001Good evening and welcome to the It's March 10th. Welcome to the regular Board of Directors meeting. The time is 5:32. Please rise with me for 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. Okay. Um Julie has Okay. Next is our land acknowledgement, Julie. Thank you. Evergreen Public Schools resides on the traditional lands of the Chinookan peoples and the Cowlitz Tribe. They have lived on and cared for this land and its waterways since time immemorial. We thank them for their stewardship and make this acknowledgement to open a space of recognition, inclusion, and respect for all indigenous students, families, and staff in our community. Thank you. The next item in
002the meeting is to adopt tonight's agenda. Is there a motion? Move to adopt tonight's agenda as presented. Second. Director Grunwald moves and Director Bocanegra seconds to adopt tonight's agenda as presented. All in favor? Aye. Aye. No None are opposed and the motion carries. The next item on the agenda is titled Board Reorganization. We have received resignation notice from Director Witherspoon who stepped down from her position as president and stepped down from her her position uh on the board for personal reasons. Um so we will need to uh begin a process of uh appointing a replacement from District 4, uh which is in the works. Uh but, we also need to reorganize because she held the position of president. Um and I have a couple of things to say before we actually proceed with that. And
003I have it written down so that I get this right. Okay, so I have really um really appreciated uh Director Witherspoon's contribution to this board. Um she led the same way she started as a volunteer in the buildings, working with students. She showed up, listened, and brought what she learned back to us. She wisely pushed us to center equity and student voice, and helped our student advisors give the board meaningful advice. She helped lead us uh I I apologize. She helped lead the search that brought us Dr. Maloney. And uh through enrollment declines and budget pressures, really there from day one of her uh tenure with us, Jackie never wavered in her focus on what was best for students. She was open, accessible, and always willing to hear a different perspective, and I'll really miss
004her. Uh before we proceed, if you have any other comments uh I'm opening up the space for that. >> like to echo those comments about um Director Witherspoon and her time on the board. I knew from the first time that we met her at her interview that uh her heart was about students and about the work of moving kids forward. Um I certainly enjoyed my time getting to know her and working alongside with her, and um you know, this work's not easy all the time, and I think she did it with grace and understanding, and um really trying to it look at ways to improve our district. I know that the work she was doing as a volunteer at and hopefully she'll continue to do that at some point, but working at Crestline every week
005and with the kids like brought her a lot of joy and her work with equity and just leading our students in that in that initiative too was fantastic and so I'm going to miss working with her and I wish her well. I don't have I mean you guys basically covered everything. Just that I have enjoyed the time that Jackie has been on the board with us and growing the relationships as you know boards. I was her VP last year so I was able to kind of work really closely with her um throughout the year and she is is truly going to be missed. I know this was a very difficult decision for her to make because she wanted to continue to deal with her personal stuff and be a board director and give what we
006needed as a director or as directors. But unfortunately we always can't do it all and she had to make a choice and we will miss her. Yeah, I definitely want to wish her well and yeah, put it out there that if you live in district 4 and you have a heart for kids to please apply. Do you know when that position will be posted? Um shortly. I think tomorrow, yeah. Okay. They've been doing some preparation work with organizing um the schedule and so you'll see some invitations and things in in your inboxes uh for uh an executive session to review the applications and um to do the interviews. After which we'll probably be able to make an appointment. Um we'll make a selection before the end of May cuz the deadline is early June. And
007then during our June meeting uh is the scheduled for an appointment to replace or or to fill that position. I don't think uh I don't think I want to say replace. Yeah, we have a 90 90-day time frame. >> yeah. And so with that uh I am conducting this meeting as vice president in her absence, but we need to reorganize and select a president and a vice president going forward uh who will fill the term until we reorganize again in December. So, I think it makes sense, Rob, for you as vice president to slide into the president's role. So, I'm going to nominate Rob Perkins for president. Second. I'll accept that. Um we're going to have to do this by roll call vote. Are there any other nominations for president? Hearing none, then I'll take
008a vote. Um and I'll I'll just call each of your names. Uh Director Wilson? I. Director Bocanegra? I. Director Grunwald? I. And my vote is I. So, I'll pass the gavel to myself. And uh we'll open up uh nominations for consideration of vice president. I would actually like to nominate uh Julie Bocanegra as VP. Okay. Are there any other nominations? Could we have discussion on the topic or Um we can have discussion on the nomination. Um but we would have to defer other discussion about the structure of things until the state the law basically requires us to do this immediately. Um what did you have to say? I'll open it up for discussion. I'm not going to say anything against her qualifications, so um, if that is the limit of my discussion allowed, then I'll
009have to go with that. Okay. I don't uh, let's loop back together, you and I, and talk about it. I think that'll be valuable. Okay. Uh, the nomination is for Julie Bocanegra as vice president. Director Wilson. You don't need a second. Oh, yeah. That'd be a good idea. Is there a second? Oh, I'll uh, you nominated, I'll offer a second. And then ask uh, Director Wilson. Aye. Director Grunwald. Aye. And Director Bocanegra. Aye. My vote is aye, four to zero. Uh, so we'll proceed through the end of uh, November and the first meeting in December with myself as president, Julie Bocanegra as vice president. Um, and that's it. Thank you. Okay. The next uh, item on the agenda is public comments. For the last couple of meetings, I've been reading out a statement for public
010comments, which was kind of long, and I have uh, agreed to shorten that a little bit. Uh, please refer back to the um, guidelines. If you've signed up for public comment, please refer back to the guidelines that you were given uh, when the sign up was confirmed. Uh, and then I'll just uh, say this abbreviated thing. Which reads, This is this just consists of a couple of reminders. Um, comments uh, we're asking to be addressed to the board as a whole, not to individual members or staff or other members of the audience. The board will not engage in dialogue, although the chair may ask a clarifying question. All attendees are expected to treat each other and the board with respect per uh pursuant to policy 5161. You may praise or criticize school operations and programs,
011but the board is uh will not respond to comments about specific personnel. Those concerns should go through policy 4220. Each speaker has 3 minutes, and we ask that you state your name and your district affiliation. Um you may not speak more than once, and time may not be donated to another speaker. To protect everyone's full 3 minutes, please hold applause and other demonstrations until after uh the comment has concluded. Uh boisterous conduct is not acceptable. Disruptions will result in a warning and may result in removal. Although, I'm really anticipating that it'll never come to that. Um with that um are we doing the virtual Excuse me, board chair. Yes. Just ask a question. We did get a concern about last board meeting that there was a dong going off prior to their 3-minute um and
012it was distracting. And it's a a ver um What's the word I'm looking for? A departure from our normal procedures for that, so Yeah, I've asked that the chime not go off. Okay. And uh we can talk about that in future workshop. Okay. So, our first uh speaker um is Angie Bunda. Angie, are you here? Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Go ahead, please. Okay. Um my name is Angie Bunda, and I'm a parent. Lie laundering is similar to the concept of money laundering. Money laundering is an illegal activity that makes large amounts of money generated generated by a criminal activity that appears to have come from a legitimate source. Lie laundering is providing false or misleading information to what can be appear to be a legitimate source with the expectation that the source
013will one, not that the information, and two, then restate the false information which is now coming from what appears to be a legitimate source and therefore appears true, but it isn't. Lie laundering is a sophisticated form of gaslighting. This is what has occurred relating to this matter. From September 8th through October 27th, 2025, VPD Detective Alley asked the ESD board, the superintendent, the COO, and or their attorney Garrett Williams at least five separate times for any complaints or investigations done by the ESD relating to the 2023 supplemental contracts. For seven weeks, no specific answers were provided regarding these questions. However, the first false or misleading information was provided by Garrett Williams on September 8th and again on October 14th, 2025, when he wrote to Detective Alley and indicated that the supplemental contracts were stipends approved
014by the board. Stipends can be authorized by the board and Detective Alley asked for documentation and then was told that there wasn't any documentation. When no documentation was provided, the story changed. Between October 15th and October 22nd of 2025, Detective Alley was told by Garrett Williams that the State Auditor's Office or SAO had cons- had considered these supplemental contracts. Detective Alley did not contact the State Auditor's Office. He took Garrett Williams' statement as fact. The Assistant State Auditor Greg Wynn, who conducted the FY24 audit, has verified in writing that the SAO did not review the September 4th, 2023 supplemental contracts and nothing in FY24 report is related to these contracts. The SAO confirmed no one from law enforcement contacted the SAO about the FY24 audit. On October 27th, 2025, Detective Alley asked a fifth time
015for information about complaints in a prior investigation. Garrett Williams then provided completely false or misleading answers about Danny Stevenson and asserted no complaints were made and no investigation was conducted. However, multiple investigations multiple complaints have been made and a whistleblower had been involuntary involuntarily separated and over $29,000 had been spent on a third-party investigation. This was the investigation given to the Clark County PA's office. The ESD provided false information to a public servant and then let it go to the PA. So, for all we have seen is the predictable end product of lie laundering. I'm asking the board to place the COO and superintendent on administrative leave to conduct a proper investigation into the entire matter. How can such people be trusted in a budget crisis? You guys, we are better than this and your
016public that voted for you, who you were called to serve and represent because of our votes, deserves the truth. Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Catherine Fertik. Catherine, are you online? Okay. I'm here. Can you hear us? Yes, can you hear me? Yes, please go ahead. Okay. Good evening. My name is Catherine Fertik. My four children received their K-12 education through EPS and I'm a volunteer. I'm greatly concerned about the proposed cuts to fifth grade band and orchestra and the far-reaching impacts. I had the privilege of taking fifth grade band back in the early '80s. Yes, that makes me old. Amidst the struggling economic climate, not once was elementary band put on a chopping block as schools, I'm sure, faced difficult budget decisions. Fifth grade band opportunity was understood and valued as
017an absolute non-negotiable. My own children had the privilege of Karen Armstron as their music teacher at Endeavor. She gave the students valuable opportunity not just for music enrichment, but also band and musical productions for singing and acting. She was phenomenal and an integral part of fostering my children's interest in the performing arts. It's widely understood how early childhood exposure and opportunity for the arts is crucial to our children for lifelong passions and interests. Fifth graders learn quickly absorbing everything in their environment at a rapid pace. It's well documented that involvement in band and orchestra is connected to better test scores, increased coordination, better spatial intelligence, discipline, work ethic, and developing a strong appreciation for creativity and art along with reducing stress and anxiety. I am in no way uh discrediting the value of music enrichment
018that will still be offered. That being said, there's a difference between general music enrichment and the collaboration and teamwork developed in band and orchestra working and performing as a group, and the sense of community and belonging created by it. Because everything you do affects what others do and the sound of the whole group, student musicians learn patience, responsibility, and endurance. Our children coming out of COVID need more opportunities, not less, for developing healthy socialization and communication skills along with connection, now more than ever as we are seeing a sharp uptick in depression, anxiety, and tragically suicide or attempts at it in elementary age students. Playing an instrument in the school band is a rare opportunity to experience a vast array of benefits in one place. We keep taking away all our children have to look
019forward to outside of academics. Losing our elementary librarians continues to take a toll on our students, a subject which bears following up on. As a predominantly Title 1 district, our already vulnerable children lose opportunity after opportunity and advantage to thrive. Why do we keep taking so much from our students in their most receptive years for interest and enjoyment in reading and the arts? Why would we delay benefits that could head off or lessen so many challenges further along? This is not forward-thinking. It's cutting off our nose to spite our face and sends a dangerous message that the arts are not a priority, but instead a luxury. How will this maintain or increase enrollment when the community threatens to remove their student from EPS because of this, combined with the effect of losing their librarians, cutting
020fifth grade band and orchestra is counterintuitive to all the district says it's striving for community, sense of belonging, safety. You give the student surveys to rate these, yet continue to cut the foundational building blocks to create it. I respectfully ask you to reconsider the proposed cuts for the sake of our children's futures. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Our next speaker is Elizabeth Bunda. Um, can you hear me? Yes, I can hear you, Elizabeth. Please go ahead. Okay. Good evening. My name is Elizabeth Bunda, and I am a student at Evergreen Public Schools. I would like to talk about fifth grade band. I don't think you should cut it. I have a sister in third grade, and there are hundreds of other students that deserve that chance. Why keep it when you can start
021in sixth grade, you ask? Well, as you know, sixth grade, you can choose different electives. Some like drama, some pick art, but some choose band. Why do they choose band, though? Because they had so much fun last year. They love the harmony of the united players, the sound of being applauded at a concert, the feeling of bonding and learning with classmates, AKA band. Band is like a tryout for fifth graders. They get to try band out and see if they like it. That way, if they do like it, then they'll sign up in sixth grade. Also, it's only about a 30-minute practice. That would mean it only takes 30 minutes in a 24-hour day. Minutes, people. Minutes. More kids get scholarships for music than sports. And being in music helps kids work together and build
022social skills. There are some kids who only come to middle school or come to school because of music. So, now we come to my conclusion. Please keep this heartwarming program going for the next generation of musical artists. Thank you. >> Thank you, Elizabeth. Our next speaker is Danny Stevenson. Danny, can you hear us? I can hear you. Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Please go ahead. Hi, my name is Danny Stevenson. I sent you guys an email asking for an update and I did not receive an update. I'm here to ask again. Has anyone representing the Evergreen School District contacted the Vancouver Police Department to correct Garrett Williams' false or misleading statements to J. Alley about me? Okay, I'm not getting answers by email or in person. So, I am now asking the Evergreen
023School Board to schedule a name clearing hearing on my behalf relating to the distribution of disciplinary information resourced in my personnel files in line with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals case Cox versus Ross Kelly, a case that originated in the state of Washington. I think, fundamentally, it is fair for me to request something that the Superintendent Maloney has already attempted to do for Ms. Gomes when the Superintendent spoke on February 10th, 2026. I want a public correction and my name cleared. The great part about the difference between what the Superintendent did for the COO and what I am asking you to do for me is that when you engage in the public correction about me, it will be true. Thank you for your comments. This concludes the folks who signed up to speak over
024Zoom. Um and we'll proceed down the list as is displayed on the screen. Our next speaker is Shay Rondo. Good evening. Rondo, and I am >> Hang on a second. We won't Sorry. Oh. We'll restart the timer. They got to turn the mic on. >> Okay. Thank you. My name is Jay Rondo and I'm the mother of three students in the district. I want an LA Heat and two in Shayla Middle School. I'm here to share my opinion on associate principals and transition coaches being cut from middle schools. When my oldest daughter started sixth grade, it was incredibly difficult. There were more incidences of violence, Excuse me. lockdowns and threats than we'd ever heard of at the school. It got so bad that my husband and I seriously considered moving. Instead, we chose to lean
025in. We joined the PTO. We decided to give the school another chance. That following year, new associate principals and new transition coaches joined the team. Sorry. And I can tell you now their impact has been nothing short of transformative. These are student-facing roles that make a real difference every single day. Our transition coach supports our most vulnerable and at-risk students and their families. Not with theoretical help, but with real hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves support. They provide food, clothing, gas cards, and connect families to resources for housing instability. They keep a pantry stocked, organize holiday meals and gifts, and make sure every child has supplies. Just as important, this person is visible in every day at the school, every lunch period engaging students, encouraging positive interaction, and working to create supportive environments. They also coach sports teams and
026build relationships that strengthen student morale and school spirit. Alongside the PTO, these leaders have helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for uniforms, equipment, and extracurricular programs, resources that connect our students and foster pride in their school. We all remember how hard middle school can be. It's the time that children really start to notice their environment, the good, the bad, the haves and the have-nots. Our children are growing, changing, and being exposed to big adult complex issues. Yet, they're still kids 11 to 14 who need guidance, consistency, and safe spaces. Transition coaches in particular deeply undervalued, and their impact is immeasurable. Their contributions to the school, to the safety of students, and to the surrounding community far outweigh far outweigh their cost to the district. If these positions are cut, the loss will cost our
027schools far more in student engagement, safety, and well-being than any savings on paper. I hope the district truly takes this feedback to heart when making difficult decisions about where cuts are made. The impact of these staff and the value they bring cannot be measured in a budget line. Middle school is not the time to pull back support. Middle schoolers go through so much. Now is not the time. It's the time to double down and the time to lean in to support these kids and show them care and consistency. I I have to stop you there at 2 minutes. >> you so much. I really appreciate your time. If you'd like to send us uh the remainder of your comments in writing, It's okay. Thank you. >> Thank you for your your comment. Our next speaker
028is Camille Loman. Camille. My name is Camille. It's officially my 3-year anniversary of public commenting into the deep dark void of the Evergreen Room, relentlessly here demanding accountability, transparency, and effective communication. As we all know, we face significant budget shortfalls three of the last 4 years, and we're entering another one. Rifts are being discussed for assistant principals and transition coaches, but one thing that's been as consistent as the lack of accountability is the lack of clear explanation of how these actions may impact our safety because indicating that supervisors will coordinate with building principals is not even a concept of a plan. At the February 10th, 2026 board meeting, Superintendent Maloney stated the following at 18 minutes 36 seconds into the meeting. The state auditor had examined the district's financial practices for the same fiscal year
029including in regard to the supplemental contracts for Ms. Gomes and others bargaining that a team that year. Well, I confirmed personally last last week with Greg Wynn, the assistant state director who supervised on and prepared the fiscal year 2024 SAO audits for this district that they did not include or examine the September 4th, 2023 contracts including the COO Janay Gomes supplemental contract like Maloney chose to so boldly claim at the February 10th meeting. The auditor's office was also unaware of the district safeguard Danny Stevenson was involuntarily terminated for attempting to implement the internal controls. So, on February 10th, 2026 at that board meeting, Superintendent Maloney blatantly provided false information to the public and to the school board regarding the SAO's fiscal year 2024 report. And on October 15th, 2025, VPD asked attorney Garrett Williams if
030the auditor's office had considered the September 4th, 2023 supplemental contract contracts and Garrett Williams acting on behalf of the COO, the EPS board and the superintendent provided him with false or misleading information indicating in response by email that the auditor's office had considered it relating to their fiscal year 2024 report due to publicity. Now, back to present concerns. But, considering these actions, if the superintendent will have the district's attorney provide false information to a public servant police detective and then herself come into this room provide false information to the public about the state auditor's actions, how can we trust decisions relating to the budget which is one of the main responsibilities of the school board and the superintendent to ensure is done properly? Additionally, Danny Stevenson came in clearly demonstrated where the superintendent's attorney had
031provided false information about him, asked for this to be corrected, and it is clear 2 weeks later this is still not happened. It is clear that in order to effectively address budget issues, we need to address our accountability issues. It would seem to be the duty of the school board to place the superintendent and the COO on administrative leave as there have been a pattern of of providing false information to various parties, and to have the have this investigated by a true third party, and not one who has been conducting investigations on behalf of the district for years now. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Our next speaker is Bruce Dunn. Bruce? Good evening. My name is Bruce Dunn. I'm the band teacher at Covington Middle School, Silverstar Elementary, and Sunset Elementary. In my
032career, I've also taught at Pacific Middle School, Evergreen High School, Orchards Elementary, Image Harmony, and Crestline. I'm a taxpayer and I'm a rabid voter in our district, and I'm a father of three, two of whom have graduated from Evergreen Public Schools. I'm not only a teacher in this district though, I'm also a product of it, and I've talked to you about this before. I started here as a first grader in the 1984 when I was in fifth grade, I joined the band. That was at Burton Elementary School, right down the hill. The That moment changed the course of my life. Like many kids at that age, I was still trying to figure out where I fit. When I joined band, I found something incredibly important, a place to belong. I found teachers who believed in
033me, classmates working toward the same goal, and the feeling that I was part of something bigger than myself. What started in fifth grade didn't end there. Music stayed with me through junior high at Pacific. At high school at Evergreen, it gave me confidence, discipline, and purpose during those pivotal years when young people are still discovering who they are. Eventually that experience led me to become a professional musician and music educator. Today I've spent more than 30 years teaching music and working with thousands of students. And I've seen the same moment happen every year. A fifth grader picks up an instrument for the first time and something clicks. Maybe they haven't found their place yet. Maybe they're still searching for where they belong, but suddenly they discover something they can work at, improve at, and be
034proud of. They find community, they find confidence, sometimes they find the thing that changes the direction of their life. Fifth grade band and orchestra are not just extras, they are entry points. They are doors. If Evergreen closes the door for fifth graders, they won't magically appear later. There are things you can cut from the budget, but opportunities and critical programs that directly benefit kids shouldn't be one of them. I understand the district is facing difficult financial choices, but eliminating these critical front-facing programs doesn't just cut a line in a budget. It removes opportunities that can shape lives just like it shaped mine. We could look across the river and pretty easily see that the barriers to music education in the lives of tens of thousands of students and the failed response by their leadership to
035bring those opportunities to kids. My dad's still a voter in the district. My brother and sister are both voters and parents in the district. They both had kids begin fifth grade band. My nephew started fifth grade band and is now a senior at Evergreen High School. His professional outlook is to become a music educator. Chelsea Hodges, who is the band director at Pacific Middle School, was one of my students, started in fifth grade band at Sifton Elementary, and I started teaching her when she was 10 years old. Jennifer Ferguson, a Mountain View graduate, started in fifth grade band is now the director of bands at Frontier Middle School. Jay Cobb, the band director at Heritage, started in fifth grade band at Sifton Elementary School. These are real people's lives, like mine, who were changed due
036to fifth grade band. So, don't take away these opportunities for kids. You can find a lot of things. This building was not supposed to be built until all kids were out of the portables. Thank you. Where are we spending our money? The time is expired. Our next speaker is Sarah Hemphill. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening, members of the board. My name is Sarah Hemphill, and I'm a parent of three school-aged children in the district, three fifth-grade band students, and a proud taxpayer in our community. I'm here tonight to advocate for the preservation of fifth-grade band and orchestra program. For many students, fifth-grade band and orchestra are not just classes. They are first experiences to shape a lifetime of learning, belonging, and confidence. Fifth-grade band is a window of curiosity. Students are eager to try
037something new, make sound, make mistakes, and grow. If we remove this opportunity, many students will simply never start. Moving to the start of music in middle school may look like a small shift on paper, but it raises the barrier to entry. Sixth-graders are already navigating new schedules, new expectations, new peer dynamics, and a heavier academic load. Starting a brand-new skill in that environment can feel intimidating or overwhelming. Fifth-grade students um give fifth-grade band gives students a musical and emotional head start. Just as important is the connection these students these programs create. Fifth-grade band and orchestra often introduce students to a middle school teacher before they enter onto the middle school campus. This relationship turns an unfamiliar building to a place where they already know a caring adult. During a stage of life where students need
038stability and belonging, that connection can make a transition to middle school far less daunting. This year, the district changed the entire fifth-grade forecasting process because of concerns of increasing suicide ideation and the changes challenges um students face during the transition to middle school. If we recognize that students at this age are vulnerable, we should also recognize that band and orchestra provide one of the most positive bridges that we currently have, offering mentorship, belonging, and an early connection to the middle school community. It is also important to understand the scope of this decision. While the proposal describes 4.4 reduction of staff, the removal of fifth grade band and orchestra will actually alter the schedules of 19 music educators across the district, affecting programs, teachers, and students far beyond a single budget line. From a financial standpoint,
039this program is relatively inexpensive, yet delivers extraordinary return. Music education builds discipline, teamwork, perseverance, and pride. It gives students a place to belong and a reason to come to school. For some students, band and orchestra become the very thing that connects them to their education. When we discuss budgets, we often focus on what we must cut, but we should also ask what experiences define the kind of education we want for our children. Eliminating fifth grade band and orchestra may save a small amount on paper, but the cost to students, the loss of opportunity, loss connection, and the loss of spark of discovery will be far greater. I respectfully urge the board to reconsider this decision and preserve the program for students who deserve a chance to find their voice, their confidence, and their community through
040music. Thank you for your time and your service to the district. Thank you for your comment. Next is Kristen Edmiston. Please correct my pronunciation if I got it wrong. You were close. It was Edmiston. Edmiston. Thank you. Um good evening. I'm Kristen Edmiston. I use she/her pronouns. I am a Spanish and PE teacher at Evergreen High School. I was also in fifth grade band. I played the baritone saxophone. It was bigger than me. Uh this past weekend, Evergreen High School hosted the district dance team championships. Um all of our district high schools that competed, so that would be Union High School, Heritage High School, and Evergreen High School all qualified for state, which they'll be competing in in Yakima at the end of this month. Additionally, Union High School placed first in the prop category
041and in the hip hop category. They beat Tumwater dance team, which if you know anything about Washington dance is actually a pretty big deal. So, I just wanted to say congratulations to our teams for their success and for representing Evergreen Public Schools so well. For districts, my role was the uh competition coordinator, the competition director. I'm no longer a coach. I coached for 16 years. I coached for 2 years at Heritage High School and 14 years at Evergreen High School. I resigned 3 years ago when the district cut building athletic directors. That's a cut that we still feel in our building daily in all capacities of our jobs, not just in coaching. Now, you're talking about more cuts at the building level. I understand that, like most public schools, we're struggling financially and I understand
042that that requires difficult decisions. But, what I don't understand is the choice to continue to cut staff and programs that directly impact students rather than the much higher paid district positions that do not directly, and I question even indirectly, impact students. I went to the district website and read all of the positions at the district office. All of the descriptions are written to appear student focused. But, really but what I see is a list of directors and executive directors and supervisors for supervisors. If two to three of those positions were eliminated, we could keep more than 20 elementary music programs. Which of those choices would have a greater impact on student success, achievement, and a sense of belonging? You're cutting so many staff and programs that there will be nothing left to manage or to
043introduce at our school board meetings. Our community has expressed this, but I'll say it again. Your actions do not align with your stated values. Thank you for your comment. Kendall Teeman. Are you here? Good evening. My name is Kendall Teeman. I'm a teacher EEA member, and until recently I was running for EEA union president. I speak tonight as a concerned EEA member. Additionally, there's also a runoff taking place right now, and in that matter I'm supporting Kristen Edmonson. Uh Now to the issues at hand. A very courageous man once wrote, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." In the Evergreen School District, we have a budget crisis and currently it is known that reductions in force are on the horizon. We have also been plagued by injustice. We need administrators we can trust, leaders
044we can rely on that they speak information being conveyed is true as we go through this crisis. Unfortunately, a large number of us have waited months and hoped and patiently waiting for the investigation to be completed and the truth would be forthcoming. That has not occurred, and it is clear we have currently an unjust result to an ongoing campaign of deception. In recent contracts with the state off state auditor's office, they confirmed that they had not considered, analyzed, nor reviewed the September 4th supplemental contracts. It is clear that truthful information was not provided by the ESD to VPD on a number of issues as well. One issue that was never addressed in the supplemental contracts by anyone was related to all four contracts, which it is undisputed were requested by COO Gums to pay her
045and others overtime. COO Gums is a salaried classified exempt employee. The supplemental contract for overtime has two major problems. The most obvious is that COO Gums signed the supplemental contract and was paid overtime between August 1st and September 5th, 2023. She signed it on September 4th. I've never seen anyone in any district or anywhere for that matter sign a contract or be paid overtime for a day they hadn't worked yet. And here on September 5th, that's what had occurred. Under section RCW 49.46.0104C or 4L or WAC based upon her position, COO Gums would be legally exempt from being entitled to receive overtime. On August 20, 2023, she was paid $21,000 a month to negotiate agreements, and she received $13,000 in overtime that she was legally exempt from receiving overtime. And no one from the State
046Auditor's Office examined those issues. No one from VPD examined those issues because the ESD and their representatives provided the VPD detective with false or misleading information. And that the SAO SOA, excuse me, cleared them on 2023, which was absolutely, completely untrue according to the State Mr. Gums, your time Your time is expired. With these facts, how can we trust these people going forward? Adam Aguilera is our next speaker. Good evening. Dear Evergreen School Board and Superintendent Maloney, my name is Adam Aguilera and I'm speaking as a member of the Evergreen Education Association. Justice delayed is justice denied. That principle applies directly to several issues members of this community have raised since January 13th, 2026 and the board's continued delay is eroding public confidence in district administration. Since January 22nd, at least one board member has
047twice requested a third-party investigation into Chief Operating Officer Jenée Gomez' actions on January 14th against PSE President Mindy Trapper Cooper. Despite the PSE President's written request, her verbal request, and two board member requests, no investigation has been initiated. The board has all relevant documents. Delaying this investigation signals that Evergreen employees are not protected from retaliation. At the last board meeting, Danny Stevenson received a standing ovation from this room after clearly stating that the district provided false or misleading information about him. Mr. Stevenson raised legitimate concerns about the September 4th, 2023 supplemental contracts, fulfilling his duty to flag internal control issues, and was involuntarily separated from employment by the COO. He stated there is no evidence he photographed pay slips and shared them with a relative because it did not happen. Yet on October 28th, 2025,
048the school district's attorney Garrett Williams, acting on behalf of the superintendent, the COO, and this board, wrote to a Vancouver police detective stating the separation was voluntary and that Mr. Stevenson had taken and shared photos of pay slips. The district has not responded to Mr. Stevenson's request to correct this false statement to law enforcement. This exposes the district to significant future liabilities. In 2019 regarding the Dodge matter, the COO directed a third-party investigator to modify their report without informing the board, causing the board to make uninformed decisions. Justice was delayed for years, and the district ultimately paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to the former employee. That episode damaged public trust. These examples, combined with the current budget shortfall and anticipated reductions in force, make public trust essential. Yet, the actions of the superintendent and
049COO have undermined the credibility and accountability this moment demands. Further concerning the superintendent's statements on February 10th, 2026, specifically relating to the state auditor, were false or misleading to the public and to the board. This type of deception is egregious and a long-established pattern of the superintendent ignoring and enabling unethical behaviors by her most senior manager. I question the superintendent's ability to supervise her subordinates in following all board policies and state laws. The Evergreen School Board has more than sufficient information to act. I am asking the board to place the chief operations officer and the superintendent on administrative leave pending a proper third-party investigation. It's time to face the music. Thank you for your comment. Is Russell Dunn here? Good evening. Hello. My name is Russell Dunn. I don't have a child in Evergreen School
050District anymore. We chose to purchase our home here in uh Vancouver in the Evergreen School District based on uh two criteria. One was my job. I worked here in out of Vancouver. And uh the other second and probably most important part of the criteria was that the Evergreen School District rated much higher than the surrounding districts at the time. So, we chose to come here. I've paid property taxes here in this district for the better part of my adult life. All three of our children and our grandchildren have graduated from the district. And now our great-grandchildren is grandchild, I should say, is got a couple years for her before he starts here. So, I'm pretty proud of that. I'm pretty excited about it. I hope that he will be able to have a chance to
051have all the things that were offered to my children and our grandchildren. My concern is that what you're all are considering cutting here, the band program currently being offered to fifth graders, is pretty short-sighted. The structures for schools were supposedly set up for the developmental needs of a child, not the uh needs of a bean counter. If you think about it for a second, that's what it really boils down to. As I see it, a fourth grader, you know, a 9- or 10-year-old child, may not be ready for an instrument. But a 10- or 11-year-old child in the fifth grade is very ready. Innocence and coupled with the ability to focus often times appears for a very short period of time in a child's life. And that's a that window is in the fifth grade.
052I think that this is why offering band to a fifth grader was picked for it in the first place. Don't you? By the sixth grade and even more so in the seventh grade, hormones start cutting in and you know, you wait and we may be too late. Band is a magnet. Much like sports and woodshop and tech classes. That's what keeps children some children in school. I can't remember one math teacher or English teacher's name. Mr. Dunn, I apologize. Um, your time is expired. If you'd like to submit your comments in writing, um, the remaining comments will be able to read them. I already have. Thank you for your comment. Anastasia Breighthaupt. Um, I have copies. Please hand them to Mr. Oh. My name is Anna Breighthaupt. I'm an elementary music and a parent of
053a student at Mill Plain. Um, my speech is not about fifth grade band, but I did have a fourth grader today tell me how excited she is to play flute next year. Elementary music and PE specialists are being pulled to sub in the general classroom. This has already happened five times this year for me. This can happen multiple times in a week. Just a couple weeks ago, I was pulled twice. My PE teacher was pulled twice. Um Every morning, I wake up wondering if all of my plans are canceled for the day. There are times I plan to teach a particular activity based on the time of year, and I have to cancel it in order to adjust the plans. Some classes get less instruction on a particular topic than others because if I miss
054a class, it doesn't get made up. My first day of work last year was January 14th. I was on leave before. Uh my first day subbing was January 20th. I was pulled to sub 11 times last year, and I'm on track to hit that amount again this year. My students ask me when they see me in the hall if I get to teach music that day or if I have to sub in a different class. Classroom teachers don't get their planning time when my class is canceled. We all miss out when music and PE are canceled. My son goes to school and is in the first grade. He's missed music once this year and one or two PE PE lessons. We're not quite sure. In kindergarten, he missed six music classes and four PE classes
055only since I started tracking in January. As a parent, I want to see my child enjoying every part of the offered curriculum in school and not having to miss lessons that can't be made up. According to RCW 28A.233.05, students in elementary school are entitled to regular instruction in visual or performing arts. Just because it's on the schedule doesn't mean it is regular if it's being canceled. And it really stops being regular if students wonder if they'll get to go to my class. PE is a whole different can of worms. Our own administrative policy 6700 states all students in grades 1 through 8 receive an average of 100 instructional minutes per week of physical education per year. We're me- we're not meeting that. They get me PE twice, 60 minutes. But now we can just cancel
056it whenever we feel like it. I fully understand when there's an emergency. Pulling together and being a team, that's what I do. I'm a music teacher. I'm part of my team. I do what needs to be done. But an emergency doesn't happen 10 times a year. Multiply that if you're counting out that this is a rotation of three people because it's not just happening to me. An emergency is unplanned and an emergency that keeps happening is no longer an emergency. It's a broken procedure. Now we know it is a problem and we need a solution that doesn't cause hardship for our students or teachers. It's a bargaining year and we must use this opportunity to fix this broken procedure. But don't worry, we're teachers. It's uh I I'm sorry to interrupt. Your time has expired.
057Thank you for your comment. Our next speaker is Jacob Smith. All right. Uh evening board and uh superintendent. Uh my name is Jacob Smith. I was on last year's ballot for Evergreen School Board. Uh tonight I'm going to push to advocate for our career technical education programs while at the same time rescuing theater from getting cut. Uh there's a reason I'm an advocate for our career and technical education programs. I did three years of FBLA at Heritage, two years of DECA, and I've taken career technical ed all four years at Heritage. Some coursework I've taken 3D animation, small engine technology, web design, business communications, video production, student store, medical careers one and two, advanced marketing, sports marketing, student store, and advertising just to name a few. When I was a senior at Heritage, we had
058this class come alive called Capstone. Originally, it was designed for a senior class project but it since wandered off from its purpose. We went from one section of Capstone to eight different sections of Capstone. To me, this class prevented Heritage from getting a rockstar DECA and/or FBLA advisor because it took spots away in classes such as accounting, newspaper, and other classes to help with DECA and FBLA. And Heritage also couldn't get a newspaper class the second semester because of uh student interest. And our Southwest regional FBLA advisor even taught my whole senior year no prep period. Something that could have been alleviated had we not introduced Capstone. And he also had to deal with a a rambunctious uh web design class. Uh in my view point, I don't believe Capstone provides value to our district
059and I urge this board to phase it out. It would have forced us to have another advisor at school due to our student interest. I guarantee you we would have not had Capstone had we had three state officers. Uh a key thing that I would like to bring tonight uh I enter I would urge the board to entertain a motion to direct the CEO to amend our bargaining uh collective bargaining agreement uh to strike out newspaper, insert middle level FBLA advisor, high school DECA advisor, and high school FBLA advisor. Newspaper has not been taught in our district for a while. I believe it's since been cut. To me, it's outdated largely because digital media has surpassed print media and print media newspapers have dwindled in the last decade and a half. Starting middle level FBLA
060in our schools would have paved the path for somebody who wants to be a middle level FBLA representative and also gets them thinking what courses to take. It helps build our bench and sculpts our depth chart, so to speak. I doubt it would have copied some kids forecasting sheet had FBLA been in our middle schools during my time in the Evergreen School District. Our last two middle level FBLA representatives from Washington FBLA have served as state officers for the region. I urge this board to explore the idea of adding retail stores for DECA, uh jump-start a uh DECA and FBLA program at Legacy High School. Uh the clock is ticking for a 50-page certification paper and it doesn't write itself. And the final part of the speech, don't cut theater. This is a class that
061offers creativity in a society that mostly sees an act in black and white. In fact, Hazen had a production of Pulling Dynamite gave us an opportunity to meet the actors. This production sold in under an hour and to me Hockinson offers more of a community in conclusion. They also passed levies by double digits and even force even freeze admin salaries, something that we seemingly struggled to do. Thank you for your comments. This concludes our public comment portion of the meeting. Our next agenda item is the board's consent agenda. Is there a motion? I move to approve the board's consent agenda as presented. Is there a second? I'll second. Director Granwalt moves and Director Bukenya seconds to approve the board consent agenda as presented. >> President. Could I inject? Um in looking at the um calendar
062for 2027 for board meetings, I'm wondering if the two in February need to be changed to one since we're now having a week of um you know I don't know. Call it vacation or you know, not spring break, I guess, February break. Um It It doesn't coincide on the same week though, does it? It's the week that's a I don't think so. >> It's the week after. Mhm. Okay. I didn't know if that is a issue for planning or for Uh we'll if uh if there's the board over the board retains the the right and opportunity to modify the calendar if needed because notice requirements uh need to go out. Uh the limit is 24 hours before. Um but it is a topic that we can add to discussion and and uh amend. Yeah, I
063I apologize. I didn't realize it till today, actually. >> The 23rd is the it's the week after the President's Day week. Hm, okay. All right. Uh all right, but the motion on uh before us is to approve the board's consent agenda. Um all those in favor? Aye. >> Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. The next item on the agenda is the superintendent's consent agenda. I'll move for approval of the superintendent's consent agenda. Second. Director Bocanegra moves and Director Wilson seconds uh to approve the superintendent consent agenda. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Motion carries. Our next agenda item is an information item. Um specifically uh the financial statement uh for January 2026. Um no action is required. Our next item on the agenda is for board comments. Uh so I'll open up uh discussion for board
064comments. Um I just have a couple things. Um I wanted to thank our schools all our all of our elementary schools for the Read Across America last week. Um I didn't have an opportunity to go and visit one, although I wanted to, but I did have some co-workers that was able to take advantage of the opportunity. And our um team did a really nice job of displaying on social media all of the events and all the happy kids with their families and um Read Northwest for sponsoring that. I think it's pretty amazing tradition that we've had um to promote reading throughout our schools. And the other thing I wanted to mention is that um we're celebrating our education professionals this week and so we have a lot of hard working people that take care of
065kids behind the scenes and so I just want to give a shout out to all of them. Other comments? Yeah, I was going to. Sorry. Hold on. Um I want to just you know, 2 years ago when we had budget cuts, we had a first reading and a second reading in March. Are we moving those dates back? Do you know? I think we had a resolution to modify the educational program. Um and I don't think it's actually a requirement that we have a first and second reading on a resolution like that. >> I think the budget is what we do in the summer, which requires a first and second reading. This is the resolution for Yeah, so it's different. Okay. Yeah, I'm sorry. I thought we had like presented it the first board meeting in
066March and then came back with a revised on the second board meeting in March. So the budget can be adjusted between the first board meeting in March and the second. I know it when you get to um the um you know, it has to be finalized before we go to a first and second reading in August because we need to you know, give riffs to, you know, those employees affected by Is it May 15th, I believe? So but we do have time between now and I guess when's the drop dead date for those I guess May 15th, so there's Yes, we had the board workshop where I went through the initial budget proposal plan and that was we actually did that at the end of February. So the February 24th board meeting, if I'm in
067the right date. Um and then we're um still in the process with receiving feedback. And as you know, we have two by two meetings scheduled with the board as well. And that continues on and then things will be basically kind of finalized so that there's a real clear intent that we put with the resolution. So it'll actually call out specific amounts of staff positions that are being eliminated. And that is not a first and second reading. That is a resolution that's in the board would approve the March 24th board meeting. And then the the first and second reading as a director Bukenya said for the entire budget doesn't occur until later in July and August. >> Those that one I do and recall and remember. Um it does mean that personnel decision-making has to take
068place for notice to go out by May 15th. And so those decisions pretty much have to be finalized. In past years we've been able to adjust budget cuts after the legislature finished its session because they had added funding for special education or for different M soccer for different parts of the budget which permitted an adjustment. This year maybe you can speak more to that. I don't think the legislature has added funds. I think they've actually taken funds from transition to kindergarten some levy equalization and some other things that put us in no position to make those moves. Yeah, the session which ends at the end of the week and that's what's puts us really in a difficult spot is that we have to make these decisions to keep with the timeline for that May 15th
069deadline in order to notify the proper staff without knowing exactly what dollars are going to come in. But it does not sound like from any of the budgets that there's promising news for additional funds and that we might be working with less. Okay. And and understanding the um security personnel we're moving to the tech and security levy and that started actually January 1st of this year. So, from what we budgeted for this year, we are getting kind of a a surplus funds anyway from the levy. So, could that money be used to um move forward to next year and to, you know, it's about uh think it was I think I calculated about 1.3 million that from January through August of this year, we can um have those funds um paid through the tech and
070security levy and possibly apply that 1.3 million to uh next year's budget proposal to maybe save some of the transition coaches or or possibly even fifth grade band to some extent. Um It's It's a possibility. It's, you know, it's something we could discuss. Um I think we would have to hear from our CFO um about the idea. Uh it would surprise me if they hadn't already figured that into the uh budget for this year. The other thing too we have to remember is that just because this year we have two more additional years to get us right-sized. Right. And yeah, I know I also asked and haven't heard back yet on um TOSAs, I know the teachers on special assignment if that could be looked at as another possibility. It's nice to have multiple options
071to consider to understand yeah, that's why you know, to be able to discuss it intelligently to say, you know, yeah, there's a reason for this um why we're choosing this as opposed to that. Um I know we're I asked a question about instructional coaches, but we've already going to be reduced down to no instructional coaches at this point going forward starting next year. So, that's not an option there, but um but then I thought of uh TOSAs. So, it's it's just another question that possibly we could look at. When you refer to TOSAs, are you referring to like the curriculum specialist? Um yeah, whatever's, you know, whichever assignments they're on. So, if that would that would be included, of course, but I don't Yeah, I'm not sure. I don't know what that looks like, but
072I know that we have curriculum specialist at the district level that are the ones that are providing curriculum for um instruction throughout the district. We are very, very lean on TOSAs. We have 6.2 FTE in TOSAs. Um and they provide specific support. Some are in CTE, and that's funded through CTE funds. Some are um specific to the different um areas that we um oversee in the curriculum areas. So, they provide professional support with all of that, and professional development, and all of the legal pieces that go to making sure that we are providing the right academics for our kids. Um and we have um looking at restructuring. We're in the current in the middle of that regarding our teaching learning equity department. And so, I know that the leadership in that department is looking very
073closely at all the positions and how we are providing service and support to our to our students, and making sure that we are in compliance with state law around all of it. Okay. So, the 6.2 FTE for we're budgeting for next year? Yes, we are at this point in time. And >> Maybe some shifts in that, but that's what we are budgeting for for next year. And all of those positions are you know, I wouldn't they're probably not considered student facing. Well, they I would think that they would be because they're responsible for all the curriculum. Well, yeah, I just want to explore all options, you know, I don't want to I want to feel confident that, you know, the cuts we're making are you know, I understand, you know, people that deal with this
074stuff every day are are saying these are where we need to make the cuts, but to me to be to vote I feel knowledgeable about all the options. Um it's it's good to just explore things before it's a you know, before we come to a final vote to understand, yeah, so I can agree, you know, that this is the best route cuz yeah, I'm I'm not saying I know better. I definitely don't believe I do, but I still as a elected official want to cast an informed vote would be my Okay. Any other comments? Um I was moved by some of the public comments today uh which I've interpreted as a a real sense of mourning for the loss of um the potential loss of things like fifth grade band and orchestra like Mr. Dunn.
075I am a product of Evergreen's music program. I still perform. Uh it's a hobby of mine. Um I've said before that I'm in a choir and I wouldn't be in that choir with those skills without uh the music education that I got in Evergreen. Now, um vocal music is uh as I understand it still very much a part of the general music education. Uh but I also started in fifth grade with a clarinet and played it through the 11th grade. I still have the clarinet in my house. I can still play it. Uh and so when a proposal uh to discontinue fifth grade band came to me, it really hurt my heart. But in the discussions that I know we've each had with um uh with Superintendent Maloney and and the other senior staff who
076were presenting this budget information, um all the other op- uh options appeared to me to be worse. Um and that's really saying something because this isn't a decision that we want to make. Like uh Superintendent Maloney said in the past, this uh is a moment where no decision is good for kids. Um we could be moving the goal posts or not the goal posts, but the uh the chairs around a little bit and each decision would impact kids and students uh right where they are. It's a loss. Uh I'm disappointed in uh the actions of the legislature with respect to their paramount duty. I understand where they're coming from uh in those decisions and I know how difficult that is because we're making difficult decisions too and that feels terrible. Um my hope that uh
077the music opportunities that students do get in the fifth grade if this goes forward, uh will include instrumental introductions. Uh because that was a valuable thing. And uh, really, it's that that's what I have to say about that is that I don't think there are any decisions left uh, that could generate the kind of revenue that could help us there, but I'll remain open uh, as we all will, to ideas. A lot of ideas have been proposed. Uh, and we'll just keep listening. And mourning. That's what I'm hoping for. Yeah, I want to thank everyone for commenting tonight, and I know I'm the email respondent this month, and I've been responding, uh, but there are a few emails received yesterday and today I have not responded to yet. And I know one was referenced today
078that, um, I sent an email to the board. I'm just uh, asked a question about, you know, forwarding that information to the Vancouver PD. Would that, um, cause us uh, a violation of an RCW, or would I be would we be allowed to do that? Um, that I don't know, so I don't want to do anything I'm would regret later on, but I uh, don't know. But it's a discussion that we can have at a later time. Okay. So, any other comments then? Yeah, I I guess I would just say again the, um, the meeting between our COO and our representative from, uh, the PSE, um, on Feb, or excuse me, January 14th, um, I think in not that I want to spend money for an investigation, but there are concerns there, so it would
079be good to clear, you know, I an employee of any wrongdoing if These are personnel matters that cannot be discussed in public without consent of all the parties involved. Um. Right. It's just asked for an investigation not discussing it. Um. Okay. Any other comments? Hearing none. This meeting is adjourned. Thank you for coming.