001Good afternoon everyone. Thank you for joining us for this afternoon's meeting. I'm going to go ahead and call the meeting to order. If you'd like to join us, please feel free to join us for the flag salute. To the flag of the United States of America to the stand. >> Thank you everyone. On behalf of the board, I welcome all the members of the audience to this afternoon's meeting. This meeting is a working session of the board to conduct the business of the district. The agenda for today's meeting has been published and the agenda items to be discussed and or voted on have been studied by the board members. I'd like to introduce the people participating in today's meeting, recording secretary Peggy King, Superintendent Dr. Justin Irish, board members Sandy Hayes, Jacqueline McGordy, Elizabeth Sotac,
002and I am Amy Cast. I currently serve as president of the board. Director Han Tran has been excused from this afternoon's meeting. An agenda for this meeting is available online at boarddoccks.com and copies are also located on the table at the back of the boardroom. There will be an opportunity for both virtual and in-person public comments to be shared during the association and public comment portion of today's meeting. Although we had no one sign up for virtual public comment, community members who are interested in viewing the meeting with closed captions are encouraged to follow the link on our website to the district's YouTube channel. The YouTube stream includes closed captioning for both regular schoolboard meetings and our study sessions like the one that's following this meeting. Visit nsd.org and under our district, click school board,
003then board meeting materials and videos. If you're here to address the board on agenda items, please sign in using the sign-in sheet on the table at the back of the boardroom and take a number which corresponds with the line where you signed in. The first order of business is the land acknowledgement. Director Hayes. We take this time to acknowledge that the Northshore School District occupies the unseated coalish lands that have been here since time in memorial. We honor the ways of knowing and ways of being of indigenous peoples and tribal nations who are still here and thriving in our district community. We also acknowledge that this is a working land acknowledgement that will continue to evolve as our partnership with local indigenous peoples and tribal leaders expands. Thank you, Director Hayes. Next item on the
004agenda is the approval of the agenda. Would the board like to make any changes to the agenda as it's been published? No. All right. Seeing none, is there a motion to approve the agenda? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All right. Moved and seconded. And seeing no discussion, we will call for a vote. And the agenda's been approved as published. Thank you. The next item on the agenda is the superintendence report. Dr. Irish. >> Thank you, President Cast. For the past two weeks since our last board meeting, we have been working really hard to make sure our schools are open. And um I have had the great pleasure of getting out to as many schools as I possibly can and um being present and visible and just trying to uh get the the scope of
005the land. So today was kindergarten actually. So we were um first day of kindergarten, although we did have some kindergarten camps last year or last week, sorry. But um um it was great to see uh the all the kindergarteners coming. We had one little crier at Wellington today and um got to be able to help her get to her seat and um help her unpack her backpack and as her mom was leaving. And it's just great to see the love and care that our staff provide um to make sure that our kids feel um welcome and um and okay. But these are and it was actually really touching to see the parents leave um and and some of them these are their first first kiddos in school. So, um it was really heartwarming today to
006be out um at sites. But over the last couple weeks, I've been as visible as I possibly can in a district this size. Um so, I started my um day on the first day of school at the transportation department. Got to um say hello to the bus drivers as they were coming in and wave them off as they started their first route. Um and it was magical to see uh the climate and culture there. Um they are uh an incredible team who is focused on doing what's best for kids and um I had a lot of good time and laughter with them. So it was it was a good start to the school year. Uh and then I I spent some time with our mechanics as well um and and got to to see them
007help or to see them launching off uh the year as well was great. Um and then I um was able to go out to Kenmore Middle School and um over the last couple weeks Kenmore Middle School, Frank Love Elementary, Sky View Middle School, uh Secondary Academy for Success, Canyon Creek Elementary, Inglemore High School, Northshore Options, East Ridge Elementary, Cottage Lake Elementary, Sunrise Elementary, Timberrest Middle School, um and I um I have several more to get to in the in the next um couple weeks, but my goal is to get to all schools by the end of the of of the um of September. And there are some schools that I did not list here that I've talked about the last couple weeks as well. But I've I've got probably about eight more schools to visit
008to meet my goal and then I can start the cycle again. So, I'm really excited to to be present in the schools. Um enrollment, we are continuing to monitor. Um it is the fourth day of school and we're continuing to see where class sizes are large, where class sizes might be underenrolled. um and just um trying to manage that process. As you know, um we don't have funding to add additional staffing at this time. So, if we do add staff, it's more likely that we're moving people around um across the system. Um and then I'm continuing to work on my entry plan. Um and over the last couple weeks, I've met with our amazing child nutrition team in their inservice, as well as our D district nurses. And then, uh executive director Carrie Campbell and
009Dr. Craig Foster and I met to talk about our upcoming community meetings that we're hosting. Um, just the what matters most to her just to understand how are we going to collect the information uh from the community and our staff in ways that we can use that information to inform uh our next steps and inform my entry into the district. Um, and then I have completed all of my one-on- ones or small group meetings with building leaders. And so that's been a really telling, wonderful experience to see um to learn from them what they're experiencing in our district and the the challenges they're facing as well as the successes that they're experiencing. So that concludes my um briefing today. Thank you. >> Thanks, Superintendent Irish. Any questions for Superintendent Irish? >> All right. Thank you.
010We'll move on with the agenda then. The next item on the agenda is association and public comments. The Northshore School District Board of Directors has set aside a time a period of up to 60 minutes to receive updates and comments from district association leaders and community members. As referenced in multiple policies adopted by the board, we expect all parties addressing the board to present their comments in a way that is civil and respectful. This means that whether we're school directors, district staff, students, members of the community, or some other guest, we must all follow the same standard of civility during schoolboard meetings. Please speak directly to the board and address matters related to district operations, policies, procedures, and agenda items under consideration by the board. Washington state law requires that the board limit its business
011and discussion at the board meeting to only those items that have been captured in the previously published agenda, the one we just voted on. So, what that means for us today is that any public comment regarding items that are included in that published agenda will be taken into consideration by the board when that topic is addressed during the agenda. Any topics brought up during public comment that are not included in the public published agenda cannot by law be discussed at this meeting. So will not be addressed or receive a response during the meeting. In either case, depending on the nature of your topic or questions, a district employee or a board member might follow up on any comments that relate to district business. Please note that the board silence during public comment is neutral by
012design. It's neither a signal of agreement nor disagreement with this uh speaker's remarks. Also, please note that comments should not make reference to any employee or representative of the district by name or by identifiable reference like title. If you're interested in making comments or complaints regarding an individual, you may use the complaint process available through the office of the superintendent. And finally, as this is a space um that students occupy often, please remember that your words have impact and you, not the school district, are responsible for your words, uh we caution all speakers that it's possible that your statements could violate the rights of others under various laws, including laws protecting privacy and laws prohibiting defamation. If you're unsure of the legal effect of your remarks, you should seek independent legal advice. In any case,
013we ask that you help us model for our students what a respectful and inclusive community looks and sounds like. And per our tradition, we start with association comments. Do we have any association leaders here today? Is on. >> Yes, it is. >> Great. Um, looks like it's just me. Um, hi everyone. I am thrilled. So, I'm Cara Anderson Erenss, the executive director for the Northshore Schools Foundation, and I'm thrilled to be standing um before you to celebrate a really successful backpack summer. Um for um Dr. Irish, um for your edification, we have been doing this is our sixth backpack year. Um, prior to that, I think the school district was um in charge of of uh backpacks and backpack distribution and that sort of um piece. We stepped in to help out and um um
014are just doing a um having a robust and really fun time. So, we were at I don't have final numbers because we're still today I had two staff members take backpacks to um a couple different schools and so we're still counting the totals which is wonderful. We have this the um supplies in reserve for just such things. Um and so but we're we know we're over 800 backpacks and so we're hoping our goal this year was a thousand and I think that um we are just excited to work with more community partners because of course the main way that students find out about where to go to get backpacks is from the schools. And when the schools are closed in the summer, it pro produces an extra barrier. And so we have some plans for
015really support um connecting with human service organizations in the community to um make sure that there are not families who are um not in the know. Um the celebration besides being able to serve um students is that the community stepped up in our um backpack drive this uh summer and we garnered $35,998 >> in um inind gifts from the community. So that blew away um our expectations um for community members by that means they bought crayons and markers and any kinds of school supplies that we put on our Rooma list. We had 52 businesses who decided to support this year and we were trying to limit it so that we wouldn't be running all over town and we that's limiting it is 52 businesses. So, it was a really great thing and we just it
016makes me so proud to work for this school district and with this community, these communities lift up our kids and and we just the the more efficiently we can give them the means to do so, the the more they give. And not everybody is feeling certain in these um uncertain times. So to have that large s come our way just makes me so grateful and we are so thrilled to be passing that along to um the school district. One last piece before I um go. We are um super excited to announce that we are having a build skills for life, our very first Build Skills for Life um breakfast fundraiser this uh October 3rd. And we the program is to highlight the things that the programs the school district is doing that help students to
017get ready for the working world. And what our whole point is to let the program leaders and the students who have been part of those programs stand up and let the business leaders of our community know um just how hard Northshore is working to get students ready um for the challenges of the working world. So I hope you'll be able to join us. Thank you. >> Thank you very much, Cara. Any other association leaders? Yeah, I thought I saw Renee from PTA. Good afternoon, school board directors. My name is Bnee Brics and I represent Northshore Council PTSA. I want want to extend a warm welcome to our new superintendent, Dr. Glad to have you here. Um, we are excited about the 202526 school year and want to remind everyone that the beginning of the year
018is a perfect time to engage with their local schools and join their local PTSAs. You can find out membership information um on each local PTA's website and you can also find it on Northshore Council PTSA's website. We have direct links to all the local PTAs. The council has some upcoming events that we'd like to share with you and our community. On September 10th, we will be hosting a back- to-school PTA leaders meetup from 11:30 to 1 p.m. at Miner's Corner Park. That same evening on September 10th, we will host an advocacy coalition online meeting starting at 8:00 p.m. If you're interested in attending this meeting, please email advocacy at Northshore Council PTSA for the link to the meeting. Um, we would also like to invite you to attend our next general meeting on September 15th.
019It is in person at Woodenville High School Library. Uh there will be a council meet and greet starting at 6:30 and the official meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Uh Superintendent Iverish will be joining us for our meeting and we are very uh excited and and looking forward to hearing from him. Uh following the general meeting, uh we have a wonderful opportunity uh to provide training for all of our local PTAs as the Washington uh we will be pro providing several um appro Washington state PTA approved training sessions. So get your training in. Um and on October 8th, uh a very important evening, uh we will be hosting a school board candidate forum starting at 6 PM. It will go from 6 pm to 7:30 at uh the Northshore Performing Arts Center. Uh in preparation
020for this event, we are asking that the NSD community submit their questions for the candidates. You can find the survey link on Northshore Council PTSA website. So, please save the date, come join us on um October 8th for the forum. Thank you so much. That concludes our comments. >> Thanks, Bnee. I don't think I see any other association leaders. So, we'll move on to general public comments. How this works is that we ask you to um first of all state your name for the record and then you'll see up on the screen a timer of three minutes. So, we ask folks to um limit their comments to three minutes to give everyone ample time to um participate. So, I think yeah, I think we're good. Carrie. So, what how this works is I will just
021call you by number, the number that you picked up when you signed up, and we'll be all good to go. >> Great. So, speaker number one, >> hello, Dr. Irish, President Cass, board members. I am Colleen Conway and I am here today to inform you all that unfortunately my stepdaughter's 14th amendment due process rights have been violated by Inglemore High School. My stepdaughter was accused of participating in an event that was alleged to be hazing of other students. Other female students were accused of participating in the same event and were interviewed by Inglemore High School administrators. While male students were at the same event, they were never interviewed nor disciplined. Once we heard that the other female students were being interviewed in a hostile and biased manner, my husband sent him an email to IHS
022administrators requesting that his daughter would need a parent present for her interview. We never heard back from the administration and my stepdaughter was deprived of her due process rights as she was never interviewed. However, she was punished for her alleged actions. Given this egregious deprivation of said due process rights, we retained counsel. In response to a letter from our attorney, the IHS administration admitted that they punished my stepdaughter without affording her due process. in a letter from NSD's council included the following quote. With respect to your contention that this report is factually inaccurate in so far as it states that all members of the cheer team were interviewed, it is correct that your client, a minor student, was not interviewed after it was stated that she would not meet with administrators without her guardians present.
023It is wholly unacceptable that minor students within NSD are denied their due process rights for simply requesting that their parents be present for a disciplinary interview. It is further unacceptable when the administration decides to punish said student without allowing them ever to be heard. While there are several components of this investigation that were unethical, biased, and sexist, this component of the investigation cannot stand as precedent for current and future students. We are continuing to seek legal remedy as IHSh I IHS administrators nor the district have yet to provide us a satisfactory reply. Thank you for your time today. >> Thank you Miss Conway. Speaker number two. Hello members of the school board and Dr. Irish. I'm Renee Heisinga. I am the teacher librarian at Maywood Hills Elementary and I'm wearing my NSEA shirt today because
024I represent specialists on the NSEA exec board which means I represent um music PE library and counselors and so I'm going to be visiting you once a month to give you a state of information about what's going on with our specialists and today is my state of the libraries report. So, number one, your teacher librarians want to let you know that we so we sure appreciate that Northshore supports certificated endorsed librarians in all of our libraries because you have certificated endorsed librarians in your libraries. We both teach and we um collaborate with classroom teachers and curate and manage collections of thousands of books at each of our Northshore libraries. Um, and we serve also a lot this time of year as tech support and support our STS's as our kids are getting their Chromebooks and
025getting that off the ground. We foster a love of reading. We teach research skills. We teach digital citizen citizenship, including diving into that world of AI right now, which is very interesting. And overall, our libraries are safe spaces for students and staff. Um people like stats. So I did check to see our circulation stats for the first three days um Wednesday, Thursday, Friday in the district. Um the total number of circulations the first three days in our schools was 11,293 books. 9,6 268 of those were at our elementary schools. Our middle schools and high schools are just kind of getting rolling. A few anecdotes of what's going on in our libraries. This summer we had two libraries, Frank Love and Northshore Middle, that had open library during um the summer, once once in July and
026once in August. And I did get a report from Inglemore High School about how their first days they supported 50 new to Northshore students with Chromebooks, loginins, and passwords. We're all doing that. But I hadn't thought of it at the high school level. They get a lot of new students at those high schools. Many of us have been distributing curriculum and collecting unused curriculum to send back. IMC is super busy right now. Um they've already been hosting Read with Rover and therapy dogs. Our high schools already had therapy dogs at school to help kids through those first couple of days. And we're also building community. Um a lot of us collaborate with our high school students and bring them into our elementarymentaries. at um Maywood. We're working with the Red Envelope Collective from Northshore and
027they're bringing in um a lunar let's see an autumn moon festival in October. The Both High Robotics team comes in. We also collaborate with our King County librarians and with Washington State nominated award books and we have other programs that bring the community into our schools. So, I'm sure there are many initiatives I don't have time to talk about, but thank you for your support of Northshore Libraries, and we welcome your questions and your visits. Thank you. >> Thank you, Renee. >> Um, speaker number >> President Cass, I'm sorry, but it occurred to me that perhaps since this is going to be a monthly thing that Renee be part of associations rather than public comment. That makes sense. Yeah, we can we can chat about that after, Renee. Whatever. Yeah, if you're coming by monthly.
028That that's a good suggestion, Director Hayes. Thank you. >> Also, I my face was not neutral. I apologize. >> All right. So, I believe that speaker number three has um had to step away. No, speaker number three is here. No, speaker number three um has all set. So, we are going to pass and go to speaker number four. Thank you very much. Good afternoon, Dr. Irish. My name is Eileen Ilward Hammer and I'm a parent of a graduate of the Inglemore Theater Patter and I'm a Kenmore um and Kenmore Middle School uh former parent and still active um volunteer. I'm a teacher in special educator in private practice in the community. And I came today um really interested in the um discussions around bond and levy and the information that we're going to start to
029be seeing around those things and was really just coming to be in the audience until I thought of a question. Um so I what because I'm not able to ask questions during the subsequent study session. One of the things that um I'm seeing on the agendas and I'm anticipating is a lot of information around the use of technology in our classrooms and in our community. And as we know there is oh so much and as we know it is oh so expensive. And as we know families who have two and three and four fam uh children at multiple schools with multiple loginins and you know a family who has three kids may have 14 to 18 teachers that they're interacting with. It's just a lot. And in my personal work I interact with those families
030in their homes with their kids. And it is absolutely overwhelming to keep track of even for the most savvy families. And so when I was looking through the ag through the agenda for the study session, I was seeing a fair amount of um recommendations for suggestions for additional support, additional support around UDL, additional support around um speech to text. Um I believe there was also something um around um what looked like it might be AAC, augmentative um assisted communication devices. Um really thrilled to see the potential for additional support or additional PD. It is desperately needed. I have so many clients whose um staff members do not know how to use the devices that they are that are adult out to them, children with dyslexia and and um communication needs whose the adults with them
031throughout the day do not know how to use the devices let alone to use them for instructional purposes. It is beyond just proximity. It is beyond um the idea of inclusion. It needs to be academically and instructionally relevant and we're not there yet. Um so I was thrilled to see potential in um the proposal that might support that angle. I may be wrong. Um so as I sit through the study study session to the extent that anybody wants to speak aloud about those I would love to hear it. Um but an additional um request would be that um in the public documents because in addition to the slide deck there is a um summary sheet. There's not a lot of meat there about what would be included in those line items. So I may have
032missed it. may be somewhere um in a stack for that committee. Um if it can if we as the public can have direction on where to find the details, that's great. I don't want to create any work for anyone. Um but to the extent that it's not there, I think there's a lot of us out in the community and families who would love to know in more detail what assistance for UDL, assistance for technology, assistance for speech means. So that's it. Thank you. >> Thanks, Eileen. That concludes our public comment section of today's meeting. Thank you so much for participating. Oh, okay. All right, then. You know what? Um, speaker number five, you want to come up and um, please state your name for the record. Um, and we'll put another threeminut timer up. Thank
033you. >> My name is Agnes Miggins. Good afternoon and thank you for allowing me to speak. I'm here today as a parent and an advocate for my daughter, a minor, a cheerleader, and a student who was subjected to an alarming and inappropriate interrogation by school administrators on June 6th, 2025. She was pulled into a closed door meeting with multiple adults, including principal and vice principal and pressured to write and sign a statement about an incident from a year prior. She was alone, she was scared, and she was told she couldn't leave until she complied. Let me be clear, this is not a conversation. It was a coercion and it was conducted without parental not notification or consent. Under RCW28A605005, parents have the right to be informed and involved in matters affecting their children's education and
034well-being. That right was ignored. My daughter was forced to navigate a high pressure situation without the support she was legally entitled to. Furthermore, RCW28A600010 guarantees students due process in disciplinary matters that includes notice, fairness, and opportunity to be heard. Instead, my daughter was threatened with a lo with the loss of cheer camp and made to feel re responsible for another student's alleged injury without evidence, without representation, and without any regard for her emotional safety. The administration the administration's conduct also raises serious concern under RCW496030 which protects every Washington's residents from discrimination. The cheerleaders were punished barred from meeting outside school grounds and subject to hazing in class while the football players who were present during the alleged incident faced no consequences. That kind of gender-based disparity is not just unfair, it may be unlawful. When
035I speak When I spoke with one of the administrators to express my concern, I was told I was becoming unhinged. Let me say this. Advocating for my child's rights is not irrational. It is my responsibility and any parent in my position would be equally outraged. This administration must reflect on its actions, acknowledge the harm done, and commit to lawful, transparent, and equitable practices. My daughter deserves deserves better. All our children do. Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay, just double checking if I haven't missed any other comments. Okay, and this does conclude our public comment portion for today. Thank you for coming to participate in our meeting. Um, we're going to continue with the rest of the agenda. So, the next item on the agenda is the adoption of the consent agenda. Is there a motion
036to approve? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions or discussion? No. Um I would just like to commend all the work done to um with reference to the non-representative the interpreters translators work that was done to make sure that we are getting quality people as we know that is a growing need in our community. So just thank everyone that works to help that along. >> Thank you Director Hayes. All right. Anything else? All right. We're good. So, seeing no further discussion, we'll go ahead and call for the vote. And the consent agenda passes. Thank you. Next item on our agenda um is the first of three action items. Action item number one is the donation from Falcon Grid IR booster grid iron booster club to Woodenville High School football program. Um Superintendent Irish. >>
037Yes. Thank you, President Cass. This generous donation will fund a football coach stipen for the 20252026 season, purchase miscellaneous football equipment and practice jerseys for the 2526 season. Uh we recommend your approval. >> Thank you. Is there a motion to approve? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Okay, it's been moved and seconded. Any questions or discussion? >> So pre- pandemic um we were moving toward making sure that our helmets were of the highest caliber to prevent um brain damage, brain injuries. Um, and it says miscellaneous football equipment. I don't know where that work is at at this point. Kind of got lost. We had a few other things going on. So, um, I just would be curious of where we're at in making sure that we are providing helmets for our students that can protect
038them to the best possible. >> I can look into that. Yeah. >> Thank you, Director Hayes. Any other questions? All right. Seeing none, we'll go ahead and call for a vote. And that item passes. Thank you. The next agenda item um action item number two is the resolution number 98 cancellation of warrants outstanding. Superintendent Irish for your approval this afternoon in compliance with board policy number 7326 and RCW39 56040. The district is required to cancel outstanding warrants which are payments to individuals or vendors that have not been redeemed within a period of 12 months or more. The warrants can be cancelled. The to the warrants to be canceled total $9,542. Upon cancellation, they will be submitted to the Washington State Department of Revenue and is unclaimed property. We recommend your approval. >> Thank you, Superintendent
039Irish. Is there a motion to approve? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All right. Any questions or discussion? >> I just want to thank you for the explanation of of warrants that just set off flashes in my head. Yeah. Right. A piece of paperwork required by the state. We get these. All right. Anything else? Okay. We'll call for the vote. All right. And the item passes. Thank you. Our third and final action item is the approval of purchase over $1 million for the 20252026 Washington schools risk management pool. Superintendent Irish, >> for your approval this afternoon is the purchase Oh. Uh, yes. Of over $1 million for the district's 2526 membership contribution to WSRMP, which provides the district's self-insured coverage. >> Thank you, Superintendent Irish. Is there a motion to approve? >> So moved. >>
040Second. >> All right. It's been moved and seconded. Any questions or discussion? We can share microphones if we need. >> I have a question. Since I know a little bit about this, um, still learning. um this amount that that is needed for this has gone up pretty substantially over the past few years. Is that correct? >> Yes, that is correct. >> And and there are specific things in Washington state law that are causing that to go up or is there are there other factors other than maybe it was undervalued previously? Do you know? as it's it's the same as with most insurance companies when your premiums go up your you know you um it's it's what's happening in the private sector as well um is happening in the public sector. So we are just seeing
041there are more cases more um um there's just there is more risk um and as a result of that risk um they are needing to increase their their dues >> and and the money that we have to pay into that is money that is not provided by the state. >> That is correct. >> Okay. Just double checking. >> Thank you. So that would be something else that our local levy would help fill the gap. >> But there there were also some changes to some legislation in the last couple of years that has impacted that a great deal and we can take that discussion offline. >> Yes, that is true. There are many cases where there is now more risk. >> Okay, any other questions or discussion? Seeing none, we'll call for the vote. There it
042goes. All right. And that action item passes. Thank you. Next up, um we have a performance review, uh a monitoring report for the superintendent parameter policy number three, district staff. Um superintendent Irish. >> Thank you, President Cast. Presenting for your approval this evening is the monitoring report for superintendent parameter 3, district staff. I certify that the information contained in this report is true as of September 8th, 2025. I also do hereby certify that with the information evidence provided within this report that I in compliance with the requirements set forth within this parameter. Thank you, Superintendent Irish. Any questions or discussion from the board? >> Oh, I can start. Okay. Um, so, uh, once again recognizing a little bit awkward since you've been on the job two months. Um and just a reminder to the community
043that our monitoring reports aren't about an individual but about the system. So we are um the leadership of our superintendent and you have stepped in admirably and um but it's about the system as a whole. So um thank you for this report. It tons of detailed information, a lot of data to process and read. I my I will confess my brain got completely stuck at the 11,000 volunteers that we have in our district, which means that we have one volunteer for every two students. And I I feel like that's got to be a record. I can't believe that there are other districts that approach that level of ratio. Anyway, I feel like we should get an award or something. Um >> The community should get an award for supporting our schools. Um, so, uh, that
044that was probably the biggest detail that I zeroed in on, but again, just lots of really great information of the work that's being done. Um, it's a different era for us in Northshore. Um, where we're not trying to frantically hire a lot of people, but now moving to more of a retaining um, work. And so, it was good to see. >> Thank you, Director Hayes. Well, I'll just say I appreciate all the the effort that went into gathering all of that information on the uh retention and turnover and so forth with all of the disagregation that went along with it. It was very very highly detailed and and good to see. So, thanks. >> Yes. And um again, thank you to everyone who compiled this incredibly large report with all of this um data to,
045you know, as the previous directors said, move us in the direction of retaining our really wonderful staff that we have um and keeping moving forward on the goal of having staff who represent the students and the learning in the community in which they reside. Um, and yes, I also was very excited about the 11,000 volunteers that just it it's a lot. It's a lot of people and it's really great to see and it's especially now that you know this district is moving more towards a lot of families who have two working adults in their households. So it knowing that and knowing that it is people volunteering in our schools who may not have kids in the system, which is really exciting as well because that really speaks to the depth of the community involvement in
046our schools, which is what keeps them strong and keeps us moving forward as a community. >> Thank you, Vice President Sotac. And I would just want to tack on, you know, something um I want to thank the team for is uh the board noted and had conversations after the pandemic, our classified staff retention rates really went down. It was something obviously we um so appreciate and we know our classified staff is really critical to student success. And so to see those retention rates go back up, I know is the result of a lot of work. So thank you for that. And um I know the work to have the demographics of our staff match the demographics of our community is something ongoing and is very complex when you're not in a situation where you are
047able to add a lot of staff. Um so I just want I know that it's extra challenging to do that and I just again want to say thank you for that work because we know how critical it is and we do see some improvement in that area as well. So thank you. Anything else? Okay. So, how this works? This is um again a report on work being done in the district per our policy governance policies. And now it's the board's responsibility to provide feedback to the superintendent as the representative of the district to the board the pivot point um to yeah provide feedback on the information in the report. So we have the option to um do a motion of either of three options. One is to find the superintendent um through the monitor and
048report for policy P3 in compliance with the policy or making adequate progress towards compliance with the policy or not in compliance. So is there a board member who would like to make a motion from those three options? I'll do it. I move that we find that Superintendent Irish um is in compliance with provisions of the policy P3 district staff. Is there a second to that motion? >> Second. >> All right. It's been moved and seconded. Any discussion on that motion? Okay. Seeing none, we will call for a vote. And that motion carries. So, thank you. Um the board's going to take a minute and write down some reflections and um to record our conversation here so we have it at the end of the year when we go through all the monitoring reports. So, just
049give us a minute. All right, I think I'm looking at body language. Looks like we're all done recording. So, we will continue on with the agenda. The next item on the agenda um are a series of information items and we'll do the first one which is the um district budget status report for July of 2025. >> Yes. >> Do we want to review parameters? >> You know, that would be really good. Thank you for keeping me on task, Director Mccordia. I appreciate that. Actually, the next item on the agenda is a policy review for the policy we just monitored against. So, as we are have that policy top of mind, thank you. We are going to have the opportunity as a board to see if there's any um work there or edits that we think
050would be applicable. Thank you for teams. So, happy to be a part of a team. But um is there anything in here that the board would like to discuss or edit? I think it's working pretty well. Okay. All right. Thank you. Now we're going to move on to information items. So next now we're going to have the first information item which is the district budget status report for July of 2025. There we go. Superintendent Irish. for your review um and information. We present uh the information contained in this report and it shares the financial status and conditions of the district as of July. >> Thank you. Any questions from the board? >> Seems quite consistent with last month and >> all right. Just giving it a sec. It's a lengthy report. Okay. All right. Thank
051you everyone. We'll move on to the next information item which is the capital projects fund allocation report for July of 2025. Superintendent Irish. >> The information contained in this report shares the um is the update you on the current status of the 8 2000. Oh no, I'm sorry. I missed stepping ahead. The information contained in this report shares the financial stats and the conditions of the district's capital project fund as of July. There we go. Any questions from the board? Know that it's lagging numbers depending on when purchase orders come in, all those things. Okay, great. Keep moving on. This is our report. The first meeting of the month is the report meeting. Next one, capital project status report. >> And this information is to update you on the current status of the eight 2022
052growth projects. >> All right, any questions? How was the first day of school at all the at all these campuses? >> The new campuses. >> Well, the improvis Oh my gosh, there was a lot of excitement, wonder, awe, um inspiration. Yeah. So, it's a lot. It was um as you know, Crystal Springs was um the one that we were hoping that would uh at the last minute we'd be getting all the the the permitting and the permission to to to um to be able to to use the building. So, uh thankfully we did and um I have um heard great things about um about many of these buildings. Oh, I was just gonna say I know I know there was a great deal of planning and I think foresight and trying to make sure that
053all these in progress construction didn't interfere with the students particularly on the first day of school. Um which is is greatly appreciated. Just, you know, throw that out there. Was there anything outside of the kids constantly peering through the hole in the the fence protection to to see their their uh their new school coming out? Well, at Inglemore, it was it's a bit of a a challenge because, you know, it's it's it's the uh the one of the challenges is to get from building to building through that maze. Um, but I mean, I was even fascinated with the windows and the I mean, there's little windows cut in that you would just want to stop and peek in and watch what they're doing. And um and so I think I think Carrie got a picture
054of me um you know, all excited as like a little kid. Where's Carrie? Yeah. looking through the little peepphole trying to trying to see what what's happening behind behind that big old wall. But um but yeah, Englemore, there's a little bit of challenges there and uh and just in regards to the transitions, but it was was great to see the assistant. We were u Carrie and I were able to ride the um golf cart around campus as we were trying to navigate making sure kids were crossing the crossing guard or crossing walks appropriately and that they were getting to their classes on time and finding the right classes and the new portables and u but there was just still a lot of great excitement and buzz in the air. Yeah, >> I have to say
055that one of the really exciting things at Kmore is that the kids riding the bus and the car riders don't have to interact anymore. The buses don't interact with the cars. They're on two totally separate entrances, which last year all the buses had to enter campus and release all the children off the buses and then leave campus before car drop off could start. And it was um Turbo Chaos from what I've heard because I stayed away from it because my kids ride the bus because I don't want to touch it. Um but uh having that new safer system for kids who are driving so that they aren't interacting or kids aren't driving, don't quote me on that. for children who come in a vehicle. Um they don't need to cross paths with the school bus
056and uh you know kids on the buses don't need to cross paths with cars driving up and down. Um so that's a huge improvement and um it's a big change to the campus that all it's it's a very different thing to have one new class of kids coming in and not knowing what's going on. But when you have the entire school come in and not know what's going on, it's it's a lot of it's a lot of learning for adults and children. And so it's ex I'm excited to see how everyone's learning progresses over the school year. >> Well, I think that's a really good point to, you know, moving the the buses away from the car drop offs is a huge improvement for safety and especially on that site which is really limited due
057to the wetlands that surround it. Um that's a huge improvement for that community. I also want to note that in many of our uh in the elementary schools having cafeterias and gyms is a huge win. Um especially, you know, when you think about scheduling, when you think about getting kids access and we're thinking about MTSS implementation and trying to build intervention blocks, those are critical. That that building is critical. And and the Maywood Hills, if you've not been to the Maywood Hills one yet, to see that community space as well as the the cafeteria space, it's it's absolutely gorgeous. They're all gorgeous. Um but um I I um I'm I'm very impressed. All right. It's uh a lot of people worked really hard this summer to >> get a lot of work done while students
058were not on campus. So, it's just amazing to to be able to be a witness to it. So, thank you. >> Yeah. Huge shout out to that Capital Projects team. Huge shout out. >> Hopefully, they get to catch up on their sleep now a little bit. A little bit. It was It was a busy couple months. All right. All right. Any more any more questions on that? Okay, we'll move on to the next one which is the state board of education minimum basic education compliance survey for 202526 school year. >> Yes, the school all school districts are required to submit annually the minimum basic education requirement compliance survey. So this form gives assurance to the state board of education that the school district is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the basic education act
059as well as related requirements as determined by the state board of education. Attached for your review is the submission for the 2025 2026 school year. >> Thank you superintendent Irish. Any questions? No. Again, lots of good instruction captured in a couple pages. All right. Information item number five, a signed construction or signed construction agreements for the I405 project. All right. A temporary construction easement and access easement were signed during the reporting period with new singular wireless in association with um the Washington State Department of Transportation I405 expansion project near the administrative center. Um, authorization to sign easements for this project was granted at the January 24th uh, 2022 board meeting and attached are the signed easement documents including a diagram of the area. >> Thanks, Superintendent Irish. Any questions? Oh, again required paperwork that we
060get to see work right there. So, okay. All right. Great. And our last information item, which is a project acceptance list for projects under $1 million. So, four projects under 1 million were completed during this reporting period, which uh they consist of um modular buildings at North Creek High School, exterior lighting improvements at Frankl Elementary and Canyon Park Middle School, um uh the EP prep shed program, which is at Lockwood Elementary and Canyon Park Middle School, and the kitchen modernization at Arrowhead Elementary, Morlands Elementary, and Leotaa Middle School. >> Thanks, Superintendent Irish. Any questions? more work. All right. Great. Right. Thank you everyone. That was our last information item. So now we're going to move on to board reports and communications. Is there um any new business from the board? All right. No. All right.
061That's it was a we have plenty to do these couple weeks. That's totally fine. So and then lastly under board reports and communications board member reports. And we're going to start with Director Hayes. Thank you. Um so uh the big events were the was the first day I um first day of school I was at Wellington Elementary in the morning, Crystal Springs in the afternoon and then the next day Woodmore in the morning and Leotaa in the afternoon. So, um, two, uh, uh, end of day events at schools under construction and between our construction partners and our staff, they were on it. Um, Crystal Springs, it was a lot, but they by 18 minutes after school was out, all kids were on buses or out of the building with their parents. So, um, that was
062a huge success. and Leotaa. By day two, it took eight minutes to get every kid um where they belong. So, they're we're getting it figured out. And again, just a big thank you to um our construction partners. There was some great people directing traffic there at Crystal Springs because there's um and they're all helping and working together to make sure kids are still learning in all of this. Um I have continued my meetings with schoolboard members around the state and around the country. Um, so there's a couple of things that we are monitoring at the federal level that I just wanted to update everyone about. Um, so -ate, um, I mentioned that earlier this spring. -, school districts and libraries, um, are able to purchase our internet at a discounted rate. It is different than
063anything else we do because it doesn't come through the Department of Ed, nor is it a grant. It's through the Department of Commerce and it is a discount. It is funded by if you ever pay attention to your internet bill. It's funded through um participants, people that purchase internet, there's a portion of it that helps to fund this. Um there was a person as they do that brought a case um claiming that it was unconstitutional the way that this program was funded. it went all the way up to the US Supreme Court and they did rule that the revenue stream was constitutional. So that was a nice win for us. Um and so we we feel good. Um however uh in that bill um well I don't know how else to label it. I'm not
064calling it. It's in a way that bill um it put in there that mobile hotspots and Wi-Fi are not considered part of -ate. So Wi-Fi on buses and mobile hotspots um according to that bill uh are not considered part of -ate and thus you can't get the discount for those. So still a work in progress around that. So we will keep monitoring how that moves forward. Um and and then there's the budget. So, the federal education dollars, I think everyone's aware at the end of June, there was a little hiccup in the process and um eight uh Republican senators stepped up and said, "No, that's this is not happening this way." And so were able to push back and thus the funding did come through in the way that Congress had already approved for it
065to come through. The Senate uh has written an education funding bill for the that would impact us for the 2627 school year. That bill maintains all funding and includes some language around if it's an education funding, it stays in the Department of Ed. You can't move it to other departments, which turns out is already the rule, but they've reinforced that concept. Um the flip side is the House has put together an education funding bill that's pretty catastrophic. Um given the uh what we're seeing in the Senate is highly unlikely that the House bill will be the rule of the land. So it's it is out there. Certainly reach out to your members of Congress and let them know. No, thank you. Um, all of that to say that um, October 1st is the beginning of
066the fiscal year for the federal government and it is September 8th and we're we're not there. So, it is possible that we will be looking at a government shutdown. We have already received our funds. It's not likely to make a huge impact on the district, but it certainly will impact our families. So, we will continue to monitor that. Thank you, Director Hayes. A lot to a lot to track, important things to track. So, thank you. >> Vice President Sotek, >> my report is nice and short. Um, at the end of August on the 28th, I attended the board retreat about bonds and levies and or no, the board retreat about everything. All the things. My brain is the brain of someone with two kids, just started school. Um, so I was unable to attend the
067opening of any schools or support them, but I supported my school age children. Um, and I want to give a huge thank you to all of the bus drivers, the support adults, and the classroom adults who keep our kids safe, healthy, and learning. And everybody got to school and got home from school. And I know there was hiccups and I know things have been challenging because there's been a lot of change and a new year, a new school, a new situation. Um, but everybody is making it through and as long as we keep working together and having a positive attitude. It's a really great way to get the school year going. and both of my kids have survived their first week of school and I have survived how they're feeling after they're done with school
068for three days. And so huge shout out to all the families who have kids who are working through being at school all day after a summer off. >> Thank you, Vice President Sac, Director McGordy. >> Well said, Director Sotac. It's um it's a lot and I'm always so impressed with with our community and the way the community sort of envelops the kids and the schools and the teachers to to make sure this all works. Um I thought I'd throw out just one more time that we have general assembly on the 20th of this month. Um, I will coordinate voting credentials with director Trann and I have not received any indication of anybody wanting to give input with respect to any of the um the voting on any of the measures. So >> happy to delegate.
069>> Last call. Okay. Um not sure how I feel about that. On August 26th, I attended a riveting Snomish County Planning Commission meeting uh at which they were discussing some issues of interest. you know, specifically related to the um you know, potential amendments to the um the UG. Um but there were no um decisions necessarily that they're they're waiting on on council and I believe a hearing which was supposed to happen soon, public hearing on on the amendments. Um then August 28th I attended the board retreat and I thought we made some great progress and and fun future plans and working working on some of those already. Um and some of which I don't get to play in or with after a few months. Um and then I've also been working on the legislative priority
070uh draft update um but also more so with a board of distinction application with President Cast. So that's me. >> Thank you. And I'll I'll wrap it up. Yes. Uh Director McGordy and I have been um working hard with a lot of support on the WADDA board of board of distinction application. They have changed it. It's taken more time than it used to. That's probably a good thing. We have till midnight tonight. We are going to make it. We will get it in. It's not a problem. We're on it. So um yes, thank you for everyone for that. Also appreciated the board retreat as well. Really great conversations and good work. And um we will get a summary of those board goals out. We will after midnight tonight we will get a typed up set
071of those board goals. And then um I also I was able to spend the first day of school at sunrise. I was designated to help young ones get off the bus and the ones who were looking up really confused. That was my job. Um, but then I also got to remember I got to meet a kind staff member from Sorenson, an educator who was there to support a kindergartener who was going to be doing their first day at school and wanted to be there to help with the transition and of course just a full heart and she was ready to dive in and support this kindergartener and um it was of course a wonderful first day of school experience. So, thank you everyone. Um, I don't think I see anything else. For the good of
072the order, we're going to go ahead and adjourn this meeting. Um the study session is published to start at six o'clock. So we'll have a little bit of transition time and then we'll start our study session at 6.