Seattle Schools Board Special Meeting June 18, 2025

President Top, we just got word that SPS TV is ready.

So whenever you are ready to start the meeting, we're good to go.

Wonderful.

Looks like we have four board directors.

Yes, it does look like we have four boards.

Okay.

Good afternoon.

The board meeting will be called to order in a moment and SPS TV will begin broadcasting.

Wait just one minute here, folks.

All right.

This is President Taup.

I'm now calling the June 18th, 2025 Board Special Meeting to order.

It's 4.32 p.m.

This meeting is being recorded.

Directors and staff here will participate remotely today, but public access is also being provided to watch this remote meeting at the John Stanford Center as well as online through SPS-TV.

start with we would like to land acknowledgement.

I would like to acknowledge that we are on ancestral lands and the traditional territories of the Puget Sound Coast Salish people.

For the record I will call the roll.

We'll start with Director Clark.

Present.

Director Hersey.

Here.

Director Mizrahi.

President.

Director Rankin.

Here.

Director Sarju.

Present.

Vice President Briggs.

Here.

And this is President Ta.

Well I just want to start off with today is the last day of school for Seattle Public Schools so a really Massive thank you to our amazing teachers, educators, school staff, community partners, and for everything they've done this year.

Our educators do so much more than teach.

They support, guide, help shape the future of our city, and their work makes a difference for our students and families.

And I also want to thank our students and families for their hard work and resilience this year.

This week, board directors and students and staff wrapped up graduation ceremonies across the district, including the final graduation at what is the current Memorial Stadium.

And I will just say, even though the power actually went out at Memorial Stadium, staff, city partners and our community really joined together to make sure that students and families still got to celebrate.

So thank you all for making that happen.

And we can now look ahead to the breaking ground on a new stadium and exciting next chapter.

Also, just to continue to say this, we're going to move forward with a search for a superintendent.

June is our month of engagement.

I think there's almost an engagement session every single day in the month of June, and I encourage everyone to take part in these sessions, share input in what we're looking for in our next superintendent.

Details for these sessions are on our district website, and we will continue to provide updates over the summer.

but overall wishing everyone a safe and happy summer.

Congratulations on the school year.

With that, we do have two items on our agenda today.

The first is very administrative.

It's to move our July regular board meeting to July 2nd.

Can I have a motion and a second for this item?

I moved to move our board meeting from July 1st to July 2nd.

Second.

Thank you.

So some quick context here in 2024 and our July 24th meeting June 26th meeting excuse me we the board approved our regular board meeting calendar for 2024-25 school year.

The original date was scheduled for July 2025 meeting was July 1st, which is a Tuesday.

This board action would move the date to July 2nd, which is a Wednesday, our typical meeting day of the board.

The main reason I think was Director Mizrahi, Director Briggs and myself.

So the officers of the board all had a conflict on July 1st.

So this will make it so more folks will be able to participate or more board directors will be able to participate on July 2nd.

And we will be voting on our budget for the 25-26 at the July meeting.

So this will be an important meeting.

Seeing if board directors have questions or comments about this action.

Discussion?

All right, seeing none, I'm going to call on Ms. Rath for the vote.

Thank you, President Topp.

Director Hersey?

Aye.

Director Mizrahi?

Aye.

Director Rankin?

Aye.

Director Sarju?

Aye.

Vice President Briggs?

Director Clark I am president top I this vote has passed unanimously I appreciate that everyone a little bit of flexibility there so already on to the second action item on turn agenda designating acting superintendent Our second action item today is to designate Fred Podesta as the district's acting superintendent.

Can I have a motion and a second for this item?

Is there is there like a specific language I need to use here?

Yes, I believe the motion sheets are in your email, but we will let me

Yeah well let's just wait a moment and we will we will.

DIRECTOR DEWOLF- Aha.

Okay I see it.

Okay.

I move that the school board designate Fred Podesta to serve as acting superintendent of the district through September 3rd 2025 and authorize Fred Podesta as acting superintendent to carry out those powers and duties as prescribed by law and policy for the district superintendent.

Immediate action is in the best interest of the district.

Second.

Thank you, Vice President Briggs and Director Mizrahi.

Just some quick background and then we will move into questions or comments from other board directors.

Superintendent Dr. Jones resigned from Seattle Public Schools effective September 3rd, 2025. He will remain on medical leave to address a personal health matter through his final day with the district.

The Seattle School Board fully supports Dr. Jones' decision to prioritize his well-being and we wish him a school, smooth and full recovery.

And we extend our gratitude for his service, his leadership, his years of commitment to our students, staff and the community of SPS.

To ensure stability, the board is taking action to designate Chief Operating Officer and asking Fred Podesta as Acting Superintendent through September 3rd, 2025. Mr. Podesta's leadership will help us prepare for a smooth start to the 25-26 school year and we are grateful if this passes for him to step into this role.

The board will continue the search process for a superintendent as planned and continue as we support the community.

Looking for directors for discussion, comments, questions.

Director Rankin Thank you just a quick comment just I appreciate the opportunity to be able to vote on this I think as you know we have the the what is it the succession of duty or delegation of authority that the superintendent assigns to in this case Fred Podesta in an absence and I think that knowing that Dr. Jones will be extending his leave that it's just really important that we specifically designate and authorize Mr. Podesta for clarity for our community and also for support of staff that we are we are that the board is authorizing this direction.

It gives some clarity for us to move forward and with so many transitions having happened and in our future the more clear that we can be as a board for ourselves and for our community the better.

So that's just a long way of saying appreciate the opportunity to to vote on this and provide this direction and appreciate Mr. Podesta for being willing to fill this role for for even a short time.

DIRECTOR HAMPSON- Other board directors.

All right.

If we have, call the roll please.

For, not the roll, the vote, sorry.

That's fine.

Director Mizrahi?

Aye.

Director Rankin?

Aye.

Director Sarju?

Aye.

Vice President Briggs?

Aye.

Director Clark?

aye Director Hersey aye sorry could you repeat that aye thank you President Topp aye this motion is passed unanimously well that concludes our business for the evening so there being no further business to come before the board The board special meeting is now adjourned at 4.43 p.m.

Thank you everyone have a wonderful evening.

Thank you.

Happy summer.