001would please right up here. You're just gonna come right up here. You and I are gonna stand right here and you're just going to tell us to do the flag salute. Whenever you're ready, put your hand up here. right here. Ready? Begin to the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and all. Good job. like this with it. How come you're getting out of the picture? She's going to take advantage of the chair. Sorry. Sorry. You're good. Before you go grab that. Um if if you're here to do any public comment, you need to sign in in the back. I just want to make sure I say that before we go grab the sheet. We're going to grab the sheet and bring it
002up. I would like to welcome everybody here. Appreciate everybody being here. Um, we're going to Do we have any uh changes to the agenda or anything? Nope. Perfect. Now, we're going to move on to public comment. I do want to explain a little bit about a public comment since we have have we don't have those very often. So I want to explain to you about public comment. We cannot interact with the person that comes up and has the public. We are here to listen. We are I'm we are happy you're here. We welcome everybody that wants to come and and meet with us and and bring things to us. We encourage it. And uh the other thing we encourage is to also go to the district office with anything you have and then you know
003if you don't get it there then you come here. But welcome everybody for being here. And uh the other thing that how this works is you're going to come up, you'll address us. We will not address back. We are listening and paying attention and you have three minutes. And that's really how it works. So um so once you get up here, it'll start once you start. But yeah, anyway, thank you for coming. I appreciate it. You'll cut me off at three minutes, right? Yeah. Well, sorry. Yeah. So, I um you know, I've been wanting to come here. We've been one of them as a as a father of uh six students that have been here. Three are no longer in the district. I have two um in elementary, one in middle school. And there have
004been many um situations that have happened uh in the past 5 years that I wanted to come and speak to the school board, but I've always gone uh to the admin office um and shared my concerns with with people in this building. Um I want to make something very clear. I've always felt heard and supported in this building, but um when directives or advice hits the schools, it's it's like no one is really listening. Um so I'm going to read I wrote this earlier today. I wasn't going to be here. My kids are at the Valentine's dance that I'll back to right here as soon as we're done. But um I just uh it's really hard for me to be here today because I I love the Grand View School District and I believe in
005our community, especially the families that that we serve here. So I currently have three children enrolled in district, two in elementary school and one middle school. Um additionally, one of my um children graduated from Graan View High School, another transferred from from Graan View to Bleton and graduated last year. and I have a sophomore who left Brown View High School earlier this year. Um, it's doing online. My personal and professional investment in the district runs deep. Over the years, I have dedicated substantial efforts, energy, and resources to a partnership that unfortunately has often felt one-sided. While some individuals within the district have supported and believe in our work, many doors remain closed to our services, often met with judgment, cold shoulders, and resistance. The students and staff ultimately suffer because of this. I can no
006longer remain silent. This is not just about my experience. It's about the well-being and future of the students in this district. Partnerships should be mutually supported with the ultimate beneficiary being the student. Yet my agency has fa has faced continuous roadblocks largely due to cultures established by school administrators at the middle and high school levels. The actions or inactions of certain individuals have actively hindered our ability to serve students in need despite our agency being designed specifically to provide mental health and substance use supports to the students of this district. The events surrounding the incident last week have raised significant concerns. Rumors, conflicting reports, and inconsistencies in communications from credible sources suggest that the district office may not have been provided with accurate or complete information about the situation at the middle school. This lack
007of transparency and spread of misinformation leave me questioning the handling of the incident and the district's ability to provide a full and clear account of what transpired. Additionally, an experience with my son was a troubling example of a district's approach to serious issues. He was suspended for being caught in the restroom holding a marijuana vape pin given uh to him by another student. After our conversation at home, he admitted to using drugs in the high school restrooms for the previous two months. He understood understood the gravity of his actions and and has since faced the consequences. What concerns me most, however, is how the school administration handled the situation. When discussing his return to school with an administrator, I was appalled by the response. Rather than addressing the underlying issue of drug use on campus,
008my son was simply told to make better choices and make and most disturbingly to avoid snitching on students using drugs because he would then become a target. He was also advised to use a different restroom instead of addressing the fact that known areas of drug activities exist on campus. This response was unacceptable. Schools have a duty to provide a safe environment for all students. If there are known areas of drug activity, administration should take active steps to monitor and address them, not advise students to avoid them. When I voice concerns about restroom safety, I was met with dis dismissives. If staff availability is an issue, why not close some restrooms and monitor the other ones that remain open? Why not have staff regularly check even um even use student restrooms to deter illicit behavior? The
009lack of action is not an isolated incident. Over the past 5 years, I have witnessed numerous concerning situations to the point uh that point to a culture of avoidance, lack of accountability, and resistance to collaboration. My agency has offered free substance use services to to the district. Yet, our services have been ignored, misrepresented and even undermined by certain individuals who question our qualification despite the fact that we are state accredited, that we are state accredited, and hold the same standards and are held to the same standards as other behavioral health agencies in the state of Washington. I have concerns about the expanded role of certain academic counselors, specifically one in the middle school and one in the high school in having mental health um matters and handling mental health matters. Given the licensed mental health
010professionals are available, I believe it is essential to clarify the roles and ensure students receive appropriate referrals. Just recently, a student from the high school came to our agency and tested positive for fentanyl. Additionally, one of our clinicians took on a case load that was left by another agency with over 50 students who had gone without services for more than five months. This level of ne this level of ne of neglect is it indefensible? I also have to ask what support if any has been offered to the many students involved in recent incidents. Were they provided with any resources or was punishment the only response? The culture at the middle school and high school must change and I urge the school board to take immediate action in the following area. I'll leave this here with
011you guys. This letter is not an attack. It is a plea for action. My role as a father and a leader in this community compels me to speak out not just for my own children but for every student who deserves a better school. I have spent years pushing for change and supporting the district despite countless obstacles. But my partnership must go but partnerships must go both ways. I hope this letter will receive will be received in the spirit of advocacy and collaboration rather than resistance. My goal is not to place blame but to encourage a collective effort towards meaningful change. Our our students deserve a district that prioritizes the safety, mental health and overall wellbe well-being of every student. I urge the board to acknowledge these concerns engaging in meaningful conversation and implement necessarily necessary
012changes. I'm willing to be a part of the solution, but change must start with a commitment from leadership to do better for our students, our families, and the future of this community. Thank you for your time and attention to this. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for being here. I need to deal with someone. Yes, please. Thank you. Enjoy the dance. Yeah, enjoy the dance. Okay. probably get in trouble than I should have. But anyway, um we'll go to the consent agenda. We're going to move on to the consent agenda. Do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda? I make a motion we approve the consent agenda. I'll second that. All in favor? I I opposed. Motion carries. Okay. Informational reports to the board. We don't have any. Uh we have cultivating kindness.
013Our next agenda uh item be cultivating kindness winners to be be presented by Amy. We have many here tonight. So I'm going to just throw it out there. The first person who actually contacted me and said she could not be available is Zulma Valencia. She has a good reason for not being available. She told me the reason told her to take care and not worry about it. But what's amazing is she had two people actually nominate her this month. And then she also has been nominated pretty much every other month since we started this. So it's really telling that people are trying to say, "Hey, this is amazing." So is Jesse Romero here? No. Okay. What about Britney Sanchez? No. Okay. Those were the two that um nominated her and I'll just quickly say what
014what they what they said about Selma. Um she's at Harriet Thompson by the way and she's a speech therapist. Okay. Jesse Romero said, "We created a book and forced students to not have enough funds to purchase a book and Zulma went above and beyond and purchased each child a book for their own." Uh so that was really impressive to to the students and forget Jesse. And then Britney Sanchez said uh Zulma provided exceptional service by going above and beyond to ensure that every student had access to the books they created. She took the initiative to assist in purchasing books for students who did not have any bought for them. Demonstrating her dedication to student success and inclusivity. her kindness and proactive support made a meaningful impact ensuring that no student was left out. Really appreciated
015this. So that was for have a picture of her. I think she's not gonna be a minute. Okay. And the other the the second um award winner is Debbie Methany. Is she here this evening? Okay. She's our food services uh person at Harriet Thompson. And is Hannah Sorenson here? Okay. Hannah Sasonson was when nominated Debbie and this is what she said about Debbie. Debbie is always so kind to staff and students. She always gives the students a friendly smile and builds that connection with the kids as they wait in line for breakfast and lunch. Debbie is always positive and checks in on how we're doing. She genuinely cares about all of us. That's really nice of Hannah to say that about Debbie. And the third award winner is Edith Morazz. Is Edith here? [Music] No.
016She's a second grade teacher at Elementary and I imagine she's dancing her shoes off at their Valentine's dance that they uh rescheduled for tonight. Um this person wanted to remain anonymous, but this is what she wrote about uh Edith Morazz. Miss Morazz has been instrumental in starting quarterly whole school assemblies in rec to recognize and celebrate student accomplishments at Mccclure. These assemblies have not only become an opportunity to celebrate the students hard work at the end of each quarter, but they have also become time for the student body to come together and use their hard-earned Mccclure dollars to win prizes as well as play games. These assemblies are creating an atmosphere of fun that promotes a student's love for school and a Mccclure family. Thank you, Eda. So, those are our winners. I have to
017go track down two out of the three. I'm going to take Zulma asked me to grab She did. I was going to tell you I'm right there on the counter and the other side. Perfect. Thank you. Thank you. And we really appreciate them coping kindness. So important. Thank you. Thanks, Amy. Okay, we're going to move on to uh superintendent report. Good evening, board. So, um a couple things that happened over the last week. Well, this week uh we finished round two of our high school senior exit interviews and I know some of us up here help participate in those. And as always, you hear some very moving um very heartwarming stories from these kiddos and sorry these students and all that they are overcoming to you know to be able to get where they are
018and how proud they are for the work they've done. And I think the question always gets them choked up is who who do you who's your mentor? Who's helped you through this process? And most of them say well my mom said have you told her yet? Well no tell your mom. Um so we and we had our student advisory count committee meeting this morning. they were finalizing the event that they're hosting tomorrow night. So, I don't know if you've met Carla yet, but she's on she's this the um the lead for the community and the community partnership group and they are partnering with Northwest I forgot the name legal is something. Yeah, Northwest Northwest immigrant legal organiz organization for the west side that that does a lot of immigration services and legal services. And so,
019they're coming. They're having some other groups come partner with them. our 21st century, our our our internal im migrant group, and then um some some community partners that wanted to come have set up tables to provide more information as well. So, Zach will be there and uh Kenneth's on the back row. So, she and he he and her squad will be there organizing um I know he's doing the youth the kids. So, they're doing coloring books and movies and food and stuff. And there will be um so the parents can just pay attention and it'll be primarily in Spanish with English translation services and it's going to be great and I appreciate Dr. Devetta helping um kick that off for them and so and then also we wanted to introduce to you Eva Sales and
020I'm going to kick this over to Dr. Jay for a minute. Yeah. So you want to come up real quick? So Evaris has a unique story and I'll let him tell his story here in a couple minutes but we have um contracted with him. So, he's working with us as an independent um consultant coming in helping us with students who are gang impacted or who are at risk. And in a minute, you'll understand why, you know, we have a specific group of kids that he's going to be working with. And um the biggest thing that I want the board to understand is that he is working alongside our counselors. So, he's not just coming in and there's a case load for him. He's working alongside our counselors, our building administrators, our safety and security team,
021uh, Lupe and Ben, and making sure that students who are impacted um, are getting some support in that regard. So, I'm going to give AITO the floor for a couple of minutes to talk about his his life, his story, and why he's in Grand View, and then you guys can ask any questions of us. So, turn it over to you. My name is Evanas, and I was born and raised in Sunnyside, Washington. I'm kind of a a citizen of the valley. I did tearing when I would get to grab uh Alamish, you name it. But majority of my time was in Sunnyside. And growing up in that environment, growing up in the in the chaos of the early 90s, all the difficulties that were having really gave me a broad perspective on the way I
022look at kids because I reflect on myself when I the way I grew up. At the age of uh 15, I was charged, tried, and convicted of first-degree premeditated murder. A murder I didn't commit. second law possession of firearm and I was sentenced to 32 years nine months and sentenced in adult prison at the age of 15. I spent 27 years in prison for that murder until I was exonerated of it um in 2023 on August 17th. I walked out of prison for the first time and that experience uh was hellish. Um there was nothing good about prison that I could say. Um it was brutality. It was a descendant of madness and it was sad to see what people can descend into when all there is is hostility and violence, you know, has their
023own choices. I survived that. But, uh, 10 years prior to me getting out, I made a choice when I was in prison that I had to prove my innocence and that I wasn't going to accept what happened to me, nor the labels ever given to me by, uh, the society I grew up in, family members, whatever it may be. And I put it in my head at that time that if freedom was going to come, it was going to become because of me. And so what I did is I reached out. I sent letters for almost 20 years. I sent letters nearly every week to anybody that would listen, organizations, uh, communities. I took the attorney book and just went down the list of lawyers, asked them, told them I was innocent. Can you help?
024uh one letter they responded to one letter that I wrote out of countless letters that I wrote in 2016. Uh this or organization out of uh New York um found my letter that had been sitting in their mail room. I had written in 2011. They found in 2016. It was still sealed and hidden behind something in the mail room. Found it, read it. They were moved by it. And they happen to do documentaries about innocent people in prison. They were intrigued by my letter, but they told me like, "Uh, we'll investigate your case, but if we find out that you did, we're going to reveal that, too." I said, "By all means, I didn't commit this murder." Um, 6 months into it, they decided they're going to take my case. And within about two months
025of investigating, the case just filled right open. Form came forward. So, they lied about it, was paid by an officer in Sunnyside to make up that lie. That lie was instrumental in my commission. uh we were able it took us six years from that point to get into courts and then once we got into courts it took another maybe two years to get in front of a judge. The first judge in Yakama County denied it when he didn't really care. It was 25 years later is what he said. Doesn't matter. Court of Appeals different allowed me evidential hearing in which case my lawyer was proono and held me for six years. Uh got the officer to confess on the stand. They paid inform which was him committing perjury in the first trial and with that
026uh the next day I was released. They dismissed the charges against me with prejudice. uh vacated my conviction and order my immediate release and I walk out of prison 2 hours later. Um 10 years prior to that I had been preparing for my release and I thought to myself that I knew I didn't do it. I just knew that I needed to get in front of somebody that could make that change and make it happen and show my innocence. Um so I put in my head in my mind that freedom was going to come and I thought to myself, what am I going to do once freedom comes? What am I going to give back to my community? How am I going to make this tragedy in my life to something that's going to be
027a triumph? And for 10 years prior to getting out, I did that. I took classes uh I facilitated classes in prison. I organized uh uh different things in there to to kind of teach the community that was in prison, the prison population, a different way of living of of how to, you know, regulate their emotions. I, you know, took Toast Masters. I took a number of different classes because I knew that eventually that freedom would come. And when they came, I wanted to give something back to the community. I didn't want them just to give them a tail of hate, hurt, struggle, or have a victim mentality and say, "Okay, look what happened to me for me." I wanted to change the environment that I grew up in. And in the way that I thought
028that I could do that was to reach the kids. Um so as soon as I got out within a week of getting out I went to speak I think it was my two weeks one but again I went to speak at the Sunnyside schools uh explaining to um my journey of struggle uh what it took. I explained to him that that just because the environment grows up we grow up in tells us that we can't succeed or individuals within that environment push us into a direction that's going to lead to us going to prison raising dead that we have to make a choice for ourselves and that they have the power to do that. they need to take their education and use it as a tool to benefit themselves and in the communities. And that's
029kind of the message I've been I've been doing for the kids. And I um I spoke at a number of different schools around I spoke in Ranger Toppenish. I'm going to Bent City on Friday, speak over there. And my goal is simply to to not only to educate the administrators but also to to inspire these kids to let them know that even if you're given a hand um and even if you participate in certain things that led to that hand you know being given to you that there's always a way out that there's different choices you can make if you just value yourself you are as a person and you commit yourself to that and that's the message I give to these kids and I started working as a consultant two weeks ago with the
030the Grammy school about three weeks now and it's just that I work within the counselors. I explain to them my situation and my point is just to reach these kids to give them something or another avenue to teach them that they're valued. And to to let them know that look, I understand. I'm from this community. I come from a broken home. I had the situation that took place in my life that could have broke me as a person. It could have broke my family, but it didn't. And if I can survive that and do the things I'm doing now, you can do it, too. And I'm I'm explaining to them also what the gang life entails once you make that choice. And yes, I kind of form in a way that you know they're young.
031They don't need to hear the explicit thing in prison. But I tell them the truth of the reality of what comes after that choice. And I explain to them just as I was two days ago to an individual that the minute you make that choice, whatever the reason behind it is, it could be just protection, it could be you don't know any better, it doesn't matter. your options begin to come in. When it boils down to just two options you have at that point, it's either dead or in prison. And I know this by experience. I had few friends, three friends of mine that are best friends of mine. They're all dead. One lives in the graveyard right here in Grampia, 14 years old, was shot in the chest at Sunnyside. My other friends in
032the graveyard at Sunnyside, shot to death in front of the chief of my at 17. And my other friend died a couple years later in California, gang violence, too. Me, I went to prison for 27 years. something I didn't do. Yes. But I was living a life that had narrowed my options to that anyways. And what I explained to him is look right now because you're going to school, you have these things and you have individuals within the school district that truly care about you, want to help you, you need to take advantage of that because the minute you start whatever it's out of pain or frustration at home, broken home, you starting going to these or migrating towards these gangs, your options are going to become these two things. And let me tell you
033something about what it is prison and what the gang life is in prison. is 21 hours lockdown, level four prison, 23-hour lockdown at level five. And if you think your parents are strict or or the school district strict or the laws are hard to follow out here, when you get to prison, it's not the prison rules that are hard to follow. It's the gang rules that are hard to follow because they don't there's no to them. And many you decide, well, I'm not going to wake up this morning and go to work out. They try to kill you that night. It's simple and it's easy as that. And and I tell them that because they need to understand because they have this this uh this thought process that well some of these individuals get out
034of prison they glorify it as something good. That's not the reality of it. I lived there for 27 years. 16 of those years were never and they need to hear this. They need to understand that when they make these choices this is what they're trading for. And I asked them I said you think that's a valid a trade. You got freedom right now. You get to eat the food of your mom that gives you all these food. Whatever it may be decide what you want to do. you don't get no choice at all. Every single person makes that choice for you besides your sin. And I they need to understand that to a certain extent so they can understand that they need to value what they have done. And since I've come from that and
035lived that the message is a little bit clear to and I've already had that kind of affection from a few students I spoke to. As soon as I started speaking to them, I I explain to them where I come from, my struggle, all that kind of stuff. I don't condemn. I don't say well you need to do this. You need that. I said, "Look, I understand where you come from. I understand that sometimes in your environment, there's only you feel that's only this choice to make. I've been there, but understand that there's something more than that and they're just individuals that care for you." And I start that out because I want them to understand first. But I'm not condemning them. And I think that a lot of individuals, they don't know any other approach
036or maybe they think, well, he needs he needs this behavior needs to be fixed, this behavior. And yes, they do need to be fixed, but sometimes in reaching, we have to come a different way. And and that's where I come in, you know, I come into them with an understanding. I don't judge him, but I say, "Look, if you're going to make this choice, be real about these are the concepts are going to become. I believe you. I know you can do better. Believe me, I know that. And if you do that, this doesn't have to be your future. Value the people that are here." And there was one the other day and I was speaking to him and I told him, I said, "Look, you may not have because I know I know his
037background. family. I know what he's living with, but they're at home to a certain extent. And I explained to him, I said, "There's maybe people around you at home that that that that don't value you, but there's people within this school that do. And the reason there you're sitting here right here talking to me is to show that they want or they care for you in some kind of way and they want you to change and they're not trying to judge you, but you need to listen to some need to value these individuals." And that's been my approach, you know, and outside of all this, I I run a nonprofit in Sunnyville called Force to Men. And uh we have about seven eight mentors. The vast majority of them work within the school. Some of
038them part of UFC. And we spend every Saturday sometimes. Well, I'm pretty much on call all through the week for these kids that I work with. We work with about uh 9 to 12 kids in the valley. Uh we're working on some that are coming from Grand, but it's open to anybody. Um and we take them out, we give them uh we we spend time with them. We talk to them about their issues. I was talking to them the other day about our history as Hispanic people. We took them to the public works in Sunnyside. We're exposing them to to things that they wouldn't otherwise be exposed to. And we also work with the actual some of the restaurants in the community. And what we told some of the restaurants, we said, "Look, um, want
039you to speak to these kids, tell them your story and where you come from and explain to them because they think that maybe because you have this restaurant that's already been good for you. Tell them what it took like to come from Mexico and not speak a language and what it took to struggle in order to build this business that is successful to them. Show them that everything requires a certain amount of work. It's not going to come easy because they need to have that or need to understand those values because they're not getting it from the household because they come from broken families, single parent homes where their parents work all the time. And it's no fault of the parents. You know, some of them they have to work. That's when we come and
040help these kids. And so I tell these kids anytime I can help anyone need a ride somewhere to school. I mean there was one a couple weeks back that his mother's at work. She can't be work. Her son left Sarista. She thinks he's out there with certain individuals. Please find I got up to my house and found him walking home with his kids. Got him in the car, drove him home two, three different times. I work with that kid closely right now. Uh and he's doing a lot better. Like I said, it requires a consistency in these in these kids' lives and that's what I provide outside of that. And so that's a part of almost everything that I'm doing right now. And I've been uh really grateful for the school district and and them
041um not only seeing the issues but looking at something in a different way and say maybe maybe this could help because at the end of the day it's the kids. They're going to be our future. And when I was growing up uh we didn't have those kind of resources. Either people didn't see it because it was kind of new to the valley in the 90s or they didn't care. Either way, those individuals that went through those schools, they're in prison right now for the rest of their lives. Whether their choices or not, it doesn't make a difference. But I want to see these kids have at least an opportunity where they can say if they're sitting and I tell them too because I also go to the Yakim juvenile speak to kids over there. And
042so I spoke when I speak to them, I tell them that look, you can't say now that somebody trying to help. can't say that that nobody listened to you because not only did you have administrative dentist trying but you have them going outside of the box and looking for people that can help in some kind of way and I explained to him straight I said look you know we're trying to help people but you have to open up to that and so that's kind of in a nutshell I don't need to borrow your time I can go on and on things that we're doing you know and so but I just wanted to to thank Rivera and actually thank you know the school district because like I said you have the foresight to see the
043benefits that this could have. I'm also working at the elementary school. We're working with some of the council over there to kind of identify the factors are there. What I mean by the factors that they come from broken homes um either there's abuse or what it may be. So, it's very easy for those kids to once they go into the high school or the middle school to latch on to something other than that to fill that void. And I was we were speaking the other day at the school and we're thinking well if we can identify these kids at the very least or or we can start working with them then we can kind of prepare them to to to or or give them a foundation so that when they get to those schools that
044they don't just jump on the first thing that comes and so they had a lot of good uh uh recommendations the other day when speak over here at Smith and they were saying well maybe you just talk to them explain to them you know what to look out for you know to think you know maybe you'll be able to do Because like I said, you when it comes to this kind of stuff, it takes a proactive stance to and they were telling me at Smith the other day, well, I this kid over here that did this the other day or this kid that that's having these problems at high school, we identified those issues. It was over a year already. And and so I got put onto the gang stuff when I was fifth or
045sixth grade. It was fifth grade. So it started with me. are started really young and the factors were the same factors that you see in other kids. And so although they're not kind of exhibiting that out, if you see certain behaviors, it's a kind of a tale. It's going to come later. And if you can fortify it and find it and go into that, then you've already kind of stepped into it. You've already started kind of mitigating the the issues that may pop up later. And so that's that's part of what I'm doing, too. I'm working with them at Smith and other elementary schools to see if these kids in some way can benefit um or their families can benefit too because some of their families I too I grew up with them and so
046that's kind of the the process we're in right now and I think that I spoke to a number of kids and and you know it's um it really makes my heart smile because they they seem to light up you know they seem to this is different you know and they respond to that a different way because like I said I'm a condemnment I come from that, you know, and they can sense it. And so I'm grateful to be here. I'm grateful for for for you guys district. So So any questions, please? Any question the board? I actually heard of you coming and talking and I've actually talked to a few students that were impacted by it. So it is definitely they're hearing it. They're not just sitting there going, "Yeah, this guy's talking to us
047and yeah, whatever. some guys preaching to us. They actually they actually got something out of it. I talked to a few of them and I actually heard you I was talking to Rob and he said something about getting you involved and I'm glad I got to meet you. I didn't know you were coming tonight. So, no, I I really appreciate the opportunity and it's same thing too. I mean, I had uh just today and this this this happened just just an hour before I got here. I went to McDonald's and uh some person came up to me was like, "Oh, you I'm so grateful for what you've done for the community or what you're doing for the community, your Lent, which I've seen a lot of what you guys are doing. I have u a
048nephew who's been in trouble non-stop and he's been a part of your guys's voice command for a year now and has been in trouble since and and and I felt, you know, a joy that because we don't really see because it's it's it what happens it comes a little bit later. takes time and and so to hear that from them and then they go I'm gonna donate this one. They literally hand me money a year and please don't tell anybody. Just just give it to the kids, you know. And that right there is it shows in a big way, especially for us and the mentors. I call the mentors right after and explain to them that's what happened. We're going to we have a plan to take these kids over to their first hockey game
049tickets on the 8th. I think it's interesting. We didn't we were struggling to see what we're going to get the funding for that. We have the tickets, but you know, so this came at just the right time. And so it's little things like that and the community comes up in different ways and and then also we're we're inviting it because that's what's going to change to our kids and what happens to one happens to all. So yeah, I've heard that in different ways too. So I really appreciate that. Thank you. And I just want to comment. And I want to thank you for being a part of the efforts that we have here at Grand View and for advocating for our students and connecting and giving that hope that you know again everybody has value
050right to contribute and it is a fact of choices that sometimes we make but helping them see that there's other options that they don't have to like you say be defined by what their circumstances are or what they're told is defining them and who they are. Um so thank you. It's been in talks for a couple years now. How do we help you know our students who are I think at promise is what Dr. James likes to say. Um at promise, right? That how do we reach them and before like you say it gets to the point that we we lose them, right? Whether it's from the school system or a different way. And um I know we've talked and talked and it's like we got to get the right person in here. We got
051to get the right system in. we need to get the right people in and slowly but surely we're getting there. It's like you know there's always a lot of comments out there that um things are happening in the schools but like you said we do have people who care and we do have a lot of um mentors out there. So thank you for being a part of this effort and for being here tonight. Well, thank you. I appreciate it. Yeah. Thanks for coming and telling us about yourself. Yeah. Well, like I said, thank you for the opportunity. Really appreciate it. And I I feel like It's it's a good thing because we're doing something and it's I think it will have a good impact on the community. That reminds me every year the United Way
052Central Washington does fundraising campaigns to all the school districts and if you're a nonprofit you can become part of their organization that people can donate directly to you. So I'm going to connect you later on with Richard Perez who runs the central Washington stuff because like our school district we can donate an extra mile. all we can do and so we can have we can help you get connected that way too. Oh, that' be great. Yeah. So, I'll connect with you afterwards. Thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you for being here. Thank you. Thank you. All right. I should bring in guest speakers more often. Yeah. So, the upcoming events we have to finish up my board of directors report. Um, tomorrow night we have the immigration information night and it'll be at the high
053school starting at 5:30 if you want to eat. And then um on Thursday, Dr. Rivera and I will be at um our monthly SWIN instructional leadership network. We're at Granger this week or this month. And then next Monday and Tuesday, we have a copy of the superintendence. No school on 7th is a teacher inservice day. So teachers will be working and everybody will be working. The kids will be at home crazy. And then this year where March 11th is Mccclure McTakeover night at McDonald's and Sunny in Sunnyside. So you want to go get some burgers and support Mccclure. And then March 11th also is a fifth grade MIMA band concert HD. Nice. So there you go. Awesome. Awesome. Thank you. All right. Uh from the board. You're skipping our uh No, it went right here.
054It says members of the board update. Any reports from the board is number 10. We have the board responsible board responsive monitoring. Oh, did I skip? I don't know. We got a Oh, 17 went down. Number Oh, okay. Sorry. And they already left. I've been telling Netflix they could go home there. Don't tell Jean that he got it off. I don't want her to be ridiculed. Okay. So, we'll go down to the one. Um, one of the things I have to say is when I and I saw my comment did come on here, but when I went to I checked incomp or I checked uh in in compliance with comment, but it didn't it would kick it off and it and then I would go down to try to do the comment and it would
055kick it off of that and wouldn't allow it. So, I think that's why we actually have all of the green, but there is a couple comments. Um uh does anybody have um questions on the comments? Um I read that I was reading them just a little bit. Um this is probably a description of the adopted students conduct policy in reviewing the evidence presented there there was insufficient information. Is there do you want to explain what maybe was missing so that they'll know next time what you're wanting to see or maybe maybe that's something to think about in your comment maybe going forward is there's not enough information would like to see this and this. Yeah, it says on the next page. Oh yeah, it cuts off it. Oh, I see there. So, I was thinking
056that was the next No, I had the same issue as as Dan. So, I try to mark, you know, where my um selection was and then provide the comment. Was it like that for every question? It Well, I don't know. There was only a couple that I thought we might need a little evidence to support that. But you're saying that it automatically triggered a wrong Yeah. So, instead of it being a check box, it was more of a radio button. You could only do one or the other, you know? Yeah. do the one with comment and then it would say go put a comment in and when you go down and check the box for a comment it would take it off of the one above because it would only allow you to do one.
057Yeah. So going along with the um let's see. So it's kind of got some of the hyperlink. Hold on one second. Where does it start? Accordingly, the superintendent may not fail to adopt an age appropriate written student conduct and discipline code that complies with state and federal laws, nor fail to consult with staff, students, and the community in developing the code. Um, so the process about how we go through the selection process um as a district and and working with the community and students and all of that was very clear and I appreciated that evidence. What wasn't as clear to me is um when it mentions about where the code is available um it talks about like the handbooks and different opportunities of where students can gather this but you could find the code on
058the high school and the GMS websites. You could not find it on the elementary websites or at least where I thought logically it might go. Um and so it's hard to identify um either the language whether it's age appropriate or what the process is for us identifying that the language is age appropriate because at the high school middle school level I understand that we're also working with um students that are you know at a higher level of reading and such which was pretty much down to the laws of what it had but how do we break that down for an elementary student so that they understand. So that was where that came in. Compliance with the um supporting evidence needed. Okay. The next one that was all in complian with no responses. Same one with
059the firearms. I don't see any. Um I had one comment on the dress code issue. Um, I get it that the dress code is there, but I don't personally I don't believe it's enforced much, at least what I see. Um, and when we had to go through and change and photoshop our pictures on our strategic plan because the pictures we took of students weren't in compliance with our our dress code. Yeah. Y so um I think the me per this just me personally on this part of it it's all there we just don't follow it we're not we're the the the the policy has all the right writings and all the right things as far as I'm concerned it's just not followed so and adding to that I did have some questions on the policy
060itself again hard to locate at certain grade levels and you you can see it in the comments But um also thinking of inclusivity, you know, um some of the wording I saw high school versus middle school, for example, it said high school prohibits clothing with scantily clad women. If I look at the middle school, it just says basically nothing with like sex nudity, you know, pornographic, whatever. That's more gender neutral, I guess, instead of specifically saying, okay, it's only this gender, right? because we probably wouldn't accept it if it was a male that was scantily bad either. Um, so anyways, um, maybe some continuity between that. I understand there may be some differences that we're experiencing at the different schools. Um, but how are we more inclusive on our language as well? Do we have
061a It's one policy, but it has different and and I'm sorry I didn't read the whole thing. One policy with different spots for different schools. Correct. Okay. And I've made some examples. Yeah. And you're right. I think we have to be more consistent with the language at the middle and secondary level so that kids don't have to learn a new set of expectations in middle school and now it's different at the high school. So it should be consistent kind of like our cell phone policy. Yeah. Right. It's consistent across the system. Same thing should be of our our dress code. And so I think it's just a matter of um getting our middle school principal, high school principal together and say, "Let's come up with one dress code policy that we can put in both
062handbooks." Consistent, too, because if we look at one in the um handbook versus I can't remember if it was a calendar or where it was, same school, but the wording was different, verbiage was different, right? So I get updates, too. But just consistent language, consistent policy. um yeah would be helpful. Why don't we make a note that this policy maybe in our summer session maybe we need to grab this specific policy uh to do a review of it in our when we're going to have one of our study sessions this summer that maybe that we'll highlight this as one that needs to be brought in and maybe revamped or at least looked at and updated. You can do that. I know our normal thing is next month to do that but We want to stay
063moving. Yeah. Well, it might be an opportune time before school hits if there's any changes that are needed. Right. That way we can get all published at the same time. Um I didn't see Okay, there's down here is another one. [Music] Um, now this one didn't uh I was able to locate the ghs and GMS conduct and discipline codes online. That was just what I spoke to earlier not being able to locate it every yes at every school. The narrative included where it's included but um where it's at is and elementaryaries we need to work on that. get something published. Okay. Any other comments? I don't we looking at a district handbook actually. So Josie's planted a seat with and we'll get to it. But having a districtwide handbook that students have, teachers have, and
064parents have, and it's all consistent K12. And then we're not having five different versions of a dress code as an example. that we're all consistent, the language, everything that you're asking for. There'll be one handbook that we would give out to parents and students at the beginning of the school year and access it on our website and all the building websites as well. Because I can see we could still include students and community right in that, but it would, like you say, be accessible to all its hit in one place, less places we have to update later. Um, because you have to go hunting for these dress code policies. It's It's hard for parents and the only time they really need to refer to them is when their kids in trouble. Yeah. And you don't
065want that either is because then they're like, "Well, I can't find it." And Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, do we need to make a motion? Make a motion to approve as is or approve without comments. It's everybody's choice. So, and you only got to get three to approve it. Yeah. There's only three of us. I don't have any issues or concerns with comments. Chuck, do you have any issues or concerns? No, I think we take it just the way it is. So then I'd like to make a motion to approve um the EL17 board governance review with comments. I'll second it. All in favor? I I opposed. Motion carries. Okay. Now I can move down to the members of the uh board members. anything from the board? Anything neat happened? Um, trying to think of
066anything if I did any went did anything the last few weeks. Went to some games. Would like to be going to some more, but I'm not going to. Um, spring season starting soon, but it's just cold outside. Yeah, I do like softball. Uh Saturday I'm going to uh Sacramento for uh educating and careers educating for careers conference for CTE. Saturday to when? Saturday to Tuesday. Come back Tuesday. Come back Tuesday. Yeah, we go see the conference is Sunday, Monday and Tuesday morning. So I'm looking forward to that. Anything else? Nothing from the board. We heard how our kids did at states before wrestling. Wrestling we had um three no two third place finishes. Okay. I believe two or three. Everybody won their first bout. Even the ones who had to buy their first bout, they
067won their second their second round. So we we represented really well. I think the girls finished eighth or ninth overall state. Yeah. And uh and then um Dutch finished eighth but also got seventh. seventh and also got state champ at 150 for academics. Yeah, I saw that. So, we brought home one state championship for academics. Yeah. And he ended up losing the same person twice. That's hard. Yeah. Tough guy. But they and then we had the two of our sisters who almost had they kept going, they would have faced each other in the championships at 190. So, they got 35 fth. Yeah, they did really well. Coach was really happy with them. That's awesome. I did see where they had the send off. So that was nice to see that kids and everything. Um but
068yeah, I was kind of curious to see how they did overall. So your um copy is this next Monday morning, Tuesday afternoon. Monday morning, Tuesday afternoon. It'll just be me flying solo. I won't have check or Jose. I think I'm going to come Tuesday afternoon. I just want to see if we get any more comments. So, since you'll be so low. Okay. So, well, our little board assessment. Um, just maybe to explain a little bit since normally we don't have anybody sitting in here with us. So, it's nice to have people with us here tonight. We actually assess our meetings. We assess ourselves and uh it's a new thing we do with our uh policy governance. Um, so this is the meeting on 225 general meeting behavior. Oh, you didn't even check that, Chuck? Did
069I miss one? Well, I guess that's totaling all these up, right? Was that the totaling of all these, I believe. Oh, I thought that was just telling us what box was what. The agenda was well planned. Chuck gave us a good report. The board, one little snafu, the board follows the agenda. Well, somewhat. I tried following it incorrectly. Board may be prepared for the um and contributed the meeting. The meeting proceeded without interruption or distraction. The board deliberated and discussed which we did. We do a great job of that. Uh participation was balanced. Members listened. Uh work was conducted. Atmosphere of trust and openness. meeting uh participation treated each other with respect. Um participants, sorry about that. Um board action occurred at the policy level rather than at the operational level. That's a yes. The
070board reviewed policy about each topic before discussion issue. Yes. and writing in writing additional policies. The board um starts with the board statement and becomes more detailed. The board minimize time spent monitoring past performance. Uh the board routinely dedicated time to reviewing improving its own process. The board clarifies priority values when considering potential outcomes. Board follows an annual calendar. The board chair helps the board efficiently conduct its meeting. The board You gave me a good one on that chair. Good job. The board spent most of its time deliberating issues, defining and clarifying its vision. The board supports the superintendent in any reasonable interpretation of its policies. And then the overall was a five. Well done. Anything else before we adjourn? We move into executive session. Oh, that's right. We get to go to executive session
071now. That's pretty much adjournment. Board assessment. I got to make sure I don't have anything else before that from the board announcement. Anything? How? That is a little deceiving. It says here from the board and then back over here it says any reports from the board. Yeah, we'll get rid of that. Yeah. Now it's anything from the board now since we're here. Nope. Okay. We're going to move into executive session and it's just got to be us. Thank you for coming. Look forward to talking to you again sometime. Yes. Thank you, Amanda. I'll be getting in touch with you. Bye. Bye. Talk to your neighbors across the street from you. We need one more. Joseph, you need to shut the recording off. Yeah, I got Please. Oh, Rob's got home.