School Board Meeting - September 4, 2024

001So I'd like to welcome everyone to our regularly scheduled board meeting tonight. With that, I'll ask for you all to stand to say the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right. With that, I'll ask for a roll call, please. Director Tidholm? Present. Director Hagos? Here. Director Petrini? Here. President Alvarez? Here. And Director Van has an excused absence. And the gentleman to my left is Dr. Duran, our superintendent. With that, I'll ask for any call for changes or additions to our board meeting agenda. Seeing and hearing none, we'll move to our recognitions. Thank you, President Alvarez. I'd like to do some recognitions and introduce some of our

002new administrators, our administrators who have changed roles within the school district. So first, I'd like to start with our building administrators. So when I call your name, if you'll please stand up. Jeffrey Case. Welcome, Jeff. Jeff is the assistant principal at Bow Lake Elementary School. Jeffrey Case most recently served as assistant principal at Wing Lake Elementary school. He began his career as a fourth/fifth-grade teacher in Seattle Public Schools. He earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Michigan and a master's degree in educational administration from Western Washington University. Welcome, Jeffrey. It's great to have you here in Highline. [APPLAUSE] And my co-host for the Leadership Forum, Tamasha Emedi, is assistant principal at Glacier Middle School. Tamasha most recently served as assistant principal at Hazel Valley Elementary to begin her career in Highline

003as a teacher at Bow Lake Elementary school. Tamasha holds a bachelor degree in political science with a K-through-8 endorsement from Gonzaga University, as well as a master's degree in education and a master certification from Washington State University. Great to have you in the new role, Tamasha. Much success. [APPLAUSE] I'm not sure if Becky is-- but Rebecca "Becky" Friedman, assistant principal at Highline. There she is. All right. Saw you earlier today in action, and great to see you here tonight. Rebecca most routinely served as an instructional coach at Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way. She began her career as a Spanish teacher. She also taught English language learning in AVID and served as the program director for a residential summer camp. She holds a bachelor's degree in Spanish and secondary education from Smith College, a

004master's degree in education from the University of Washington, and a principal certification from Eastern Washington University. She also has a National Board teacher certification. Welcome, Rebecca. Great to have you in the district. Becky. [APPLAUSE] And Ellen Want, assistant principal at Hilltop Elementary. Good to see you, Ellen. Ellen most recently served as assistant principal at a K-through-8 school in Seattle Public Schools. She began her career as a kindergarten teacher and has also served as an instructional coach. Ellen earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Puget Sound. She also earned a master's degree in educational leadership and administration certification from the University of Washington. Welcome, Ellen. Great to have you here. [APPLAUSE] And now for some of our central office changes. I want to start with Micaela White, who is our director of student

005support. Micaela White is a new director of student support reporting to assistant superintendent Kisa Hendrickson. Micaela will continue to manage enrollment choice, school access transfers, and the Connections Center. Her new responsibilities will also include overseeing attendance and truancy, re-engagement, and some aspects of discipline. Micaela has a bachelor's degree in American cultural studies from Western Washington University and a master's degree in social work from the University of Washington. She is also a school access and quality fellow with MIT Blueprint Labs. Micaela started with Highline in 2016 as a student placement manager. This role was created as part of the new student support division to develop effective strategies for prevention, intervention, discipline, and re-engagement. Congratulations. Great to have you here. [APPLAUSE] Yeah, I've been practicing. I hope I get this thing right-- Clare Gloede. That's pretty good.

006Yeah, pretty good, right? Yeah, all right. Welcome. Clare is our new director of community safety. As a director of community safety, Clare oversees our safety and security department. In this role, Clare will focus on strategic initiatives and building strong partnerships with schools, departments, and law enforcement. Most recently, Clare served as a behavioral threat assessment coordinator for a school district in Colorado. She has also served as a police Sergeant and mental health officer for the Madison Police Department in Wisconsin. Clare earned her bachelor's degree in criminology from University of Wisconsin, and I know you've already been busy making connections to different areas that we serve here in Highline. So welcome. Very great to have you here. [APPLAUSE] Now, the next one I'll introduce are not new to the Highline Public Schools, but they are in different

007roles based off a reorganization that we did last spring. I'd like to start with Dr. Steve Grubb, who has moved into an associate superintendent role. As associate superintendent, Dr. Steve Grubb leads the district operations divisions in Highline Public Schools, including transportation facilities and maintenance, community safety, Waskowitz Outdoor Education Center, and human resources. With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Steve led the efforts to restructure the human resource department with greater emphasis on strategic support, focused on recruiting and retaining educators of color to ensure that students' lived experience is mirrored by that of our staff at all levels of the organization. Steve has also served as a teacher, a principal and school supervisor. His doctor in education is from the University of Washington. And ask him about Bark. He knows a lot about it.

008Welcome, Steve. Great to have you in the role. [APPLAUSE] And Kisa Hendrickson is our assistant superintendent. As assistant superintendent, Kisa leads the student support division of Highline Public Schools. As a Seattle native, Kisa received her undergraduate degree in political science and a master of social work degree from the University of Washington. Prior to working for Highline Public Schools, Kisa was a family law and adoption paralegal. Kisa also believes strongly in bringing a diverse family student voice to the district leadership level and gathering supports for students and families to eliminate barriers to academic success. Great to have you in the role, Kisa. [APPLAUSE] And finally, Dr. Jenniffer Reinig is our deputy superintendent here in Highline Schools. As a deputy superintendent, Dr. Reinig leads the student learning division in our district. She began her career as a

009teacher at Hilltop Elementary and has served as a literary coach, principal in Seattle Public Schools and Highline, and instructional leadership executive director supervising Highline Elementary Schools. In 2016, she began serving as executive director in teaching, learning, and leadership, leading special education, highly capable programming, elementary success, and social emotional learning. In 2022, she began serving as a chief academic officer. Jennifer holds a BA/MA from the University of Puget Sound and an educational doctorate in educational leadership from Gonzaga University. Congratulations. Great to have you in the role, Dr. Reinig. [APPLAUSE] That concludes my recognitions for tonight. Thank you, Dr. Duran. And with that, we move on to scheduled communications. I just want to remind everybody, on behalf of the board, we'd like to thank you for coming and speaking this evening. Our norms and rules will be

010posted on the screen shortly. Please be mindful that you're here to speak to the board and that there may be students here or that are watching, paying attention to your words. In addition, the board will not be able to respond directly to you about your testimony during this meeting. Thank you again for coming and speaking tonight. And with that, our first scheduled communications is MJ Christian, if you could come up to the podium. Hello. My name is MJ Christian, and I'm here with my teammates to talk about my robotics team, Skunk Works Robotics. Skunk Works is more than just a robotics team. For one, it's an opportunity. On any other team, I wouldn't have gotten to meet so many amazing people, people who have changed my life, many of whom are sitting here today behind

011me. First and foremost, though, it's an opportunity to learn. Everyone has learned things at Skunk Works. I've learned how to edit in Premiere Pro and what a gear ratio is, how to drive a robot, and how it feels to win a district championship. I've learned to think critically, to back up my ideas with evidence and conviction. At Skunk Works, I know that I'll be heard and I'll be taken seriously. I know that when I ask a question, I'll get an answer. When I ask for help, I'll get a response. "Team" is too small a word to explain what Skunk Works has been for me over the years. During some of the hardest months of my life, it was Skunk Works that gave me a place where I belonged, where I was heard, and where I

012mattered. Thanks to this team, I've gotten to do so much more than I ever thought I'd achieve, be so much more than I ever thought I could. On this team, I've learned that I can actually make an impact, that my ideas can make it out of my head and into the world at large. The evidence is right here, drawn on the shirt I'm wearing, that all of my teammates here are wearing. I can look at that logo and know that I made that, that it was my design that became reality. And that's the beauty of this robotics team. Everyone here has a part, a line of code, a robot that they can look back on and think, I built that. That's it. Thank you. [APPLAUSE] Our next speaker is David Dammann. Hi, I'm David Dammann,

013coach of three high school robotics first teams. We have lost our voice. We came to board meetings in the past, but after many discussions, we settled on a set of agreements that would help the district give students see STEM opportunities but reduce some of the impact on the district. We received a single point of contact to guide and understand our needs of these 15- and 20-year-old storied programs. We now understand that no matter how good the contract was, a single voice is not enough to keep you all better informed of student successes and growth. I don't live in the district. Some may feel this invalidates my voice. But I have volunteered 15 years and averaged 30 hours a week all year mentoring, coaching, and tutoring robotics students in this district. But this isn't about my

014voice or dedication. I do this because of them. They are dedicated to show up fall, winter, spring, and summer to turn imagination, using information taught at school and their hands to create these visions. Students aren't dedicated to things they hate or even sort of like, but the things they love. 15 years of students inspired me and every other volunteer to bring their professional knowledge and experience to give up the time we can and help students expand their proficiency in what they have learned and yet to learn in school. We have tutored those that were in fear of not graduating to graduate, a primary goal. Students found internships, college tech school help, job opportunities, through relations they created while building robots. This is about them, their dedication, their voice, their futures. Recently, the loss of their

015voice came to catastrophic consequences. After seven years, we needed to move from the Highline STEM Facility. All that students had organized over the years and an inventory created this summer was boxed, moved, and left in cardboard saran-wrapped containers, giving them three weeks before the start of the middle school team's season this Saturday. They are troopers. But instead of learning and preparing, they were unwrapping, organizing, and trying to locate $2,000 of lost or misplaced electronics. They can yell as loud as they like, but they need advocates. Those that believe that STEM activities where students dedicate thousands of additional hours to learn is good for this district and each student, a long time ago, you were their voices and advocates. They need you once again. Those electronics that we may have to raise money to replace, we

016were informed today that after 15 years we are no longer considered a Highline School District program. [BEEP] Thank you for your comments. With that, our next scheduled speaker is Alex Myrick. [APPLAUSE] Good evening, directors. In 1972, Title IX was signed into law, prohibiting sex-based discrimination in sports. In April of this year, the Department of Education rewrote Title IX to include gender identity as a protected class. It also stipulated that male students who identify as female must be allowed access to female facilities, such as bathrooms and locker rooms, and be allowed to participate in female sports. This was obviously not the intent of the legislation in 1972. Since Congress did not approve the rewrite, this is clearly an unconstitutional violation of separation of powers. Of the 15 million public high school students in the US, approximately

0171.8% are transgender. Of those, less than 15% play sports. What is the cost of indulging this relatively tiny group of athletes? Imagine you have a daughter who trained rigorously in her classes, in her chosen sport for years. Then, in order to compete, she must go against a biological boy with some combination of inherent biological upper-body strength, stamina, and speed, who deprives her of her deserved victory and recognition, or worse, seriously injures her. This has become reality for many girls today. Two weeks ago, the Supreme Court weighed. In this era of contentious decisions, the court issued a rare unanimous 9 to 0 ruling rejecting the new rules to redefine sex to include gender identity and to allow transgender students to use the bathrooms and locker rooms designated for the opposite sex. We now have a fortunate

018alignment of common sense, biological reality, and the highest court in the land. Now it's time for you directors to step up and do what is right, what is sensible, and what is legal. Thank you for your comments. Our next scheduled speaker is Beth Quittman. One more time, Beth. Oh, there she is. Hello. Thank you for giving me this time to speak. I am a Highline School District resident with two children at CHOICE Academy. And I'm here to speak to the importance of the robotics programs that many of the other people here are today for. Obviously, the STEM education opportunities of this program cannot be overstated. But in addition, I want to highlight the fact that this program is currently serving the students who were most impacted by the school shutdown during the pandemic. Educators I've

019spoken to say that those students are still showing social deficits and deficits of dysregulation. And this type of teamwork and group activity is the most important type of work where they can learn those skills. I also would like to speak to the caring and commitment of the coaches of the team, who have been outstanding and welcoming. And I just want to point out that it has given the students a place where they can do meaningful work, where they feel that they are needed contributors and valued, and that that is one of the most important types of opportunities we can give our children. Thank you for your comments. [APPLAUSE] With that, our next scheduled speaker is Jared M. Hello, board members. My name is Jared, and this is my second year as a member of the

020Tekerz Robotics Team, which is currently operating out of the Salmon Creek Campus. I'm here today as a student to ask you to keep our robotics team. And trust me, this isn't just because we like playing with really expensive toys. Robotics is one of the few places where we get to mix math, physics, and CAD into real-life projects that go way beyond what we learn in class. I mean, when was the last time when solving for x actually made something move? Here we build robots, solve problems, and gain skills that can set us up for future careers. But beyond the cool gadgets, robotics team is where we find people. For homeschoolers and those new to school activities, it's like a secret club where you don't just gain friends, you gain teammates who cheer for each other,

021even when our robot makes a beeline for the wall instead of the goal. And the coach, it's like having your very own Obi-Wan, except instead of a lightsaber, he teaches you how to use a soldering iron without setting off the fire alarm. So please, let us keep building, creating, and, yes, occasionally breaking things, because, in the process, we're not just building machines, but also confidence in a stronger school community, and maybe even the next generation of robot overlords. Just kidding. Thank you. [APPLAUSE] Thank you for your comments. Our next scheduled speaker is Patricia Bailey. Good evening, Highline School Board. My name is Patricia Bailey, a retired Seattle teacher, and I'm here to make a suggestion regarding your goals to improve literacy for Highline students. As a second-grade teacher, I discovered how beneficial it was for

022students to follow along with the text as I read a story aloud. The students each had a copy of the same book I was reading in their hands. As I read along, they were allowed-- they were encouraged to follow along with their eyes. The benefits and improvement in reading ability and comprehension were highly evident. We've probably all experienced a child sitting beside us or on our lap while we read a simple children's story and found that soon after repetition, the child was able to read much of the book him- or herself. Sometimes, it seems children can pick up reading by osmosis, so to speak. Libraries have talking books for young children, but such things don't seem to exist for older students, who have passed the age of childish content but still need much more practice

023to become fluent readers. That's why pairing the audio of classic literature with the printed page would be such a wonderful resource for older students who are bilingual or those who simply have not become fluent readers for whatever reason. Audio readings of classic literature are available on YouTube with the text printed on the screen. And this is the right idea. However, to protect students' eyes from too much blue screen exposure, we need to pair the reading on an audio device with a printed book. I believe a commitment to directing resources in this way will boost literacy and help open up the world of possibilities for Highline students in reading. Thank you for your comments. Our next scheduled speaker is Zoe Bryant. Hello, my name is Zoe, and I've come to talk about the Tekerz Robotics program.

024I just started last year, but I have already learned so much. I learned robotics, of course, but also so much more. I learned adaptability skills, perseverance, and, most importantly, teamwork. We got things stolen multiple times, even right before a competition. But as a team, we still persevered and adapted to be able to go and crush it. Teamwork is an incredible skill to learn and grow, especially if you get to learn it along with the other things that can help in life, such as programming and building skills, that could help me get jobs in the future. I was even learning physics through this program when I was in eighth grade, and that was only on my first day when I came home asking about newton-meters. The Tekerz Robotics team is an amazing team with even more

025amazing and dedicated students within it. This program has meant so much to me and made a big difference in my life, and I'm sure it's done the same for the others on my team. Thank you. [APPLAUSE] Thank you for your comments. Our next scheduled speaker is Haven Loh. Hi, I'm Haven Loh. I started at Maritime High School as a freshman, and I'm a student on Skunk Works Robotics. This will be my fourth year on the team, and I'm a senior. For me, Skunk Works was an opportunity to keep doing robotics since my school doesn't have a robotics team. My freshman year was my first year on the team, and I had previous robotics experience in elementary and middle school. I joined the shop subteam because I enjoy manufacturing and assembling things. However, my sophomore year,

026I found another role on the team I wanted to try. I joined the design team to focus more on the design of the robot, and it was there that I found a passion for engineering. The team allowed me to explore my interests and showed me careers I wouldn't have otherwise considered. Career exploration aside, the most important lesson I've learned on the team is how to fail. It sounds simple, but the sting of rejection and failure is a feeling no one wants. More often than not, our prototypes will fail, and our mentors will walk us through the process of how to understand why our prototype failed and what steps we can take to fix it. This has real-life applications as well because now, for example, if I fail a test or I don't do as well

027as I was hoping, I know how to work through that failure and figure out how I can learn that material better and succeed in my education. Skunk Works has changed my life in ways I've never imagined. I found a community in Skunk Works and all of first robotics that support students learning vocational skills that apply to our futures and our dreams. Outside of specific robot- or robotics-related mentoring, our mentors are also a resource for our education. If I ever have a question about my homework, I know that I can go to one of them, and they will help me understand the topic so I can succeed in school. The most impactful way Skunk Works has changed my life is by showing me that I can achieve anything I want. Thank you for your comments. [APPLAUSE]

028And our next and final speaker is Cameron Stoltz. My name is Cameron Stoltz, and I'm a student of Skunk Works Robotics. This year will be my third year on the team. Before joining Skunk Works, I struggled to find an extracurricular activity that I enjoyed. I've always been drawn to technology and engineering, but there are few options available to me in these areas. I was so lucky to find a robotics team that isn't school-based, as my high school doesn't have a robotics team. My first year on Skunk Works, I joined the design sub team, and I've been there ever since. I've learned how to use CAD, a computer modeling software, and something that I would not have had access to anywhere else. We also have numerous mentors that volunteer many hours of their invaluable time teaching

029us technical skills as well as how to collaborate as a team. This has been an amazing opportunity for me to be able to work with these experts, who most of them are programmers or engineers. When I create a part, I have to actually go through the thought process of how it will be manufactured because someone else on the team will actually be creating the part in the shop. The skills learned on this team are invaluable-- are invaluable. To already start learning them in such an engaging manner is amazing. Skunk Works has shown me my interest in engineering and robotics. Before joining the team, I really wasn't sure what I wanted to do after high school. But now I've realized my interest in design and aerospace. Through this team, I've had the opportunity to learn skills

030and concepts that I wouldn't get to till college or even internships. Thank you so much for your comments. [APPLAUSE] And that concludes our speakers for tonight. I want to say a special thank-you to all, especially our students, for coming in and using Your voice matters. So thank you again for coming tonight. And with that, we move on to our superintendent's update. Dr. Duran. Great. Thank you. I want to just start by welcoming everyone to the '24-'25 school year. I'm going to keep my remarks relatively short this evening because I know many people are anxious to get home to hear about their family members' first day of school. But before I begin talking about the first day of school in Highline, I want to acknowledge the horrific event that occurred at Appalachia High School in Winder,

031Georgia, today, another school shooting. My thoughts go out to the students, families, staff, and community. It is a tragic thing that staff and students in schools continue to have to prepare for incidents like this. In Highline, student and staff safety and well-being is our number one priority. All of our schools have an emergency operations plan in place, and we work closely with our safety and security department. So back to our first day of school, Dr. Reinig and I spent this morning out in schools welcoming students and families back to Highline. It was really great to be out to see new shoes, new students. It seemed like we had a lot of students coming in today. We really look forward to seeing what the numbers end up showing, which we probably will see something next week.

032But I started my day at Innovation Heights Academy and Highline Virtual Academy at the newly renovated original Beverly Park site. The staff and community have come together wonderfully to get the site ready to welcome back students to the invocation after the Southern Heights fire. I was there about a week ago. And talking with the contractors that were there at that time, they said that it's been over 85 hours of person-time there and 600 gallons of paint to get that place ready for our students. And just walking through it today, they did an amazing job in a short amount of time. I really want to send a special thank you to the construction team, who's been working almost around the clock to get the building ready for our students today. In addition, I want to thank

033the programs, including the robotics program who are here tonight, that were moved from the original Beverly Park site to Salmon Creek because we needed the room for our schools. I also stopped by Salmon Creek this morning, and it is looking great. I'm in awe of how the Highline community has come together to support these two schools and really just want to thank everybody that had something to help us get there. It's been a lot of work, a big lift. A month ago, we weren't sure we were going to be able to get there. We made a big commitment to make this happen, and it has come true for our students. I also visited Cascade Middle School, Shorewood Elementary School, Seahurst Elementary School, Highline High school. I love seeing our students today, from elementary students just

034learning the routines of school, to middle school students who were complaining about having to get out of bed, to high school students who were looking for classes in large buildings. I was also really heartened to connect with many of our elementary students who I've known as elementary students who have now moved up to middle school. I'm grateful to have been here for three years and watching our students continue to learn, grow, and transition to their next steps in their educational career. I now would like to invite Jeb Binns, our Highline Education Association president, to the podium, to share a few remarks. And as Jeb is coming up, I just want to thank you, Jeb, for your partnership last Friday in welcoming staff back to the original Beverly Park site. It was a great way for

035our teachers and staff to see our partnership and collaboration and work together to support them. And I really want to thank you for rolling up your sleeves with Clare-- I think she already left for the night-- but getting all the safety kits together that were sitting on two big pallets in the middle of the gym all ready for our teachers today. So thank you so much for your work. Absolutely. Thanks. You took my opening line. I was just so impressed with the staff-- I mean, Innovation Heights and HVA, going from having a space that they loved and was theirs and ready to go to, all of a sudden, having it be gone, and then what do we do now? And there wasn't dismay. There was hope. I really appreciated seeing Director Alvarez and Director Tidholm.

036And we were there, and we were working all through there. Everybody was there, rolling up their sleeves, getting stuff done, bringing food, bringing coffee, bringing spirits, and some tunes to get them going. And what could have been a depressing sort of a day turned into a "let's grab some chairs and drag them and let's get them going." I was super impressed with some of the classrooms by the end of the day as we walked through because I came through in the morning, and you kind of looked around, and you're like, this is a pretty barren. And then, at the end of the day, you're like, whoa, we got community here. We've got rugs and carpets, and it looked like a home. So I was really impressed. So I just want to thank them. First day

037of school-- so over the course of the week, I have been to 22 schools so far, just coming and popping in and saying hello to staff and welcoming them back, to see the various activities that they're doing and their "getting to know each other" routines for their welcoming new staff, getting ready for the new literacy curriculum, getting ready to see all of the challenges and to face all the challenges and the love that we're going to share with students. So I was super impressed with the staff, administrators, all the folks that I ran into, everyone with a smile on their face and ready to get after it and get going. Because we had a great-- and I also want to thank the students. I mean, this is the young people who spoke earlier today-- showed

038their passion, talked about the things that they care about. That's why we're here. And I am super impressed with you. So all of you folks who currently attend Highline Public Schools and participate in our activities, thank you for being here. We appreciate it, and the Association appreciates you. I hope you have a great year and look forward to getting going, getting all the things done. Take care. All right. Thank you, Jeb. That concludes our remarks tonight. Thank you, Director. Thank you, Mr. Binns and Dr. Duran. That partnership, to see it in action is just incredible. With that, we're going to move on to school board reports. Any legislative reports? We do not have any legislative reports at this time. All right. Thank you. Director reports-- we'll start with Director Petrini. Thank you, President Alvarez. First

039of all, just to our robotics teams and students, I think it's brave to hear you come here and share your love and your passion and these programs that have helped you through school and that continue to build your STEM skills. I'm grateful for the dedicated volunteers that have given so much time to our students as well. We couldn't do it without you-- so grateful to hear of your dedication, and we'd love to hear about future competitions. Please share that information with us. We'd love to support our students in that. And I also love to just see these kind of programs empowering young girls as well to be engineers. And I just loved hearing from that. So I think finding ways to empower our young women is just always wonderful to see. I wanted to share

040that there's this Sylvester Field opening celebration coming up this weekend. I'm excited to participate along with our other directors and Superintendent Duran. That synthetic field and track at Sylvester Middle School was funded by a voter-approved 2022 bond, and the soccer mini pitch in partnership with the Ray Foundation. So if you'd like to join us, it's at 3:00 PM on Friday. There should be some food and some music, family-friendly activities. So I'll be there along with my son, who's at Sylvester, and very excited for that as well. Believe me, we've been watching it all summer. He can't wait to get out there on that field. As part of the Highline Schools Foundation, in attending their board meeting today, learning about the Burien Brat Trot that's coming up Saturday, October 5-- for families who would like to

041come and join us, it's a run-and-walk. There's a kids 1K through Burien, so that's going to be a really fun event. So registration is happening right now. And we hope that you'll come join us with your whole family. I don't run, but I will definitely be there for the walk. So I'm excited about that. I was happy to be part of the Equity Symposium this last week. I know a lot of our teams and teachers were all there in attendance, so just learning more about our tribal communities and their sovereignty and just better understanding just our community and the culture around that. So I just really appreciated the speakers surrounding that. Lastly, I just wanted to share my own board community event that's coming up on Tuesday, September 24, and that will be at 6:30

042to 7:30 at the Burien Library. And this is open to all. It's called My Favorite Book. So I hope that you will come, share, bring a book that you have really enjoyed, something that's touched your life that has inspired you, and hoping that as we sit and collaborate in the kind of books that have inspired many of ourselves as we were young or our own children, just to get kids more excited about reading. Being that September 8 is International Literacy Day and September is National Literacy Month, just trying to engage our kids off the screens and more into a book, which is just what I love to do with my kids as well. So I'll also be having some donated books. So for everyone who comes, you get a free book to take home. So

043I just hope that you look for that information that will be coming your way. And that is all I have for today. Thank you, Director Petrini. Director Tidholm? Yes, I also want to thank everybody for speaking today, the babies. I know that it is not easy to get up in front of everybody and speak. So I really appreciate you sharing your voices. And I'm sorry that your things were discombobulated, but I am happy we were able to find another location. I also was at the old Beverly Park this morning with Dr. Duran and Jenniffer. And it is a far cry from what it was just a week ago, was it, when we were there when everything was also in boxes and discombobulated and everybody was trying to find their belongings-- so really great to just

044see that the kids were there, just getting ready for school, and really just grateful for everybody who was able to get it together so quick because we didn't know what was going to happen. We had this fire, school's coming up, and we didn't even know if these babies were going to be able to start school in time-- so grateful that that was happening. Also, the Equity Symposium, I also attended last Tuesday. Our Highline staff took-- sorry, I thought you were saying something. Our Highline staff took part in our annual Equity Symposium, which was a full day dedicated to professional development with the focus on racial equity. The theme, Journeys, Paths to Progress, reminds us that we are all on an equity journey together. And the symposium marked the start of our work for the year,

045encouraging us to reflect on our past efforts and plan for the future as we continue to build a culture of belonging. I did have the opportunity to attend the morning session where our superintendent, Dr. Duran, President Alvarez, and also two student emcees, Benedict [? Efelothe ?] and [? Liam Lizama. ?] We're setting the tone for the day-- beautiful speakers. And throughout the morning, we heard from our local tribal partners, a keynote speaker who emphasized the importance of honor, power and empowerment. And in the afternoon, the school and department teams engaged in activities that explored the identity and participated in team-based learning and group planning, reinforcing our ongoing commitment to equity and creating a sense of belonging. And I just want to thank all of our Highline staff for your dedication to this work and our

046planning committee who organized this beautiful event. And then, of course, my friendly reminder that White Center Heights on Thursdays and on Fridays has their Family Engagement Center, which offers a food bank which does include fresh fruits and vegetables. They offer language classes. They will help you with your resume. There's also a clothing bank. There is toys, household goods, a number of things. And it's open to anybody in the community. Please utilize the resources. They also got a nice recent donation of a bunch of sporting equipment. So, yes, if you need anything, feel free to stop by. And that is all that I have for today. Thank you, Director Tidholm. Director Hagos? Yes, hi. OK, so the last time I was here, I was on that big screen. And if you were here and/or watched, you

047noticed that there were several things that occurred in terms of some technical difficulties. And I'm not a big fan of virtual meetings, but I am appreciative of Adriana helping me set it up so I can participate. And I'm so glad I'm back in person, which is much more meaningful, and in front of you all and with our board team. So I'm glad to be back in person. And then just to our student speakers as well, I must be missing something because there's something going on, it sounds like, with the robotics team. But I do appreciate the kids coming out and speaking on behalf of all the things that they have gained in terms of personal development, in terms of learning progress, and in terms of just identifying college and career readiness type things that they

048wouldn't have had without this robotics program. So I am appreciative of what you all have done over the years. It sounds like this is a multidecade, some sort of a partnership. I'll have to learn a little bit more about this, but I do-- I am appreciative of all those that came out to speak on behalf of that tonight. I got to learn a little bit more about a special program. And so in terms of just a couple of things that I have prepared, I do want to say welcome to the new teachers to the district. I know that the Highline Schools Foundation graciously put together swag bags to welcome new educators, and I just thought those swag bags were a really thoughtful and kind gesture. And I hope that the first days go well to

049our new teachers. And if they are aligned or signed up with best mentors, I hope those mentorships are well matched. And I wish all of our-- just everyone, students, families, staff-- a really a happy new year. So I just wanted to-- a happy new school year. So I wanted to share that with you all, especially those little swag bags. They were absolutely adorable and something different. And it just was a nice touch. And I'm just going to-- I have a couple of other things I wanted to talk about. The last time I was here on the virtual platform, I was trying to get my words together about the summer months and some of the things that I was doing. I did spend quite a bit of time with my family and my kids and just

050tons and tons and tons of community activities. And it was nice to be in community with our people all across Highline School District. But I also was heavily invested and spent my time actively participating in different measures, some things around youth violence prevention, safety, and wellness. I was able to join a violence prevention work group where there are ongoing discussions on prevention measures and intervention measures across King County. I participated in a convening of districts to discuss and be a think tank towards what's called holistic safety measures with Dr. Grubb and Holly and Clare, our new and dynamic community safety officer. It was nice to see her here today. We were invited to attend-- actually, I was invited to attend a student panel, which is quite interesting. There was a student panel on August 24,

051and the students came up with multiple proposals around what could be done to have stronger King County youth violence policies. And they talked about different prevention efforts. And what I found when I was at the student panel and listening to the kids-- the kids talked quite a bit about different-- well, they were called a youth task force. And I was quite surprised to see some of our Highline Public school students there, a couple of kids from Mount Rainier, a couple of kids from Tyee, and I want to say there was one from Highline. I have to double check on that kiddo and see if they were from Highline. But the idea was that the kids would get together. They were a task force, and they would come up with some proposals and share these proposals

052with a couple of the different mayors around King County. They would share the proposals with some legislators around King County. And I can speak a little bit more about those proposals at a later time. It just was, for me, personally, quite inspiring to be able to hear our kids talk about some of the things that they know have-- they know can contribute to increasing some of the prevention efforts around safety. In particular, they were talking about youth violence, and they were calling for others to replicate and expand on things that they currently see that are being successful around skill development and putting efforts into our kids in terms of-- what they really called out was stronger educational outcomes for our children. They said, when we are invested in our learning, students, youth, are more geared

053towards positive efforts that would prevent safety-related issues. And so I can share that with you all as a board team later on, directly from what the kids of our own public schools have talked about. So I'll share that with our board team, but I just thought I'd share. Our kids are out there. They are talking about this. I'm impressed by what they are doing. They're taking on these complex issues. And I find it completely inspiring. And it was a busy summer around these topics. And I was happy to be in those spaces to learn a little bit more. And then one aspect of the conversation theme that I saw that was emerging in terms of what I've heard across the school districts, or across our school district over the summer, is that there's lots of

054kids talking about an interest and a desire around workforce readiness and skill development. And they talk about having something to do that relates to their hobbies and passions directly impacts their future successes. So this summer, I spent time directly supporting those efforts as well to match that theme. I met with and supported workshop presenters. For the first time, there was an annual City of Des Moines Youth Summer Summit. It was titled "Unlock Your Potentials," for teens 13 to 17. And I met with a couple of presenters to support them for that. I was invited to a panel to be a panel participant helping to grow some civic engagement skills for our young emerging professionals. And that was through the South Side Chamber of Commerce. And the success foundation also has a summer Workforce Discovery Lab.

055And in that, the lab is designed to empower and equip high school students with immersive career exploration activities with top industries here in south King County. And so I was invited as a guest to teach a professional skills workshop with teen students who come from all across Highline and Tukwila schools. So I also attended the Highline Forum. And the agenda topic just so happened to also be workforce development in the Highline area. Thank you, Dr. Grubb, for your presentation at the Highline Forum. The forum members discussed several youth- and specifically Highline-related initiatives that directly and positively impact our students. I'm incredibly grateful to our industry partners. They are pouring into our kiddos. And I just recently learned that the city of Burien is the latest partner to the Workforce Discovery Lab by way of providing

056financial support through those ending ARPA funds investments. It's a two-year partnership with the program. And it was just-- I just heard a lot of powerful partnerships developed through the Highline Forum with actionable and direct positive results for our students here at Highline. And that's about it. I'll be at the farmers markets this week, in the city of Des Moines Farmers Market. They're holding their annual Youth Entrepreneurial Day, where kids will be able to post up tables and share some of their creative artistic materials with our community. So I'm going to go out and check out these innovative spirits, and I'll be there and enjoying that between 10:00 to 2:00. Thank you, Director Hagos. Here, I got it finally to turn on. And with that, the only thing I have, actually, as far as the report

057is, again, we've all talked about today being the first day back at school. I heard the schools were buzzing with energy and enthusiasm as students and teachers and staff came together to kick off the year on the right foot. We're thrilled to see our students ready and eager to learn. Thank you to our staff who were out there welcoming our students in the buildings and being outside with them. Again, don't miss out on the first-day-of-school photos. Head onto our Highline Facebook or Instagram accounts to catch some smiles and moments from today, I've already started checking them out. Let's make this year unforgettable. A lot of times, we want things, and as they say, you get out what you put in. So if we want this year to be unforgettable, we all need to, I think,

058support, encourage our students, our staff, so we can make it unforgettable. Also, I wanted to talk a little bit about our Highline Foundation School. Thank you to some who have mentioned some of the amazing things they're doing. But the Highline Schools Foundation has been working hard since March to raise money to purchase school supplies for our students for this school year. The Foundation and the Highline Exchange Club raised $11,000 to purchase supplies. With support from Boeing, Target, Fred Meyers, and World Vision, the Foundation secured an additional $50,000 worth of school supplies. In total, 12,000 composition books-- my goodness, I remember buying lots and lots of those in my household-- 400 backpacks, and essential school supply items were distributed to schools and students across Highline. A huge thank-you to our amazing volunteers and partners. None of

059this can be done without you all. Thanks for your efforts. Our students are set for a fantastic school year. Thank you all again. And with that, that concludes our director reports. So now we get to our consent agenda. I need a motion to our-- make a motion to approve our consent agenda for this evening. I have a request that the special meeting minutes be removed from the consent agenda for separate consideration. I second that. So then, with that, we take that motion for a roll call. [INAUDIBLE] need assistance. So that calls for a roll call in order for us-- so the motion is to remove the special minutes from the consent agenda. So-- Just for governance processes, I believe that it's not a roll call. It would be a-- wouldn't it be a discussion or

060being able to share what the motion is before we did the roll call? Director Hagos, just to address that-- and I'll look at my colleagues, Holly and Erin. We called for changes, or President Alvarez called for changes to the agenda at 1.4. I believe that this is where we could have requested to remove this item and have a discussion at a later time. Can I get clear confirmation on that? Yes, can we get some clear process on this, please? Thank you. I think that's correct. Under 1.4 was a call for changes or additions to the board meeting agenda. So when we ask for consenting to the consent agenda, isn't that an opportunity to bring up and raise what the request is before we consent? So that's why we call for changes or additions to our

061board meeting agenda at 1.4 is to see if we want to remove anything, to change anything. That's what it's called for in there. And so for that, we ask for changes or additions to the board meeting agenda, and none were asked for. So at this point, we don't-- it's already been consented. OK. My understanding that was for the general agenda that we have, not for the consent agenda. When we did a check-in for the consent agenda, it was my understanding that we would have an opportunity to raise a request because there's only one item on the consent agenda. Holly, could you help with the process, please? Thank you. Good evening. Thank you for the question. The time to request items be added to or changed from the agenda is under item 1.4. That is where

062you would request an item to be removed from the consent agenda. If that item is approved to be removed-- excuse me-- approved to be removed from the consent agenda, it would go into the action portion. And at that point, that's where you would have the discussion about the item. So under item 1.4 is when all the changes for the entire meeting get discussed. And as was stated, no changes were raised during item 1.4. Thank you, Holly. So being that we didn't vote, though, past that, could that not be opened back up since we haven't voted? Just saying that no one said anything at that time. There was no vote taken to continue. So is that not something we can't revisit? There was no call for changes to the agenda. So that would be the point

063in time when a request would be made for changes. And, again, you don't have to vote on that. At that time, you would vote on the request to move something without discussion of the item itself. The discussion would be around the moving of the item. And then, if an item is removed, say, from consent agenda, that item would get discussed later. But the time to request moves is during item 1.4. Does Robert's Rules allow for us to make a motion to return to a previous agenda or a previous item? I think the chair could-- we've never had this question that asked. I think the chair could open it up. That would require the board to vote to reopen it, however. And that would be something that I think the chair could do on her own

064recognizance. But, again, the typical fashion is during item 1.4, anything could get added to consent, changed to consent, moved from intro to action, gone the reverse direction. So could I move that we revisit 1.4? It would be the chair's discretion. I think we have to vote. Correct. And the chair would have to make a motion if she wanted to reopen that item. I mean, we want to take it for a vote, let's take it for a vote. So we can-- or I, as the board chair, can make a motion to reopen and going back to 1.4 and, again, in asking if there's any changes or additions to the board meeting. You can make that motion. It would have to be seconded, I think, and then-- We take a vote. OK. So then I'll go ahead

065and make a motion to return back and open up 1.4, call for changes or additions to board meeting agenda. I'll second. So then that requires a vote. So roll call, please. Director Petrini? Yes. Director Tidholm? No. Director Hagos? Yea. I'm sorry? Was-- Yea. Yea? Yes. And President Alvarez? No. This motion does not pass, with a vote of 2 to 2. So then, with that, we move now to action items. Correct? So going back to our regular agenda. Well, don't we have to vote for-- Yes, you move to the consent agenda. OK, so then I make a motion that we approve our consent agenda, and I'll need a second. Sorry, I'll second. And so with that now, is it a yea or nay? A voice vote, yeah. Yeah. So with that, all in favor? Yea. Nay.

066So, all in favor, yea? Yea. All in favor-- or all in-- I would say nay? All opposed, thank you. At some point, I'll get this. All opposed? Oppose. And we have no abstentions because-- so now the vote is 2-2. So, again-- This motion does not pass, with a vote of 2 to 2. So then we continue with our action items as stated. Is that correct as far as procedure? Thank you, Erin. Good evening. So the consent agenda did not pass. And so you would move to 8.1. Thank you. So action items for this evening-- the first action item is to approve the negotiated salary increases between Highline Public Schools and Teamsters Local Union Number 763, representing instructional support and administrative support staff. Any questions, comments, or concerns? Seeing and hearing none, I make a motion

067to approve the negotiated salary increase between Highline Public Schools and Teamsters Local Union Number 63, representing instructional support and administrative support staff. And I need a second. I'll second that. Roll call, please. Director Tidholm? Yea. Director Hagos? Yea. Director Petrini? Yea. Director Alvarez? Yea. This motion passes 4 to 0. Our next action item is motion to approve revisions to salary schedules between Highline School District and Highline Education Association and Building Administrators. Any questions, comments, or concerns? Seeing and hearing none, I move that the Highline School Board approve the salary schedule revisions for Highline Education Association and Building Administrators. I need a second. I'll second that. Roll call, please. Director Petrini? Yes. Director Tidholm? Yea. Director Hagos? Yea. President Alvarez? Yea. This motion passes 4 to 0. And our next motion is to approve Pacific Middle

068School Replacement Project, Approval of Contract Amendment number 5, an increase of purchase order P201415-- Hutteball and Oremus Architecture, Architectural and Engineering Services. Any questions, comments, or concerns? I do have questions. Dr. Duran, did the questions go through? Are people prepared to answer, or should I-- I wasn't sure, because I know that I sent them in yesterday evening. Jackie, Holly, you guys want to come up, please? Thank you. Good evening. OK. Hi, guys. So I'm looking at some of the change orders around the Pacific Middle School Replacement Project, and it sounds like there are some changes in terms of things that need to be accomplished because of the energy codes and some other things. And I was curious if any of these things would affect the timeline of the completion project. No, there's no impact to

069the timeline. OK. That was my biggest question. And I had some other questions, follow-up questions, if it did. But it doesn't sound like it is. And the other questions, I guess-- you hear a lot about renewable energy systems, and sometimes there are grants and incentives to put these things into place. And I was curious about-- are we eligible now that we're doing this? And there's an increased cost, I think it's about $2 million, with this and some other pieces in terms of the increase in cost. So are we eligible for any kind of grant or incentive around renewable energy as we are building this new building? Yeah, we're definitely looking into any grants that we would be eligible for. With the changes that you're seeing tonight, we don't anticipate any grants that we know of

070right now. But we'll continue, as we always do, to pursue any grants we're eligible for. OK. OK, thank you. I think those are all the questions I have. OK. Appreciate you. Thank you, Jackie. Thank you to both of you. So seeing no other comments, questions, or concerns, I move that the Highline School Board approve the Contract Amendment number 5 and increase purchase order P201415 with Hutteball and Oremus Architecture in the amount of $802,466 to continue with the architectural services for the new Pacific Middle School Replacement Project. And I'll need a second. I'll second. Roll call, please. Director Hagos? Yea. Director Petrini? Yes. Director Tidholm? Yea. President Alvarez? Yea. This motion passes 4 to 0. Thank you, everyone. We have no intro and action items. Thank you for that. The only intro item we have is

071for our next board meeting-- so intro action motion to approve the special education department to contract with Yellow Wood Academy for $250,000 for the '24-'25 school year. And that is the only intro item we have. So with that, normally, we don't move anything to our consent agenda, because we don't have all our board directors present. And with that, I'll ask for a motion to adjourn. So question. So what happens to some of the other consent items that-- the whole thing was not approved, but what happens to some of those other items? I can speak to that. So we're going to have to go through now each of these items that you did not vote on tonight in the consent agenda and determine what the financial impact is going to be. This is going to have

072significant impact on some of our special education students because these contracts were specifically to provide services for them, including staffing as well as direct programs. So we're going to have to go back and now figure out what the impact is going to be, including contracts that have timelines and deadlines. With the vote of no, we're going to have to probably huddle and figure out and have an emergency board meeting because this has some incredible impact on us. I also want to just say that part of being a board member is understanding the roles and processes of how board meetings work. And by not knowing that, it is having impact on our work. This includes payroll. We have to pay our employees. Now we're not going to be able to. So that's the impact of your

073vote of no. So we're going to have to go back and figure out what the impact is going to be. And we're probably have to have an emergency board meeting. But know some of our staff members and our students are going to be directly impacted by this. Is there any way we can mitigate that by-- it was only one single item, not the entire one, and folks were unwilling to open up the one single item. Is there any way we can mitigate that and take care of some of those pieces by doing any kind of voting or approving tonight? I think that-- I'm willing to stay and get this done. It's not about the willing to stay. It's about understanding beforehand, because it's really easy now to sit here and say, oh, OK, now I

074need to back it up because we didn't understand what we were doing, but not realizing that not only is it a significant impact on our students, on our staff, on even-- I mean, we all like to get paid, right? And it's not about there's one item we're not-- we've had over two weeks to look over this. And you want to send some overnight or you want to think about something now? Why wasn't it brought up before? So now we want to sit here and think about how this is now going to impact, and let's just back it up, like it's so easy, because some of us didn't do our homework? So, again, the impact to payroll warrants, accounts payable vouchers, personnel report, which means people that we said we were going to hire, we're going

075to have to go back now and figure out what we're going to need to do with that, approval of equipment, construction cost, our services for our special education students, which are multiple in this consent agenda-- so we're going to have to go back and figure this out now. But we will have to have an emergency board meeting. Can we not make another motion to remove certain things from the consent agenda for next consent agenda, or revisit item 1.4 if there was a motion made? Thank you, Erin, for helping us with some process. But-- I'd recommend a brief recess just to kind of talk through process options before the board sort of moves forward with next steps. We want to make sure we get everything right. OK, so I'll make a motion that we recess? For

076how long, should we say, since we have to notify? How about 10 minutes? 10-minute recess, and then we'll huddle here or-- OK. We can-- So huddle outside, get off the daises or stay on? Does someone have to second that motion? I'll second. Do we have to-- Yeah, the rest of the board sits. It's just the president and the superintendent. [SIDE CONVERSATIONS] One more minute. So we have a minute before we go back on live. So as my role as board president, because this meeting has not been adjourned, I have the opportunity for us to go back because, if not, this will have a huge direct impact, not just on our students and our staff, but our community as well. So I'm going to ask that since we haven't adjourned, then move to reconsider the consent

077agenda. So I'll make a motion to approve our consent agenda for this-- approve our-- So your first step would be the motion to reconsider the consent agenda. So I-- thank you. I make a motion that we reconsider our consent agenda for this evening, and I'll need a second. I'll second. So with that, roll call, please. So are we not able to go back to 1.4 for any changes at that point? Since we can go back to a previous motion, can we not go back to another motion? The motion on the floor is to reconsider the consent agenda. So that is the motion that needs to be voted on at this point. But that doesn't really-- which is part of 1.4 that we can go back. So changes to the consent agenda can be brought back

078up? First, we need to make a motion to consent-- or reconsider to approve our consent agenda. The first motion is to reconsider whether or not you want to reconsider the consent agenda. If that gets approved, the next motion would be talking about the consent agenda itself, including items on the consent agenda. But the motion on the floor is to bring back the consent agenda item writ large. That has to happen before any individual items can be discussed. So just for clarification purposes so I know how I'm voting, if we consent to this reconsideration of the consent agenda, will it take off-- will I still be able to make my request, if I can put it in simple language, or will I be taking that away with approving this motion? You can still make that request.

079This is just to put the consent agenda-- excuse me-- Back. --the consent agenda, again, writ large, back on the table. Until that happens, nothing else can happen. Thank you. So now roll call to reconsider the consent agenda. Director Hagos? Yea. Director Petrini? Yes. Director Tidholm? Yea. President Alvarez? Yea. This motion passes 4 to 0. So now we move to approve-- now that we have it back on, now we're voting to approve our consent agenda. That was to reconsider in putting it back. Now it's to approve the consent agenda. Wouldn't the next step be to make a motion to go back to 1.4 for items to be removed or changed? You don't have to go back to 1.4. You can-- sorry, you can simply make a motion to remove one-- to remove an item. So now

080that it's on the floor, you can have that conversation or make those motions. Excuse me. OK. So is this a time when I can bring my request back up? I request that the special meeting minutes be removed-- You need to make a motion. I move that the special meeting minutes be removed from the consent agenda for separate consideration. Is that item 6.1.1? Yes. Thank you, for the record. And now-- We have a second? May I second it? So now we take it to voters in a yea-nay. It would be a roll call vote. OK, so roll call vote to remove 6.10.1 from our consent agenda. Director Tidholm? Nay. Director Hagos? Yea. Director Petrini? Yea. President Alvarez? Nay. This motion does not pass, with the vote of 2 to 2. So with the motion not passing,

081everything else gets-- just for clarification, everything else has passed. The only thing that hasn't passed is the minutes, or how is it-- So now you would do the motion to approve the consent agenda and look for a second to vote on the consent agenda package as it currently stands because nothing was removed based on the last vote. OK. So now I make a motion that we approve the consent agenda as is. Doesn't this run the risk that we might just do a repeat of what we just did 20 minutes ago? And I'll second. So-- just a second. So, again, so since the removal of the items-- because we're going to be going in circles here all night. Correct. So-- 6.1.1 needs to be approved so that we can move on to the other parts of

082the consent agenda. So then-- No, that's not right. Now we need to-- yeah, we need to finish the process and then go back to starting over again. Finish this process and start over. At this point, I would suggest to reconsider-- someone would make-- could make a motion to reconsider the last motion to remove 6.1.1. If that passed, you would then do another motion on-- Oh, yeah, got it. So I make that motion to reconsider our last vote in removing 6.1.1. And so I'll need a second with that. Just for plain language, does that mean the motion is being put in to remove it? It is being to remove from the consent agenda as that's what you would like. That's what you're asking for. That's the request. OK. This particular vote-- This vote is a revote.

083--is actually just allowing for a revote of that vote. OK, so-- Yeah. --thank you. We always have to, when things change-- so I'm putting back-- I'm making a motion to reconsider putting our last voting back into vote so then we can-- so make a motion to reconsider putting our last vote back into voting. So I'll need a second for that. I'll second. So all in favor? We need a roll call. Roll call. Director Hagos? Yea. Director Tidholm? Nay. Director Petrini? Yes. President Alvarez? Yea. This motion passes 3 to 1. And then the next step would be to actually take that vote again on whether or not to remove 6.1.1 from the consent agenda. And just to be clear, by removing that-- and that gets approved by removing that 6.1.1-- it will open the opportunity to

084then approve all the rest of the items in the consent agenda. And that would be the only thing that would be pulled out, then, for discussion or vote on that, on a separate-- Correct. OK. So now I think we're at a clean slate. So now you can [AUDIO OUT] a motion to pull out. So if you'd like to make your motion to pull 6.1.1. OK, so I make a motion that the special meeting minutes be removed from the consent agenda for separate consideration. And for the record, that's 6.1.1. I'll second that. So now we need a roll call. Director Petrini? Yes. Director Tidholm? Nay. Director Hagos? Yea. President Alvarez? Yea. This motion passes 3 to 1. I'm sorry. I wanted to make sure that we were voting correctly on that we were removing that, correct?

085That was the last vote, yes. OK, to remove that. OK. And so now the next step would be for a motion to approve the consent agenda as amended. So now I make a motion to approve our consent agenda as amended, removing this 6.1.1. So we'd be consenting to everything else in the agenda except that. So I'll need a second. I'll second. Roll call, please. Director Hagos? Yea. Director Tidholm? Yea. Director Petrini? Yes. President Alvarez? Yea. This motion passes 4 to 0. OK, so now we have to go back for 6.1. So since it was removed, questions or discussions on 6.1.1? OK. So for me, when I was reviewing the special meeting minutes from the executive session of August 21, I noticed that the discussion of the superintendent evaluation goals was not completed in the allotted

086time. I move that we find a new date to recess back into executive session to continue this important conversation and ensure a thorough and fair evaluation process. So to me-- So any other comments? Yeah. So I just-- I believe that this step is important. It's crucial to me. It's ensuring that our changes and processes when it comes to superintendent evaluation process aligns with the standards-based model and more also, for me, maintaining interest and objectivity and fairness. I am looking to keep the integrity of the superintendent evaluation process. Thank you. Any other comments or questions? I pretty much second that. I just feel like our time was cut short and for that conversation to be continued. So I guess I second that motion. I don't think a motion was made yet. I think we're just having

087conversation. But I'm just curious where in the meeting minutes it noted that it was not completed, because it was an executive session, so it was confidential. Also, it was a lot of conversation, obviously, and some people might feel like it was not completed. But I do not think that that warrants commandeering a meeting and holding hostage the funding that's affecting our children and our staff because what you wanted was not done. I think that as a board, this conversation has been had that we are not here for ourselves. We're here for the babies. And we're not always going to the way that things go. But ultimately, it's not about what I want. It's about the board and what's best for the district. And I think that remembering that would really behoove us in doing the

088work that we were elected to do. So with that being said, I don't have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding the superintendent's evaluation conversation that we had. I think it was a colorful conversation, and we didn't agree. And that's OK because we're not here to agree or to be in alignment with each other. We're here for each individual vote. Point of order. Are we allowed to-- I think that's-- That's all that I have. --too much has been said-- So I will say that we've heard discussion from everyone. We're not here to see-- people are expressed their opinions. Everyone had a chance to speak. So then I will just call for a vote. Just-- there is the policy-- I'm just going to call for vote. Procedure has not been completed. At this time, I believe I

089can call for-- is that correct? So then I'll call for a vote. I don't believe there's a motion yet for the vote. Nope. There we go. I think at this point I'll make a motion. So just to be clear-- thank you. So if you are calling for a vote on whether or not to approve 6.1.1, you would state that in a motion, look for a second, and then there would be a roll call vote on that. OK. Could a motion be made that we are given the opportunity to either recess back into an executive session to continue that conversation from the previous meeting or to have a future meeting scheduled? No. You can't make a motion within a motion. So the motion that would be on the table is to move forward with item 6.1.1,

090up or down. A conversation about whether or not an executive session can or should be held would be a completely separate motion not located within this one. So I make a motion that we approve item 6.1.1. And I'll need a second. I'll second. So roll call, please. Director Tidholm? Yea. Director Hagos? Nay. Director Petrini? No. President Alvarez? Yea. This motion does not pass with a vote of 2 to 2. So where does it get us now? You have completed the agenda items in front of you today. You can make a motion to adjourn if you like. So I make a motion to adjourn. I'll need a second. Second. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Opposed. Sorry? Oppose. So where are we at now? Well, your motion to adjourn didn't pass. So you can make another

091motion to adjourn. You can ask if there are questions. You can call the question again. So I'll make a motion to adjourn. I'll need a second, and I think we'll go in circles until-- I'll second. So-- Is this the time for a discussion? Everybody had an opportunity for a discuss-- you put what you needed on the table, expressed what you needed, what you wanted. So-- It's not what I want. We have not completed a procedure. And I-- We did complete it. --of a request. Your interpretation-- It's not-- --of completing a procedure is what we're here about. I don't believe we completed that as well. So-- Because, again, we did not get what we wanted or didn't get to speak for another 20 minutes, it doesn't mean that that gets us-- that the procedure was not

092completed. OK, I'll admit this is a first for me. And so I think one option could be-- and I'm sorry, we were having a little bit of sidebar, so I missed the last exchange. So I apologize if there was a different question in there. We think that one step could be the board president could put a motion on the floor to schedule another meeting for discussion, and you could take an up or down vote on that. It seems like that's the issue kind of currently being discussed. You could take a vote on that. And then, depending on how that goes, you could then take another motion to adjourn. But we're in a little bit of new territory here. So that's probably our best recommendation at this time. So then I would say, then, for me

093to make a motion to-- it would be to schedule another board meeting for discussion, or it would be a work-- what kind of meeting would that be? Because we can't discuss our superintendent's evaluation in public. And we can't go into executive session for processing procedures. So then what kind of meeting would that be? So I think I would seek clarity for what type of meeting is being requested, whether it's an executive session or a work session, and that might guide what the language would be. So-- I'd move that it be an executive session to-- being that it feels like we recessed from-- I know the language doesn't say that, but the conversation we were having needed to be completed to make sure that all board members are heard and respected and that we were rushed

094due to time. So I'm just asking for an extension. All board members-- excuse me. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to talk. All board members were heard. All members had an opportunity to express their needs and wants. I'd respectfully disagree. And the meeting was adjourned. It was not recessed. The executive session was officially adjourned. Correct. So you were not coming out of recess. It would be a new meeting. And so the motion that would likely be on the floor based on that would be moving to schedule an executive session at a later time. And there would be an up or down vote on that. OK, so I move-- Before we move forward, I'm so sorry. We did have a motion on the table for adjournment. So just for clarification purposes and just to get that completed,

095there's a motion and a second. Yes, we do. And so we need a vote on that first. OK. Thank you. So roll call, please. That was-- it's a voice vote to adjourn. OK. So another voice to adjourn. So all in favor. Yea? Yea. Opposed? Oppose. OK, so the motion does not pass. Motion does not pass with a vote of 2 to 2. Now we can proceed. So now we can make a motion to schedule another board meeting for discussion. And it seems like it's an executive session that we can go into. So at this point, the motion is simply whether or not to schedule an executive session at a later date. Can I move to schedule an executive session at a later date to complete the superintendent evaluation conversation? The superintendent's evaluation has been completed.

096So we're moving in there, it's not to change the evaluation. It is for discussion of the process. So how can we have an executive session? So you cannot have an executive session on the process. If the motion is to-- excuse me-- if the desire is to discuss the performance of a public employee pursuant to the Open Public Meetings Act Executive Session Clause-- Executive Session Section of the Open Meetings Act in Washington State, then you could move to an executive session for a discussion of the performance. It is not a discussion of the process, and it is not a discussion of past evaluations. So if that's what is desired, the motion would be at the discretion of the chair-- "I make a motion that we schedule an executive session to discuss the performance of a public

097employee at a later date." But haven't we-- So the other option would be a motion on the floor to schedule a work session on process at a later date. And then there would be a vote up and down. So can any of us make that motion? Or is that board chair? I think our recommendation would be board chair at this point, just given where we are. But, again, we're in kind of-- Uncharted territory. --uncharted territory here. But for just the most clean, I think it would be the chair. So my question is-- we've had a discussion on the evaluation of our superintendent. And clearly it was insufficient for all. So at this point, having another evaluation-- I mean, another executive session, where I'm, I guess, worried or whatnot, we've already had on the executive session

098on the evaluation. We're reopening that up, the whole? So the only thing that would be voted on tonight is whether or not to schedule another meeting. So if that motion gets put on the floor, no matter-- if that motion gets put on the floor, it'll either get approved, and there would be a meeting scheduled, or it wouldn't get approved, and there would not be a meeting scheduled. And then we will be here all night. Can I make a motion to recess? Yes. Yeah. It needs a second. Sorry, that was more a comment than a question. Can I get a second? I'll make a-- I'll second that. So all in favor for having a 10-minute recess? So it is 7:38. At 7:48, we come back. So all in favor? It's-- yea. Yea. Any opposed? Oppose. OK.

099So there was three yeas and one opposed. So then we'll have a 10-minute recess. So I just need to-- [SIDE CONVERSATIONS] OK. You can return if you want. Just give me one minute to-- OK. Now we've lost other ones. So we're going to be starting back up in one minute. So welcome back from recess. And given where we are at this time, I make a motion that we schedule the appropriate meeting at a later date, and I'll need a second. Can you specify, is that an executive session? Is that what we're talking about? It's the appropriate meeting. The appropriate meeting is what I'm making a motion for. Can we be specific? What do you mean by appropriate meeting, just to make sure that we're on the same page? So I will-- so at this time,

100if we're going to be discussing, it'll-- so my motion on the floor is to make a motion to schedule the appropriate meeting at a later date. Would that be-- That's the motion. --an executive session to-- I forget the exact verbiage-- evaluation of an employee? It would depend on the actual content that people are wishing to discuss. Again, as I mentioned previously, process cannot be discussed in executive session. The performance of an employee can be discussed. The reason why I believe Director Alvarez is using the language that she's using is because we need to get some clarity on what exactly is intended for the discussion. That will then dictate-- What meeting. --what type of meeting gets scheduled. I believe it's the performance. I feel like it's just continuing that conversation. So that's what's coming up for

101me. Do we need to say something more? Yes to that? There's a motion on the table that needs to be seconded or not. Can I-- in terms of discussion, can I ask if we can clarify the intent of the meeting now so we can decide on what's appropriate rather than having to decide afterwards? I agree. We can certainly have a discussion about it. Ditto to what Director Petrini said. I feel like it needs to be detailed exactly what meeting we're talking about. That would be your discussion that you would have now. What type of meeting are you wishing to have? Executive session for the performance of an employee. And as long as the content of that meeting ends up being in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act and the Executive Session subsection of that

102act, that meeting could be an executive session. If it turns out in the meeting that that is not what the content is, the executive session would be ended, and a subsequent meeting would need to be scheduled that would be the appropriate meeting at a later time to consider that because the Executive Session Section of the Open Public Meetings Act is extremely narrow and very prescriptive of what can and cannot be discussed in an executive session. So if the motion now is around an executive session, and it turns out that the content of the meeting is not an executive session, that would change that meeting and probably immediately end it. That's why it's saying "appropriate" because until we get into there-- if it is what is needed, if it is truly an executive session, that's what

103we'll do. If it's not, that's what's not needed, then-- because then if we already called to say it's an executive session and we end up getting there and it's not, then we'd have to then come back and do another-- I don't even know where we would go from-- You'd have to come back, and you'd have to adjourn the meeting, and you would have to renotice another meeting at a later date-- And could not continue with that meeting at that time-- Correct. --because that meeting was only scheduled for executive session. Correct. The meeting request that I am having has to do with the performance of an employee. So I am requesting an executive session. I'm sorry. Point of order, but unfortunately, I cannot be here. I do need to leave. So at this point, you have

104a motion on the floor. And either there is a second or there is not. If it could be clarified, when we say "appropriate meeting," is that meaning an executive session to evaluate the performance of an employee? The reason, again, we're saying "appropriate meeting" is because if we get into and say an executive session, we get into that executive session, and it does end up not being exactly what the executive session is, then we would have to leave that meeting immediately, come back down here, adjourn, and that would be it for that day, because then we would have to schedule another meeting for discussion, anything else. So that's why I'm calling for an executive-- an appropriate meeting so we can determine then what it is, if it's an executive or-- and if it's not, then if

105it's just a work session or another board meeting. That's why I'm saying "appropriate." I'm not saying that we're not having an executive session. What I'm saying is we need to figure out the appropriate-- which appropriate meeting it is. So just for clarification purposes, then, "meeting"-- or for clarification purposes, does that mean that we will have this meeting in executive session and then it will be determined if we'll continue? Or are we having-- this meeting that's scheduled at a later date, is that going to be a regular agenda item and then go into an executive session? So my point is that in terms of the request that I have, it is directly related to the performance. And my request is in executive session. I agree. So guidance on that, because that's not-- I just-- I'm just

106concerned that if we say that verbiage, then, behind the scenes, then that won't happen. So being here, I want us to make sure that we're clear and transparent that that's the kind of meeting that we're-- So, again, that's where I mentioned earlier today that trust. You don't trust that that's the way it's going to go. That's fine. We can start going from now on like that. Or just-- So no trust-- --that we are saying that's the kind of meeting we're going to engage in, and we're OK-- And so you know by-- you know all the rules and regulations, and you're all experienced, and both of you, in all of that. So you can call that executive session right now. We've had executive sessions where we ran out of time-- So you feel experienced-- --and continued

107it. --enough to call-- so you're like an attorney now on Robert's Rules now? I think that's uncalled for. No, I think it's real-- we talked about-- you're saying, oh, because then it's going to change behind the scenes. No one changes anything behind the scenes. And for it to say it in public, it's demeaning. You're suggesting that we're going to get into an executive session and that conversation will change. I'm not saying that we are-- That's what I'm understanding. I'm not saying that that's what's going to happen. I'm saying that's why I'm calling for an appropriate meeting. An appropriate meeting. I'm not saying that-- I think we're both being very clear what kind of meeting we're asking for, which is in alignment with the OPMA. So that's what we're asking for, not a determination at a

108future time. I will not be speaking on process. I'm talking about a performance. And I would like that to be an executive session. And, again, if the discussion is around performance, that is an executive session. Again, it is not process. It's not number of meetings. It's not length of time. It's not anything like that. It's not going backwards. It's about evaluation of a public employee for '24-'25 school year. Yes. If that is what the request is, then that could be the motion. And, again, the potential fallout is that if it gets into the meeting, and the meeting veers off of that, the meeting would be ended and, again, unable to-- which is fine. It would just have to be a recognition that anything beyond that narrow phrase would be ended and not repicked up that

109same day, again, which is fine. It just needs to be recognized that that's how that would work and that would play out over multiple-- I recognize that. So at this time, I need to make the motion? So then-- We did have a motion on the table. But not seconded. That was not seconded, correct. So you can rephrase the motion if you'd like. So I will rephrase the motion and make a motion for an executive session at a later date. For the evaluation of a public employee, right? Does that have to be part of the verbiage? I mean, sure, that's great. Then I will second that. Now it needs to be a vote. So roll call vote. Director Hagos? Yea. Director Petrini? Yes. Director Alvarez? Nay. The motion passes 2 to 1. All right. Now we'll

110need a motion to adjourn for this evening. I motion to adjourn. I'll second that. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? So we're adjourned. Thank you.