR YOUNG LIVES. THEY PROMOTE HEALTHY LIFESTYLES AND CREATE COMMUNITY CONNECTION. I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN QUANTIFY THE EXACT VALUE OF WHAT IT MEANS FOR KIDS TO HAVE A PLACE TO RUN FREE, A PLACE TO ADVENTURE, AND A PLACE TO LEARN LIFE LESSONS FROM COACHES AND TEACHERS. BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE ABSENCE OF THOSE SPACES HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT, A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY. AND THE DESIGNS I'VE SEEN FOR THE SCHOOL WORRY ME A LITTLE BIT. I'M STRUGGLING TO FIND A TRANSPARENT VIEW ON WHAT IS BEING DEVELOPED. SPECIFICALLY, I'D LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT APPEARS TO BE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE FIELD SPACE, PLAY SPACE, AND A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT TOWARDS BLACKTOP. SADLY, LIFE HAS TAUGHT ME THAT GREEN SPACE DOESN'T COME BACK. IT'S A ONE-WAY DOOR. AND SO MY QUESTIONS ARE FAIRLY SHORT AND DIRECT. I'D JUST LIKE TO UNDERSTAND FROM THE COMMITTEE, HOW MUCH WILL THE FIELD SPACE BE REDUCED IN THESE NEW DESIGNS, BOTH IN TERMS OF SQUARE FOOTAGE AND PERCENTAGE? WITH THAT CHANGE, TO WHAT DEGREE WILL STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS DURING THE DAY, BOTH DURING CONSTRUCTION AND AFTER? AFTER SCHOOL, HOW WILL LOCAL COMMUNITY TEAMS BE IMPACTED? I REGULARLY SEE FROM MY YARD, THE LOCAL BASEBALL TEAMS AND FOOTBALL TEAMS USING IT AS A PARK. I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND IF THOSE FIELDS WILL CONTINUE TO EXIST, OR IF THERE WILL BE A CHANGE IN HOW THE COMMUNITY PLANS TO SUPPORT THOSE LEAGUES AND TEAMS AS WELL. AND THEN TO WHAT DEGREE YOU'RE COMMITTED TO HEARING THESE CHANGES OR PROPOSALS FROM THE COMMUNITY AS YOU CONTINUE TO SHIFT YOUR PLANS. I KNOW THERE ARE COMPETING PRIORITIES, AND WE'RE ALL LOOKING TO BUILD A BETTER SCHOOL FOR OUR KIDS. I JUST ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER THESE AND PROVIDE A MORE TRANSPARENT VIEW ON THE PLANS YOU'RE PRESENTING AND HOW THEY EVOLVE. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] REBECCA MINER: FOLLOWING STEPHANIE WILL BE OUR LAST COMMENTER FOR THIS EVENING, AMIR CAUSEY. STEPHANIE HOCKETT: HI, GOOD EVENING. I AM STEPHANIE HOCKETT, AND I'M A SHERWOOD ELEMENTARY PARENT. I AM ALSO A COACH. SO FOLLOWING UP ON THE LAST ONE, EVERYTHING YOU SAID I SHOULD HAVE ADDED THAT IN BECAUSE I'M ALSO A COACH FOR LOCAL TEAMS, FOR MY KINDERGARTNER AND MY CURRENT SECOND GRADER, WHICH IS MADE UP OF MANY OF THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS IN THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL. MY ADDRESS IS NOT CHANGING UNDER THIS MAP. I'M HERE FOR THE FAMILIES IN MY SCHOOL AND MY COMMUNITY WHOSE ADDRESSES ARE. FIRST, I DO WANT TO THANK YOU. I KNOW THAT YOU CAN'T PLEASE EVERYONE. AND, DOCTOR MINER, YOU SAID AT THE LAST MEETING THAT NOT MAKING A CHANGE IS NOT THE SAME AS NOT LISTENING. AND I BELIEVE THAT YOU ALL HAVE LISTENED. MANY FAMILIES TONIGHT HAVE ASKED YOU TO POSTPONE. BUT IF POSTPONING IS NOT AN OPTION, WE'RE ALSO NOT ASKING YOU TO REDRAW ANYTHING. WE'RE ASKING YOU TO PASS THIS MAP WITH CERTAIN TRANSITIONS AND PROVISIONS THAT STUDENTS WHO ARE ENROLLED AT THEIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TODAY FINISH FIFTH GRADE THERE. THAT IS, CURRENT STUDENTS ONLY WITH NO SIBLINGS, NO NEW FAMILIES, WHICH ANSWERS ANY CONCERNS ABOUT FAMILIES WITH KIDS THAT ARE 10 YEARS APART. IT ENDS IN JUNE OF 2032 AND IT GETS SMALLER EVERY YEAR UNTIL THEN. RESEARCH LINKS EACH SCHOOL MOVE TO LOWER ACHIEVEMENT AND MORE BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS, AND WHAT PROTECTS KIDS IS KEEPING THEIR FRIENDS. A GROUP OF KIDS MOVING ISN'T THE SAME AS A FRIEND GROUP MOVING. A BOUNDARY LINE FOLLOWS STREETS. IT DOES NOT FOLLOW FRIENDSHIPS. AND WHAT I HAVEN'T HEARD TONIGHT IS ALSO WHO THESE KIDS ARE. THEY ARE PANDEMIC KIDS. NATIONALLY, MATH READINESS AT KINDERGARTEN HAS FALLEN 84% TO 70% SINCE 2019. SPEECH DELAY DIAGNOSES AND TODDLERS HAS DOUBLED. OPSI ITSELF HAS SAID THAT THIS GROUP IS ARRIVING WITH A WIDER RANGE OF DEVELOPMENTAL PROBLEMS, AND THEY'RE STILL CATCHING UP. I, MYSELF, AM NEURODIVERGENT. MY KIDS LIKELY ARE. AND I KNOW THAT FOR KIDS LIKE MINE, A NEW BUILDING, NEW FACES AREN'T A FRESH START. THAT MEANS STARTING OVER AGAIN. AND ON CAPACITY, THE DISTRICT'S OWN FLOW ANALYTICS FORECASTS SHOW ENROLLMENT IS FLAT, WITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AT ABOUT 93% OF SEATS IN 2030 TO 2031, WHICH LEAVES 565 OPEN SEATS, GIVE OR TAKE. TWO WEEKS AGO, THE BOARD SAID IT DOESN'T KNOW HOW MANY ON THIS MAP WILL MOVE. AND IF WE DON'T KNOW THAT NUMBER AND IT HASN'T BEEN VERIFIED AT SHERWOOD, SEAVIEW, EDMUNDS, CETERA, THEN NOBODY HAS SHOWN THAT THIS IS AN UNWORKABLE OPTION. YOUR OWN POLICY SAYS TO MINIMIZE DISRUPTION TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE. IF THE ANSWER IS APPLY FOR A SCHOOL CHANGE, THEN PLEASE COMMIT TONIGHT THAT CURRENTLY ENROLLED STUDENTS GET FIRST PRIORITY. THESE KIDS DID NOT GET A SAY IN THE PANDEMIC. THEY DON'T GET A SAY IN THIS MAP. [01:20:02] YOU CAN'T GIVE THEM BACK WITH THE LAST FEW YEARS TOOK. BUT TONIGHT, WITH A LINE IN THIS RESOLUTION, YOU CAN CHOOSE NOT TO TAKE ANYTHING MORE. SO LET THEM FINISH WHERE THEY STARTED, IF NOTHING ELSE. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] AMIR CAUSEY: HI, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS AMIR CAUSEY. I'LL BE ONE OF THE PARENTS WHO WILL BE MOVING TOWARDS HAZELWOOD. AND SO I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT, WHAT IS IT ABOUT HAZELWOOD THAT MAKES SOME PEOPLE WANT TO THINK ABOUT SELLING THEIR HOUSES, RIGHT? IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE FACT THAT HILLTOP IS GREAT. AND IT MIGHT BE. BUT WHY, SPECIFICALLY, HAZELWOOD IS CONSIDERED A BAD SCHOOL? IN THE PAST LIFE, I HAVE STUDIED PUBLIC POLICY. I WORKED FOR THE CHICAGO GOVERNMENT. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A LOT OF INEQUITY AT PLAY HERE, A LOT OF SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS THAT DETERMINE SCHOOL RATINGS, AND WHAT SCHOOL SCORES ARE. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO-- WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE DIFFERENT IN HALF A MILE THAT BETWEEN THE BOUNDARY THAT GOES FROM HAZELWOOD TO HILLTOP? THERE'S SUCH A DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE. SO I TALKED TO A FEW PEOPLE AT HAZELWOOD. I TALKED TO THE PARENTS, I TALKED TO DOCTOR BRITT. I TALKED TO EVEN SOME MEMBERS OF THE STAFF. THE PARENTS TOLD ME IT'S A GREAT SCHOOL. DOCTOR BRITT SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT SHE'S DOING. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE SCORES DO REFLECT CERTAIN THINGS AND THAT IS A CONCERN. SO INSTEAD OF DISMISSING THE FACT THAT SOME PARENTS, ESPECIALLY FROM HILLTOP, HAVE THIS IDEA THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING HEARD, I'M GOING TO ASK A DIFFERENT QUESTION. WHAT COMES NEXT? THE FACT THAT WE'LL GO THROUGH WITH THIS BOUNDARY REVISION, THAT'S FINE. BUT CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT WE BRING HAZELWOOD AND THE REST OF THESE SCHOOLS ALONG TO THE STANDARDS THAT HILLTOP HAS SET, RATHER THAN KEEPING THESE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS IN SILOS? SO MY QUESTION HERE IS, WHAT CAN WE DO EXACTLY? ON THE SIDE OF THE PARENTS, YES, THEY NEED TO GO AND BE PART OF THE PTA. THEY NEED TO GO AND ENGAGE AND BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND DO WHAT THEY CAN. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SHOULD MEET US HALFWAY. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, IN TERMS OF HAZELWOOD, OUT OF THE 27 CLASSROOMS THAT WE HAVE, ABOUT 8 AS PER THE CAPITAL FACILITIES PLAN, ARE TARGETED TOWARDS SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS AND SPECIAL AREAS. THAT'S FINE. AND AS DOCTOR BRITT SAID, THAT CREATES A SENSE OF EMPATHY, AS HAZELWOOD IS ONE OF THOSE SCHOOLS WHICH HAS THREE DIFFERENT SPECIAL NEEDS PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE PRIMARY AND THE INTENSIVE AND THE VISION PROGRAM, THAT IS A GOOD THING. BUT THAT ALSO MEANS THAT THERE AREN'T ENOUGH ROOMS AT HAZELWOOD FOR THE STUDENTS THAT BELONG TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. NOW, IN THE SHORT TERM, WE PROBABLY CAN'T DO ANYTHING. BUT IN THE LONG TERM, HAZELWOOD ELEMENTARY IS ONE OF THOSE SCHOOLS THAT IS ON THE LIST OF FACILITIES THAT ARE TO BE REDEVELOPED, BECAUSE HAZELWOOD HAS BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT 60 YEARS. AND IT'S DUE FOR A REBUILD. SO ONE IN THE LONG TERM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND PRIORITIZE HAZELWOOD ELEMENTARY FOR REBUILDS TO MAKE SURE THAT NOT JUST FOR NOW, BUT FOR THE COMING GENERATIONS OF STUDENTS, THERE ARE ENOUGH ROOMS AND FACILITIES. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IN THE SHORT TERM, LET'S MAKE SURE TO GIVE ENOUGH RESOURCES, ENOUGH TRAINING, ENOUGH FOCUS ON MATH AND ENGLISH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE IMPROVE THE SCHOOLS OF HAZELWOOD. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] CARIN CHASE: AND THAT ENDS OUR PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT BROUGHT YOUR COMMENTS FORWARD TO THE BOARD. WE ARE NOW MOVING ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. [11. CONSENT AGENDA- 7:40 pm] THE CONSENT AGENDA IS A LIST OF ROUTINE ITEMS. THIS ONE INCLUDES PERSONAL ITEMS, VOUCHERS, THE CTE, FOUR-YEAR PLAN, INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH EDMONDS COLLEGE, AND FOUR FIELD TRIPS. BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION. THOM GARRARD: I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. HAWK CRAMER: SECOND. CARIN CHASE: THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. ARE THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT AGENDA? SEEING NONE. OUR CONSENT AGENDA IS ADOPTED. NEXT, WE MOVE ON TO UNFINISHED BUSINESS. [12. UNFINISHED BUSINESS - 7:45 pm] REBECCA MINER: WE HAVE ONE ITEM OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS THIS EVENING. IT'S 12.1, A SECOND READING OF RESOLUTION 2621 ADOPTION OF NEW SCHOOL ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES. CARIN CHASE: THANK YOU, DOCTOR MINER. I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION. KEITH SMITH: I MOVE TO APPROVE. HAWK CRAMER: I'LL SECOND. CARIN CHASE: THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2621 ADOPTION OF NEW SCHOOL ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES. DISCUSSION? THOM GARRARD: YES. CARIN CHASE: DIRECTOR GARRARD. THOM GARRARD: THANK YOU. [01:25:02] SO I'VE READ ALL THE EMAILS. READ THE WRITTEN COMMENTS. LISTEN CAREFULLY TO THE SPOKEN ONES. I'VE ASKED QUESTIONS. I ARRANGED AN EXTRA MEETING WITH MIKE STROM AND THE ANALYTICS TEAM TO ELICIT MORE INFORMATION. I GOT THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION SOME PEOPLE ASKED HERE. ABOUT 14% OF ELEMENTARY STUDENTS, NOT IN CHOICE SCHOOLS WILL BE REASSIGNED UNDER THIS PLAN. 14%. NOW, IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE BOUNDARIES IS OVERDUE. WE TEND TO KEEP OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS ABOUT 60 YEARS. DURING THAT TIME, EVEN DURING THE LAST DECADE, THE SCHOOL AGE POPULATION WITHIN THE DISTRICT HAS SHIFTED. MAINTAINING THE SAME BOUNDARIES FOR 30 YEARS HAS MADE THE SITUATION MORE DIFFICULT. I UNDERSTAND TRANSITIONS CAN BE HARD. I'VE LIVED THAT IN MY OWN EXPERIENCE. OUR STAFF AT ALL SCHOOLS HAS FOCUSED ON BUILDING A SENSE OF BELONGING AMONG OUR STUDENTS AND OUR FAMILIES, SO IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE THAT SOME PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO BE REASSIGNED TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL. YET KIDS ARE ALSO RESILIENT. EVERY YEAR, EVERY FALL, THEY USUALLY HAVE A NEW TEACHER AND NEW CLASSMATES. NOW SOME ABOUT 14% WILL HAVE A NEW BUILDING. A SCHOOL, THOUGH, IS MORE THAN A BUILDING. IT'S THE STUDENTS WHO ATTEND THERE. IT'S THE STAFF WHO WORK THERE. CHANGES TO STAFF WILL MAKE EACH SCHOOL NEW. WITH NEW STUDENTS, EVERY SCHOOL WILL ALSO, IN A SENSE, BE NEW. BY ENACTING THIS PLAN NOW, WE ALLOW DISTRICT STAFF A YEAR AND A HALF TO PLAN FOR HOW TO MAKE THIS TRANSITION AS SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE FOR ALL OF THOSE STUDENTS, NEURODIVERGENT OR NOT. I BELIEVE OUR BOUNDARY REVIEW COMMITTEE DESERVES TO BE COMMENDED. THE DYNAMICS WITHIN THAT COMMITTEE WERE THAT THEY PUSHED EACH OTHER, THEY CAREFULLY CONSIDERED ALL OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT WERE SUBMITTED. THEY GOT MODELING FOR THESE PROPOSALS. THEY HELD ROBUST DISCUSSIONS. THEY STAYED ROOTED IN THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES, AND IN THE END, THEY UNANIMOUSLY AGREED ON A PLAN THAT WORKS WELL FOR THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE. THIS PLAN SETS UP THE DISTRICT WITH WELL BALANCED UTILIZATION. WHEN THE SIXTH GRADERS INITIALLY MOVED TO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND A DECADE INTO THE FUTURE. SO I INTEND TO VOTE IN FAVOR. THANK YOU. CARIN CHASE: THANK YOU, DIRECTOR GARRARD. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE. DISCUSSION IS CLOSED, AND WE'LL MOVE TO A ROLL CALL VOTE. REBECCA MINER: DIRECTOR CRAMER? HAWK CRAMER: I. REBECCA MINER: DIRECTOR SMITH? KEITH SMITH: I. REBECCA MINER: DIRECTOR GARRARD? THOM GARRARD: I. REBECCA MINER: DIRECTOR CHASE? CARIN CHASE: I. DIRECTOR KATIMS IS-- REBECCA MINER: KATIMS IS NOT PRESENT. CARIN CHASE: CORRECT. THANK YOU. WE HAVE THREE ITEMS OF NEW BUSINESS ON THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM. REBECCA MINER: JUST INDICATE THAT THE MOTION DID PASS. CARIN CHASE: OH, I'M SORRY. THE MOTION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION 2621 ADOPTION OF NEW SCHOOL ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. REBECCA MINER: WE HAVE THREE ITEMS [13. NEW BUSINESS- 7:55 pm] OF NEW BUSINESS THIS EVENING. THE FIRST IS A SINGLE READING TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2619 WAIVE UNCOLLECTIBLE OUTSTANDING DEBT. I JUST WANT TO SPEND A MINUTE OF THIS. I KNOW THAT THE NUMBER IS LARGE FOR THIS OUTSTANDING UNCOLLECTIBLE DEBT, SO I WANT TO JUST SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT THIS. NUMBER ONE, WE COLLECT AFTER STUDENTS HAVE REACHED THE AGE OF 21. WE KNOW WE'RE JUST UNLIKELY TO COLLECT DEBT FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN OUT OF OUR SYSTEM THAT LONG. NUMBER 2, AS A FEW YEARS BACK, WE MADE A LARGE NUMBER OF CUTS IN OUR DISTRICT, AND AS WE-- PARTICULARLY AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE, TOOK A DISPROPORTIONATELY LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THOSE CUTS. AND AS WE ADAPTED TO THOSE CUTS, MAINTAINING THE ABSOLUTE GETTING PEOPLE PAID, THE REALLY CRITICAL FUNCTIONS, SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS. WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE WERE GOING TO HANDLE THAT WORKFLOW. SO THESE ARE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND. WE DON'T ANTICIPATE IN THE FUTURE THAT THEY WILL COVER AS MANY YEARS AS THEY DO AT THIS READING. ALSO ANOTHER THING THAT WILL CHANGE IS THE CHROMEBOOKS. [01:30:02] WE PREVIOUSLY DID NOT HAVE-- YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF CHROMEBOOKS WRITTEN OFF. THAT'S BY FAR THE LARGEST AMOUNT ON THIS. WE PREVIOUSLY DID NOT HAVE THE SAME ON THE CHROMEBOOKS TODAY. CARIN CHASE: ALL RIGHT. SO WE HAVE SINGLE READING TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2619 WAIVE UNCOLLECTIBLE OUTSTANDING DEBT. THOM GARRARD: I MOVE TO APPROVE. HAWK CRAMER: I'LL SECOND. CARIN CHASE: THE MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2619. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? KEITH SMITH: I DON'T HAVE EXTENSIVE COMMENT ON THIS, BUT I JUST DO FIND IT. AND IT'S NOTHING ABOUT THE DISTRICT. JUST I FIND IT DISAPPOINTING THAT WE HAVE SO MANY THINGS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE WRITE OFF. LIKE PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T TREATING OUR STUFF IN A RESPECTFUL WAY OR ENDED UP TAKING IT OR DOING SOMETHING ELSE. THAT'S A DISAPPOINTMENT. BUT THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE THE BOOKS WORK. SO YEAH. CARIN CHASE: THANK YOU, DIRECTOR SMITH. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE, WE'LL MOVE TO A VOTE. DO WE NEED A ROLL CALL ON THIS? OK. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE? AYE. CARIN CHASE: OPPOSED? NONE. THE RESOLUTION 2619 WAIVE UNCOLLECTED OUTSTANDING DEBTS PASSES. REBECCA MINER: ITEM 13.2 IS A FIRST READING WITH NO ACTION REVISE BOARD POLICY 5010 DISCRIMINATION FREE WORKPLACE. AND SINCE WE INITIALLY SENT THIS TO YOU, WE'VE IDENTIFIED A COUPLE OF OTHER CHANGES THAT DOCTOR BAUMGARTNER WILL COME UP AND SHARE WITH YOU, THAT WE WILL SHARE WITH YOU THIS EVENING, AND THEN BRING FORWARD IN THE SECOND READING. DOCTOR BAUMGARTNER: ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. YOU WILL SEE UNDER EXAMPLES OF EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION-- ITEM NUMBER 7. THE LANGUAGE CURRENTLY READS PROHIBITING AN EMPLOYEE FROM USING RESTROOMS CONSISTENT WITH HIS OR HER GENDER IDENTITY. THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE REVISION WOULD BE MORE INCLUSIVE, WHEREAS WE WOULD SAY USING THE RESTROOM CONSISTENT WITH HIS HER OR THEIR GENDER IDENTITY. THIS IS MORE CONSISTENT WITH LANGUAGE WE'VE TRIED TO INCLUDE IN ALL OF OUR POLICIES, AND IT WAS SIMPLY A MISS AS WE WERE SUBMITTING THIS FOR REVIEW. REBECCA MINER: THANK YOU. THOM GARRARD: DO WE GET TO DISCUSS THIS? REBECCA MINER: ABSOLUTELY. AND THEN JUST FURTHER THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE, THIS DOES ADD CATEGORIES TO PROTECTED CLASSES IN KEEPING WITH CURRENT LAW, AND SPECIFICALLY NAMES THE WACC. CALLING FOR DISTRICTS TO DEVELOP THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN, AND FINALLY ELIMINATE THE SECTION DESCRIBING THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN. CARIN CHASE: ANY QUESTIONS? THOM GARRARD: I JUST THOUGHT THAT IF WE JUST USE THEIR INSTEAD OF HIS HER OR THEIR. I BELIEVE THAT'S GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT AND WOULD COVER THE POINT OF THIS CORRECTION. DOCTOR BAUMGARTNER: THIS WAS RAISED BY A COMMUNITY MEMBER ASKING FOR THAT SPECIFIC LANGUAGE. AND UNDER REVIEW, IT SEEMED WORKABLE TO ME. IT IS TRUE THAT WE'VE USED THEIR IN MANY CASES. BUT UPON LOOKING AT IT, IT IS CONSIDERED MORE INCLUSIVE TO INCLUDE THE THREE PRONOUNS. CARIN CHASE: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THIS IS FIRST READING. SO NO ACTION. REBECCA MINER: CORRECT. AND THE NEXT ONE IS A FIRST READING. NO ACTION REVISE BOARD POLICY 5011 SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF DISTRICT STAFF PROHIBITED. ALSO INCLUDES LATEST REVISION INCLUDED ADDING PROTECTED STAFF CATEGORIES AND THE SPECIFIC CLIENT COMPLIANCE OFFICER FOR EACH CATEGORY. CARIN CHASE: THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THESE ON-- WILL IT BE THE NEXT MEETING AGENDA? REBECCA MINER: IF THERE ARE NO CONCERNS, WE'LL BRING THESE FORWARD FOR CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL AT THE NEXT MEETING. CARIN CHASE: THANK YOU. WE'LL MOVE ON NOW TO LEGISLATIVE UPDATES. [14. LEGISLATIVE UPDATES - 8:00 pm] DIRECTOR GARRARD, OUR LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVE. THOM GARRARD: OKAY. SO I THINK WE HAVE A SLIDE SHOW HERE. YES. SO WE ARE IN OCTOBER. SO WE ARE IN THE INTERIM BETWEEN LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS. LOOKING FORWARD TO THE EXTENDED SESSION, HOUR-LONG SESSION, AS THEY CALL IT, STARTING IN JANUARY. SO WE'VE BEEN MAKING SOME INTERIM CONNECTIONS. WE HAD MEETINGS WITH REPRESENTATIVES PETERSON AND KLOBA FROM THE 21ST, AND THE FIRST, RESPECTIVELY, SINCE LAST TIME THAT WE WERE HERE. WE HAVE TO RESCHEDULE OUR MEETING WITH LAUREN DAVIS. IT GOT CANCELED. WE HAVE UPCOMING ONE SCHEDULED WITH REPRESENTATIVE ORTIZ-SELF. [01:35:02] SO LET'S SEE. WE RECENTLY DID THE BOTTOM ONE PARTICIPATED IN WSSDA PRIORITIZATION ACTIVITIES. SO I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT THE WSSDA PRIORITIES ARE. SO WE HAVE THAT COMING UP. AND ANOTHER ONE. AND I SHOULD MENTION THAT IN OUR MEETINGS, WE'VE INCLUDED OUR LABOR PARTNERS, AT LEAST TWO OF THEM, WHICH WOULD BE ANDI NOFZIGER FROM THE EEA REPRESENTING THE CERTIFICATED STAFF, AND JEANETTE KUO FROM THE PSE REPRESENTING OUR CLASSIFIED STAFF. SO, YEAH, THERE'S THE ONES WE'VE COMPLETED. SO WE'RE NOW UP TO FOUR DONE. WE'VE DONE FOUR. AND THEN WE HAVE SIX THAT WE HOPE TO STILL HAVE. ONE IS SCHEDULED. AND WE HOPE TO ALSO INCLUDE THE WASHINGTON GOVERNOR'S REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE IN A MEETING AS WELL. PROBABLY I'M GUESSING THAT MAYBE SOME OF THESE ARE PENDING THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION. SO NEXT ONE. SO HERE'S WHAT WAS CAME UP WITH. AND THEY ASKED US FOR FIVE THINGS AND THEN THEY KIND OF-- I DON'T KNOW. TO ME, THEY KIND OF CHEATED. GROUP MULTIPLE THINGS UNDER HEADINGS AND SO ON. SO SUPPORT EVERY STUDENT WITH EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS FOR LEARNING IS THE FIRST PRIORITY. SO THAT ADDRESSES THE TRANSITION TO KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM FUNDING THAT WAS CUT LAST YEAR-- REDUCED LAST YEAR, I SHOULD SAY. WE DO KNOW THAT-- I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE THAT PROGRAM IN OUR DISTRICT, BUT THAT IS HIGHLY ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS WHERE WE WORK WITH THE PRESCHOOL AGE THAT WE GET GOOD RETURNS IN FUTURE. CARIN CHASE: AND WE HAD CONSIDERED THAT PROGRAM AS SOON AS I GOT HERE, BUT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE FUNDING WAS IN JEOPARDY, AND THE FUNDING FOR NEWER PROGRAMS COULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST CUT. SO IT DIDN'T SEEM TO MAKE SENSE FOR US TO ESTABLISH SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN IN JUST A YEAR OR TWO, BE CUT, WHICH HAS BORN ITSELF OUT. BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THEY DID RE-ESTABLISH FULL FUNDING SO THAT WE COULD PRIORITIZE THAT HERE. THOM GARRARD: RIGHT. AND THEY ALSO MENTIONED HERE ARE HIGHLY CAPABLE AS WELL AS STUDENT-BASED MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TO ENSURE EARLY INTERVENTION. MODERNIZING LEARNING SYSTEMS THAT ESTABLISH CLEAR, STUDENT-CENTERED AI AND DATA PRIVACY SAFEGUARDS TO ENSURE SCHOOLS CAN INNOVATE SAFELY. SO THAT WAS PART OF OUR ADDITION TO THE CATALOG OR REVISION TO IT. POSITION CATALOG. FULLY FUND ANY NEW GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS. SO I WAS MENTIONING EARLIER, WE WERE TALKING TO CTE, MARK MADISON, ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE FUTURE READY, NEW GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS. THEY HAVE TO BE FULLY-- WE NEED THEM TO BE FULLY FUNDED. AND SO I KNOW WE DECIDED NOT TO FOCUS ON UNFUNDED MANDATES HERE WHEN WE GAVE THIS. WE DO HAVE IT ON THE BOTTOM OF OUR PRIORITIES, BUT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T ADVANCE US, AND IT JUST IS LIKE HOLDING A STEADY AND NOT ADVANCING, IMPROVING OUR FINANCIAL POSITION. BUT THEY HAVE THAT. SO THAT'S THEIR SECOND BIG ONE IS RELIEVING THE UNFUNDED MANDATES. IF THEY WANT TO PASS BILLS, BUT THEY JUST SAID IMPLEMENTATION PENDING, FUNDING, IMPLEMENTATION IS SUSPENDED UNTIL SUCH TIME AS FUNDING IS AVAILABLE TO IMPLEMENT IT. THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. THE NEXT ONE IS ADDRESSING BASIC ED'S TRUE COSTS AND EQUITABLY AND SUSTAINABLY. SO THAT'S GOT SOME SOCKS IN THERE FOR OUR INSURANCE, UTILITIES COSTS, SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS, SPECIAL ED FUNDING, LIKE ALL OF WHAT WE PRIORITIZE IS ALL BUNDLED INTO THAT. AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS STRENGTHENING LOCAL GOVERNANCE WITH INVESTMENT AND FLEXIBILITY. I DON'T THINL-- THAT WOULD NOT HAVE MADE MY TOP LIST, BUT IT'S ON THERE. AND AT THE BOTTOM OF THEIRS, THEY'RE EMPHASIZING THE CONSTITUTIONAL OBLIGATION TO STUDENTS. SO THIS IS WHAT WSSDA HAS ADOPTED AND WHAT WILL GUIDE THEIR ADVOCACY. THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION IN THIS [01:40:02] IS THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS HAD A MEETING IN EVERETT, WHICH I ATTENDED ALONG WITH DOCTOR MINER AND A NUMBER OF OUR PEOPLE IN OUR BACK ROW THERE. SENATOR GENE ROBINSON, WHO FROM EVERETT, WHO WRITES THE-- WHO'S ONE OF THE MAIN BUDGET WRITERS, WAS THERE IN THAT MEETING AND HEARD FROM THE ORGANIZATION ON THEIR PRIORITIES, AS WELL AS 3 REPRESENTATIVES, CORTEZ FROM THE 38TH AND REPRESENTATIVE STEELE AND BURNETT FROM THE 12TH. I GUESS THE THING I WANT TO SAY ABOUT THAT WAS THAT REPRESENTATIVE STEELE ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT-- OR WAS BRINGING UP THE ISSUE OF HOW YOU HEAR ONE THING FROM ONE INTEREST GROUP, AND ONE THING FROM ANOTHER. IF YOU TRY AND GET REFORM OF TORT SO THAT WE LIMIT LIABILITY OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR TAKE AWAY THE 1%, IF YOU'RE 1% RESPONSIBLE, YOU CAN BE ASSESSED THE 100% OF THE DAMAGES. SO SOMEBODY BROUGHT THAT UP AND THEY WERE HE WAS LIKE, WELL, YEAH, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE TRIAL LAWYERS COMING AFTER YOU BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS AN INTEREST GROUP. AND SO THAT'S WHEN DOCTOR MINER AND ANDY NOFZIGER, OUR PRESIDENT, GOT UP AND STOOD SHOULDER TO SHOULDER AND SHOWED HIM THAT WE ALL AGREED ON THE NEED FOR FUNDING THESE, FUNDING OUR SCHOOLS APPROPRIATELY. SO APPRECIATED THAT GREAT DEMONSTRATION OF PARTNERING. SO THAT'S I THINK MY LEGISLATIVE REPORT. LET'S SEE. WE HAVE PROBABLY THE-- YEAH, THERE'S OUR LIST OF ALL OUR REPS, OUR CURRENT REPS OF WHOM 8 OF THE 9 ARE ON THE BALLOT. ALL EXCEPT DEREK STANFORD. 20 SOME PERCENT OF THE BALLOTS ARE ALREADY TURNED IN, SO WE'LL SEE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS WHAT OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION LOOKS LIKE. BUT THAT'S WHERE IT STANDS RIGHT NOW. AND THAT'S MY REPORT. CARIN CHASE: THANK YOU SO MUCH, TOM, FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND INFORMATION. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. I'LL JUST KEEP US UPDATED AND WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THE REPORT OF THE NEXT MEETING. NEXT, WE MOVE TO BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS. [15. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS - 8:15 pm] WE'D LIKE TO START WITH THE STUDENT ADVISORS. LET'S START ON THIS SIDE. STUDENT ADVISOR 1: SO OVER AT LYNNWOOD HIGH SCHOOL, WE'VE HIT THE PERIOD OF IN BETWEENS. HOMECOMING IS OVER, AND NOW WE'RE WAITING UNTIL THE NEXT EVENT. THIS IS THE QUIET PERIOD. THE ONLY THING THAT'S NOT QUIET, THOUGH, IS COLLEGE APPLICATIONS FOR SENIORS. IT'S AROUND EARLY DECISION SEASON, SO ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO APPLY EARLY TO CERTAIN EASTERN UNIVERSITIES IS APPLYING NOW. I WANTED TO SHOUT OUT THE COLLEGE AND CAREER COUNSELOR AT LYNNWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. SHE HAS BEEN DOING HER VERY, VERY BEST TO HELP ALL OF US, AND I THINK ALMOST EVERY SENIOR I'VE SPOKEN TO FEELS LIKE THEY'VE GOTTEN THE HELP THAT THEY NEEDED FROM HER. I'M GRATEFUL TO HAVE THESE RESOURCES AT THE SCHOOL. SHE'S HELPED ME A LOT. SHE'S HELPED ME WITH MY ESSAYS, MY APPLICATIONS, FINANCIAL AID, AND MANY, MANY OTHER THINGS. I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR HER. WE HAVE A DRAMA PRODUCTION COMING UP AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER SOON, SO THAT'LL BE EXCITING TO GO WATCH. THEY HAVEN'T ANNOUNCED WHAT THE TITLE IS. WAITING FOR THAT. AND THEN, OF COURSE, WINTER SPORTS ARE STARTING UP. WE'VE GOT OPEN MAT FOR WRESTLING COMING UP SOON. WE'RE STARTING TO HAVE OPEN DANCE FOR THE DANCE TEAM AND MANY OTHER THINGS, SO THERE'S A LOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO. CARIN CHASE: THANK YOU SO MUCH. WHICHEVER ONE OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST. STUDENT ADVISOR 2: OK. SO THE JUNIORS JUST TOOK THE PSAT, I THINK TODAY. AND I KNOW A LOT OF THEM HAVE BEEN REALLY STRESSED OUT ABOUT THAT, BUT I'M SURE THEY DID FINE. THE PRINCIPAL STUDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAD THEIR FIRST MEETING A WEEK OR TWO AGO, AND THEIR SECOND MEETING WILL BE TOMORROW. I KNOW SO MANY STUDENTS WHO ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT, SO THAT'S REALLY GREAT. ALSO COLLEGE APPLICATION SEASON'S EARLY DECISION COMING UP. OUR SCHOOL, I'M NOT SURE OF THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT WE DO HAVE A GOOD AMOUNT OF QUESTBRIDGE FINALISTS, MYSELF INCLUDED. AND THAT'S REALLY GREAT TO BE HEARING ABOUT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I KNOW QUESTBRIDGE HAS BEEN LESS TALKED ABOUT IN OUR DISTRICT COMPARED TO OTHERS LIKE SHORELINE. SO IT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE THAT BE MORE KNOWN IN OUR DISTRICT. CARIN CHASE: THANK YOU. KELTON MARQUIS: WE RECENTLY AT MEADOWDALE HAD OUR HOMECOMING OVER THIS LAST WEEKEND. AND SO THAT WENT REALLY WELL. WE HAD A LOT OF GREAT DECORATIONS AND STAFF INVOLVEMENT, WHICH CREATED A VERY MEMORABLE NIGHT FOR THOSE THAT WENT. [01:45:01] AND WE ALSO WON OUR HOMECOMING GAME, WHICH HELPED. AND THEN, SPEAKING OF FOOTBALL, WE HAD AN UNDEFEATED REGULAR SEASON THIS YEAR, 8-0, WHICH WE HAVEN'T DONE SINCE 2011. SO THAT WAS A REALLY GREAT ACHIEVEMENT FOR OUR SCHOOL. AND WE'RE ALSO WEST COAST SOUTH LEAGUE CHAMPIONS, WHICH LAST TIME WE HELD THAT TITLE WAS 2016. SO A FEW REALLY GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR OUR FOOTBALL TEAM. AND THEN FOR OUR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, MEADOWDALE HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN STRIVING TO MEET OUR SIP GOALS, ESPECIALLY REGARDING GRADUATION RATES, MLL GRADUATION RATES, AND AN INCREASING SENSE OF BELONGING IN THE STUDENT BODY, ALL OF WHICH ARE VERY IMPORTANT. AND I'M VERY PROUD THAT OUR SCHOOL IS MAKING SUCH A PROMISE-- KEEPING SUCH A PROMISING TRAJECTORY TOWARD THOSE GOALS. CARIN CHASE: THANK YOU SO MUCH. DIRECTOR CRAMER. HAWK CRAMER: THANK YOU. A COUPLE OF SHOUT OUTS. THE FIRST IS TO THE STUDENTS IN THE JOURNALISM PROGRAM AT TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL. WITH THE HAWKEYE, THEY RECEIVED THE EMERALD AWARD ONCE AGAIN. INCREDIBLE ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR THESE GUYS. THEY'VE DONE IT YEAR AFTER YEAR. AND IT'S A RESULT OF-- THIS PROGRAM HAS JUST BEEN BUILT OVER MANY, MANY YEARS. AND THE GUY THAT'S AT THE HEART OF IT IS VINCE DEMARO. BUT I UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT HIM THAT WON THE AWARD, AND IT'S THE STUDENTS THAT DID IT. BUT HE WAS ABLE TO BUILD, CONSTRUCT THIS PROGRAM THAT REALLY DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB OF RAISING GREAT STUDENT JOURNALISTS. AND SO I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THAT. SO A BIG SHOUT OUT TO ALL OF THEM. I WAS ABLE TO-- AS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, MY DAUGHTER ATTENDS LYNNWOOD HIGH SCHOOL NOW AS A FRESHMAN. I WAS ABLE TO VISIT LYNNWOOD HIGH SCHOOL, AND SHE DID NOT RUN AWAY FROM ME WHEN SHE SAW ME, WHICH I TAKE AS A BIG DEAL. IN FACT, SOME OF HER STUDENTS, SOME OF HER FRIENDS CAME UP, SAID, OH, YOU'RE MR. CRAMER. IT WAS NICE. IT WAS A GREAT VISIT. THE LYNNWOOD HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM DID NOT HAVE AN UNDEFEATED SEASON. I'M NOT GOING TO SAY WHAT THEIR RECORD WAS, BUT WE DO CONTINUE TO HAVE ONE OF THE STRONGEST SPIRITED GROUPS OUT THERE, AND THAT'S ONLY GOING TO CONTINUE WITH OUR NEW BAND TEACHER. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE CHANGES THAT WILL BRING AS WELL. AND FINALLY, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT ONE OF THE ISSUES. THERE WERE A LOT OF ISSUES BROUGHT UP TONIGHT, BUT ONE OF THE ISSUES, SPECIFICALLY STUDENT SAFETY, WHICH IS AND HAS BEEN ON THE FOREFRONT OF MY MIND AND CONTINUES TO COME UP EVERY TIME SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS. AND YEAH, IT KIND OF FREEZES THE BLOOD IN YOUR SYSTEM WHEN YOU HEAR SOMETHING LIKE THIS. SO DURING OUR STUDY SESSION RIGHT BEFORE THIS HAPPENED, BEFORE THIS GENERAL MEETING, WE WERE REVIEWING A PRETTY LARGE PROGRAM OVERHAUL OF HOW TO INCREASE STUDENT SAFETY ACROSS THE DISTRICT, WHICH ALSO INVOLVES LOTS OF DISCOVERING LIKE WHAT IS RIGHT NOW AND THEN WHAT CAN BE AND THEN HOW DO WE GET THERE. AND SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE CHANGES THAT ARE GOING TO BE COMING ALONG AS A RESULT OF THAT. BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHOEVER THE SUPERVISORS ARE OF THE SCHOOL THAT JUST HAD THE GUN INCIDENT WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THE TEACHER OR TEACHERS THAT DID NOT TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE. WE GOT TO LOCK DOWN. WE GOT TO LOCK DOWN. IT'S GOT TO BE DONE AND GOT TO BE DONE PROPERLY. AND IF SO, I'D LIKE SOMEONE TO MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW UP AND GET BACK TO ME ON THAT IF POSSIBLE. THANK YOU. OTHER THAN THAT, I WANT TO ALSO GIVE A SHOUT OUT AND I'M GOING OVER MY TIME. BUT TO DIRECTOR GARRARD, THANK YOU FOR SAYING WHAT I COULDN'T HAVE SAID ANY BETTER IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING THIS PLAN. IT'S BEEN A VERY DIFFICULT PROCESS, BUT IN THE END, I BELIEVE IT'S THE BEST THAT WE COULD HAVE DONE. SO THANK YOU. CARIN CHASE: DIRECTOR SMITH. KEITH SMITH: THANK YOU. SO DIRECTOR CRAMER HIT ON MOST EVERYTHING I WANTED TO SAY ABOUT SAFETY. I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT YOU'RE MENTIONING ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO RIGHT NOW. I ALSO MENTIONED THAT AT OUR LAST BOARD RETREAT, [01:50:02] I MADE THE POINT WE WERE SETTING OUR AGENDA FOR THE YEAR THAT THESE NEED TO BE YEARLY THINGS WE DO EVERY YEAR. WE HAVE TO HAVE ONE OF THESE MEETINGS ABOUT STUDENT SAFETY. AND WE DO HAVE ONE COMING UP. IT'S A COUPLE MONTHS OUT, BUT WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THAT. AND AS DIRECTOR CRAMER WAS SAYING, WE CANNOT HAVE TEACHERS WHO THINK IT'S A JOKE OR IT'S A DRILL OR IT'S A WHATEVER. SO WE DO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT PROCEDURES ARE BEING FOLLOWED. AND I HAVE A MEETING WITH DOCTOR MINER ON MONDAY ANYWAY SCHEDULED, SO I'LL MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW UP WITH HER ON MONDAY ABOUT HOW THAT CAME TO PASS. THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO MENTION, JUST BECAUSE, AGAIN, SOMETHING DIRECTOR CRAMER SAID, BUT I WANTED TO BUILD ON IT WHEN HE SAID THAT THE HAWKEYE-- THAT THE STUDENTS ARE THE ONES THAT WON THE AWARD FOR THE HAWKEYE. AND I AM A HAWKEYE ALUM. AND I WILL SAY THIS, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GOING TO MEET A SINGLE PERSON WHO WENT THROUGH THAT PROGRAM WHO DOESN'T SAY THAT VINCE IS WHY WE CAN DO IT. IF WE HAD ANOTHER ADVISOR OR ANOTHER TEACHER WHO WAS IN THAT POSITION, I DON'T THINK WE'D DO IT. HE GAVE US THAT FREEDOM TO RUN WITH IT. HE TAUGHT US WHAT THE JOURNALISTIC STANDARDS WERE. HE TOLD US, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO. HERE'S HOW YOU CAN DO IT AND DON'T CROSS CERTAIN LINES. BUT THEN HE JUST SAID, AND NOW GO AT IT. AND THERE'S NO WAY WE'D BE ABLE TO WIN THESE TYPES OF AWARDS OR DO THESE SORTS OF THINGS WITHOUT HIM BEING IN THAT POSITION. AND I WAS SPEAKING TO HIM THIS LAST YEAR AT GRADUATION, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE HE'S GETTING TOWARDS THE END OF HIS CAREER. AND THAT'S GOING TO BE A VERY SAD DAY FOR MOUNTLAKE TERRACE. SO I'M HOPING THAT WE HAVE SOMEBODY IN THE PIPELINE THAT CAN CARRY THAT ON FOR HIM. CARIN CHASE: DIRECTOR GARRARD. THOM GARRARD: THANK YOU, DIRECTOR CHASE. WELL, SINCE LAST TIME, I'VE ACCOMPANIED DIRECTOR CRAMER AND DOCTOR MINER ON TWO TO SCHOOL VISITS. ONE WAS TO LYNNWOOD HIGH SCHOOL I GOT A HUG FROM ME SORT OF. AND ALDERWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO REALLY ENJOYED BOTH OF THOSE VISITS. AND I THINK THERE'S SOME GREAT LEARNING GOING ON. AND IT WAS NICE TO SEE A FORMER STUDENT WHO BECAME A COLLEAGUE, WHO THEN BECAME THE MUSIC TEACHER AT ALDERWOOD MIDDLE. SEE HER PRACTICING HER CRAFT WITH STUDENTS, AS WELL AS SEEING THE BAND IN LYNNWOOD HIGH SCHOOL THAT THE EXPECTATION, THE STANDARDS, THE RIGOR IN MUSIC IS REALLY HIGH IN THAT PROGRAM, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT HE CAN DO WITH THAT GROUP. I WANTED TO SHOUT OUT OUR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS WHO ARE NOW INVOLVED IN CONFERENCES. I KNOW THAT CAN BE A STRESSFUL TIME. IT'S ALSO A GREAT TIME FOR MAKING THOSE CONNECTIONS WITH PARENTS AND FAMILIES. I ALSO THINK THAT THE PRESIDIUM SAFETY TRAINING THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING IN THE DISTRICT THAT WE JUST HAD A STUDY SESSION ON, THAT WILL BE A GREAT THING AS WELL. ON MONDAY, I WANT TO POINT OUT THE NEXT MEETING OF THE EQUITY ALLIANCE FOR ACHIEVEMENT. WE HAVE RECOGNIZED THE ORANGE SHIRT DAY AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER, BUT THIS SORT OF CONTINUES THAT NARRATIVE. AND WE HAVE A GUEST PRESENTER, KATHY BAYLOR, TALKING ABOUT HER FAMILY'S EXPERIENCE WITH THE INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS. SO THAT WILL BE VALUABLE, I THINK. AND IN ATHLETICS, I DID GET TO SEE LYNNWOOD HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER PLAY. THE JV LASTED THE WHOLE GAME WITHOUT GIVING UP THE EIGHTH GOAL. VARSITY NOT QUITE. I WAS AT THE MEADOWDALE HOMECOMING GAME AGAINST MOUNTLAKE TERRACE. VERY EXCITING GAME. WENT TO OVERTIME. LAST MINUTE SCORING. MOUNTLAKE TERRACE SCORED. WENT FOR TWO POINTS. DIDN'T GET IT. SO MEADOWDALE WON THE GAME. THAT WAS SO EXCITING. AND I HAD INVITED THE MAYOR OF MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, STEVE WOODARD, AND ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WILLIAM PAGE, BOTH ATTENDED THE GAME WITH ME. AND SO THEY HAD A GREAT TIME WATCHING THAT CONTEST. AND I STAYED FOR ENOUGH OF THE LYNNWOOD HIGH SCHOOL GAME AFTER TO SEE THE BAND. IT'S NOT JUST THE FOOTBALL PLAYERS, IT'S THE DANCE TEAM, IT'S THE CHEERLEADERS, IT'S THE BANDS, THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE OF THOSE KIDS THAT ARE-- IT'S THAT SENSE OF BELONGING. [01:55:01] YOU JUST FEEL IT WHEN YOU'RE AT THE STADIUM. SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE BEING ABLE TO HAVE THOSE EXPERIENCES AS WELL. THANK YOU. CARIN CHASE: THANK YOU, DIRECTOR GARRARD I WANT TO JUST DOUBLE CHECK THAT EACH MEETING, IS THAT GOING TO BE THE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND? THOM GARRARD: YEAH. CARIN CHASE: OK. AND THAT'S 6:00 AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE BOARD ROOMS RIGHT HERE. THERE WE GO. THANK YOU. WELL, BEING THE LAST IS THE COMMENTS. I DON'T NEED TO REITERATE ALL THOSE THINGS THAT CELEBRATIONS OF THE SCHOOLS AND THE APPRECIATION OF THE COMMENTS. BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I DO APPRECIATE SERVING WITH MY COLLEAGUES HERE BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. AND I WILL SAY THAT THE TIME THAT THE PUBLIC MAY SEE US UP HERE DOES NOT REFLECT THE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF WORK AND STUDY AND DELIBERATION THAT YOU AS INDIVIDUALS AND A BOARD DO AS STUDENT ADVISORS TO COME TO THESE SOMETIMES REALLY DIFFICULT DECISIONS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE THAT WE HAVE BEEN ELECTED TO MAKE FOR ON BEHALF OF THE DISTRICT. AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE SERVING WITH ALL OF YOU ON THIS. I'VE JUST BEEN THRILLED TO WITH THE LEVEL OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. IT MAY NOT SEEM LIKE IT, BUT I'M REALLY ENJOY HAVING THE LEVEL OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT WE DON'T STILL HAVE A ROOM FULL OF FOLKS TO LISTEN TO THE WORK THAT WE DO ONGOING, SUCH AS UPDATING OUR DISCRIMINATION IN SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICIES, THE IMPORTANCE OF LEGISLATIVE ACTION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADEQUATELY FUNDED SO WE CAN POSSIBLY GET THE TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN LEFT, AND THE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES GIVING US UPDATES ON THE GROUND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR SCHOOLS. SO AS WE CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD, YOU SEE THE TV, THE PRESS IS NOT HERE ANY LONGER. WE'RE NOT ON CAMERA. HE'S BACK THERE. OH, YOU ARE. OH, SORRY. BACK HERE. BUT EVEN IF THEY WEREN'T, THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE STILL HERE, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT WITH US. AND WE'LL JUST KEEP MOVING FORWARD ON THIS. THE WORK OF THE BOARD CONTINUES. OUR NEXT MEETING IS GOING TO BE IN TWO WEEKS. AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE. ANYTHING ELSE? REBECCA MINER: IT'S REALLY HARD TO GO LAST. CARIN CHASE: OH, YES. SORRY. REBECCA MINER: I KEPT CROSSING MY THINGS OFF AS WE WENT THROUGH. SO I REALLY DO THINK IT ALL GOT COVERED, SO THANK YOU. CARIN CHASE: ALL RIGHT. AND WITH THAT, THIS BOARD MEETING OF OCTOBER 27TH IS ADJOURNED. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.