Seattle School Board Meeting August 25, 2021

Enough.

Sorry for those folks we'll be back at 434 p.m.

Enough.

For those folks we'll be back at 434 p.m.

Okay let's get back to the agenda.

Reconvening.

And again we're going to go back to Director Hersey for the committee update on Audit and Finance.

All right.

Thank you all.

We are back.

Appreciate it.

The only addition that I was going to add and I've lost my notes at this point.

Here we go.

Okay.

Our next upcoming meetings are going to be on September the 13th which is going to be our quarterly audit meeting and September the 14th which will be our monthly finance meeting.

And those are all the updates.

Okay and next up I'm going to go ahead and go with as Chair of the Executive Committee.

This is Director Hampson and we had a really productive unfortunately long but very productive meeting and some really important discussion around The our ongoing work with our Student Outcomes Focused Governance Director Rivera-Smith gave a great update and had our Teamsters in for our labor partner.

It's always great to have face time with our labor partners outside of the bargaining process and spent a good amount of time on the superintendent search process that timeline and request for proposal.

So we are in the process of.

getting support to do some engagement around the RFP to hire a search committee.

And the that RFP the plan is for that RFP to go out at the latest by our next or our executive committee to it's something that is approved by the Executive Committee and so it would go out on our next meeting October meeting which I believe is October 13th would be the final approval date for that.

But there will be more discussion and a draft of that RFP at the September where is it the next meeting is September 8th is that right.

Did I get it wrong.

September 15th.

Thank you.

So for those of you that are interested in that again if you get the the information from that meeting you'll see the very rough draft of the timeline and the RFP and then you'll see the in the upcoming minutes the the next sort of dates that we're trying to hit to get that out and to get community involved at the very front in the actual RFP for the search process.

We had our I think our final if not our second to final update on the website.

That's super exciting because we've been watching that go on for some time and the website is finally live and we've been hearing great feedback about that.

And and then we went into some really important work related to our policy clarity and diet around our oversight.

These large number of oversight work sessions and annual reports which are voluminous in terms of the amount of time it takes for staff and for the board and yet are not in all cases legally required or even in some cases not even required by policy and also are not connected to our strategic plan and ultimately to our student outcomes.

And so we need to are starting the process of looking I'll be meeting with each of the committee chairs to see how we can focus that work to be in better alignment so we are not forcing staff to spend an enormous amount of time providing reports on things that are not related to those things that we're actually measuring related to student outcomes.

So and then we got a great update from our IT Executive Director on our ITAC committee which is a phenomenal contributor to the work of the technology department here in Seattle Public Schools.

And even more exciting the next steps in the board procedure 1250 which is bringing our student members on board and that is moving fast and furious and we're all super excited about it and could not be more grateful to our board office staff for the huge lift that they are doing in not just working to make sure that happens but working directly with students who were present on our meeting and did the bulk of the update on where they are with that.

And we're just so grateful to Directors Hersey and DeWolf for making sure that that happened and to the and more importantly to the students who put the pressure on us to make sure that they have a voice on this board.

And personally cannot wait for them to get here.

So kind of a long update one of our longer executive meetings.

And I will now turn it over to Director DeWolf for the Operations Committee update.

Thank you President Hampson.

Most of the items today are going to be on the agenda so we'll be able to talk about many of those.

We did also hear a Traffic Safety Annual Report update as well as a BTA V Work Session follow-up discussion.

The previous day we had our BTA V Work Session here.

at the district.

And so like I said we'll see many of these items tonight.

Our next meeting is on September 9th.

If anybody's interested please come to these meetings.

Obviously the BTA V levy is a big big deal coming up and would love any of our community to be here and support us and give us oversight and be a partner.

So I'll turn it back over to you President Hampson.

Thank you.

Thank you Director DeWolf and Director Rankin is not here to provide the Student Services Curriculum and Instruction update.

I don't know if her fellow members would not want to do that or I can just let her do it at the end of the session.

End.

All right.

So we have reached the public testimony portion of the agenda but it is not yet 5 p.m.

I would ask if any directors would like to give their board comments now in lieu of taking a recess to keep the meeting going.

We will then begin testimony at 5 p.m.

and we'll come back to board comments as needed at the end of the agenda.

Would anyone like to that gives us 20 minutes for board comments.

So Even though we've been trying to keep it to two minutes.

Would anybody like to start with their board comments now.

Okay Director DeWolf.

Thank you President Hampson.

You know much of this will be discussed I think probably with the folks that are speaking tonight but I wanted to just remind folks about the BTA V guiding principles that we approved just this last February.

And one of the.

BTA V guiding principles is around environmental sustainability and climate resilience and so just really want to make sure that folks in our community know that the climate crisis the climate emergency the ecological collapse we're all experiencing every day day by day and it's stressing us out even our students.

That we took that into account when creating our guiding principles back in the last school year.

And so many of the folks here who are coming so passionately to to advocate for solar on our schools We'll we'll see that that is a priority of this district particularly for BTA V. The other thing I wanted to mention too was that Director Rivera-Smith and I seems like forever ago now almost two years ago now.

We started talking about the climate crisis and this climate resolution and many of the folks on this list here were on that group.

And so just so you know that this board and particularly Director Rivera-Smith and I are very passionate about this issue and we look forward to working with the community on this issue as it as it relates to the ideas around solar.

There are some limitations.

I just want to mention that before we get going which is to say that our schools are not all created equal.

Some of them were built recently and some of them were built almost 100 years ago.

The ones that were built almost 100 years ago likely cannot and actually cannot withstand solar panels as it stands.

But we do have a lot of new buildings that can and so there is great advocacy around that and so I'm really excited to see people so passionate about that.

But just I kind of want to give some context because I know people are really passionate about the solar solar panels on our schools.

And the last thing I'll mention is I am hosting a community meeting in October.

The date is to be determined.

I will have a special guest.

I'm not sure how much I can say about her but I know that she is that people were a fan of her in the district that I am currently serving in and she is running for that seat.

And so if folks want an opportunity to come and have a community meeting and join us for that that'll be in October.

I don't tell you more at our next meeting but just kind of want to give a heads up that we'll be having community meeting for District 5 in October.

So besides that I'll turn it back over to you Preston Hampson.

Director Hersey.

In the interest of time even though we have a lot of it I will keep these very brief.

Dr. Jones and I had the honor of attending the ribbon cutting ceremony at Wing Luke yesterday.

Aside from the amazing performances and just wonderful display of familial ties community involvement and all the things that go into building a new school especially one that recently received a new name for someone as monumental as Wing Luke.

I think the more important thing is that every single child that I talked to was incredibly ready to go back to school in person.

And I want to acknowledge all of the anxiety and in a lot of cases fear around returning to buildings.

But what I will say is that spending time and sitting in community with those students reminded me greatly of why we are doing this and what all of this planning and preparation will result in and it is for the better and best experiences educationally for our students.

And so I just wanted to acknowledge all of the anxiety and fear that I think a lot of folks have.

But I think at the end of the day under Dr. Jones' leadership we are going to have a really amazing start to what I believe will truly be 180 days of excellence.

So.

Any other directors that would like to give their board comments at this time.

You all want to hear me talk for 15 minutes don't you.

I'll go ahead and give some board comments.

These are incredibly anxious times as Director Hersey said for a lot of reasons.

One of my kids had to listen to me and stress out about while I drove her to her last swimming lessons of the year because she's trying to make it to that next level and before the summer ends because wants to be at that same the same level as her siblings.

And so we're making that trek every day sitting in a lot of construction to get to that.

And I'm grumbling about the amount of airtime we're hearing about Afghanistan not because it's not an incredibly massive tragic and complex situation that is in the that deserves significant airtime but because as I explained to her I noted that our brothers and sisters down in Haiti haven't gotten any airtime and are undergoing a humanitarian disaster that is not at all unrelated to U.S. involvement in that country.

And yet it also represents one of the most important representations of Black liberation.

Certainly in this Western part of the globe.

And at the same time, I'm thinking, geez, we're just trying to get back to school, and she's listening to me grumble about this.

But I do think that it creates a level of stress that is pretty unparalleled for most of us.

These are not the oil This isn't the oil crisis of the 70s when we had, well, some of us were old enough to sit in gas lines in hot, hot summers with no AC or the, you know, the deep recession that came after that.

This isn't those early days of the Iraqi war when we, you know, stood up, sat up late and watched fire strikes on, well, I had a black and white TV back then.

See, I told you I was going to talk for 15 minutes.

And yet it is something that I don't think any of us could have really imagined, particularly when you couple it with the real impacts of climate change that we're all dealing with throughout the globe.

And it's very real to our children.

And it's an important time for us as adults.

One of the things we're going to talk about later in the agenda is about how student outcomes don't change until adult behavior changes.

And I'm so grateful to that work that that we've started doing because whether as a community leader an elected official a parent a colleague a friend I know that My behavior creates an opportunity or an environment in which all of those that I come into contact with will be supported in thriving or you know maybe hopefully at worst neutral but but could also be deprived of an opportunity to do so if I'm not thoughtful about my behavior.

And I think about that as we deal with the anxieties that that are upon us at this moment.

I'm have had the opportunity to speak to colleagues throughout the country whose kids have already started school and it is the early days of school are so variable depending on where you are in the country.

And I just I want to say to Any and all people Sarah Riegel is just here to and I wish she was here to hear me say this but of the folks in this state that have contributed to the high level of vaccination that we have such that even as the rates of infection are again increasing as a community we are significantly safer than so many other places in this country where they have vaccination rates that are in the that are below 50 percent.

And having family and friends whether in counties in the Northwest that have higher have lower rates of vaccination or in other parts of the country that have fallen severely ill or passed away.

Many of us have had significant numbers of deaths in our communities.

And those weigh very very heavily.

And yet somehow we have to without failing to acknowledge those risks and those fears make the critical decisions that we have to make at this time to make sure that our our children are going to know the things that they need to know when they leave Seattle Public Schools and that they will know how to do the things that they need to know how to do to tackle problems as big as these.

And so with that I just want to note that all of the anxiety and the fears and the frustrations about whether or not we're doing things or are and I should say when I say we I think it's really important for us to acknowledge at this point that this is fully in the hands of our staff.

We are responsible for governance and policy not implementation of said policy.

And we work very hard to collaborate with staff in making sure that we're well-informed so that we can way find for our constituents.

But my other bit of gratitude goes to every single staff person here.

We on this dais know very much how hard you are all working If you don't get back to me right away, I know there's a reason.

And it's because you're working to make sure that our kids are going to get to walk into school that first day and feel a sense of weight lifted off their shoulders.

Because we as adults have managed our behavior and got them there so that they can be there together and find some joy, not just in their lives and their time with each other, but in their learning.

And so my sincere gratitude to the heavy lift and grind that you are in right now because I know that it's extremely intense and we're working very hard not to provide you with additional burden but focus on the things that we can share with you that we're hearing in community that will further enlighten the work that you're doing as staff.

And I say that to make very clear that things like outdoor lunch and the ways in which as Ms. Rygel pointed out that we that the staff implements public health policy in our educational institution is not a matter of board policy but rather of staff implementation.

And so we as a board need to do a better job here at this throughout the state of helping community and nationwide in all honesty.

And it's a it's it's fully acknowledged at all those levels of helping folks understand what school board governance is.

School board meetings are absolutely not here today but we're thankful for that.

Throughout the country are packed with people demanding that school boards bear the full weight of the implementation of public health guidelines that are really best left to those that know how to respond to public health crises.

And and so that's why we have our superintendent has the authority to to implement those things.

So I think that everyone on this this dais and I think Director Rankin's on the phone.

are more than than happy to speak with constituents and and help them understand what it is that our our staff are doing and trying to implement and help them get resources and way find when they when they can't get the answers that they want.

But I want to make clear that this is fully in the in the hands of our staff and that's not to pass the buck.

That's because this is the time when we need to be supporting them.

in doing the work that they need to do to get our kids into those those schools and and help our kids see that we got this and we're going to be there for them.

And as anxious as we all are about it we're going to do the best we can to make the best decisions we can so that they are safe and that they are safe together.

That doesn't mean that that every child's specific pediatric health is going to be accounted for in the community approach to what it means to now exist and go to school and go to work and be in family and in community with one another and figure out how to stay safe from this disease.

So with that we have four minutes left.

And so if anybody else wants to speak up otherwise we can take a quick recess.

Okay so we're going to take a quick let's see we will come back we will recess for four minutes and come back right at 5 o'clock to begin public testimony.

Thanks very much.

public testimony in person and by teleconference today as stated on the agenda.

For any speakers watching through SPS-TV please call in now to ensure you are on the phone line when your name is called.

Board Procedure 1430BP provides the rules for testimony and I ask that speakers are respectful of these rules.

I will summarize some important parts of this procedure.

First testimony will be taken today from those individuals called from our public testimony list and if applicable the waiting list which are included on today's agenda posting on the school board website.

Only those who are called by name should unmute their phones or step forward to the podium and only one person should speak at a time.

Speakers from the list may cede their time to another person when the listed speaker's name is called.

The total amount of time allowed will not exceed two minutes for the combined number of speakers and time will not be restarted after the new speaker begins.

In order to maximize opportunities for others to address the board each speaker is allowed only one speaking slot per meeting.

If a speaker cedes time to a later speaker on the testimony list or waiting list the person to whom time was ceded will not be called to provide testimony again later in the meeting as there is only one speaking slot per person.

Those who do not wish to have time ceded to them may decline and retain their place on the testimony or wait list.

Finally the majority of the speaker's time should be spent on the topic they have indicated they wish to speak about.

Ms. Wilson-Jones will read off the testimony speakers.

Thank you President Hampson.

Quick logistical note.

Speakers joining by phone please remain muted until your name is called to provide testimony.

When your name is called.

Please unmute on your phone and then also press star-6 to unmute yourself on the conference line.

If you're providing testimony in person please step forward to the podium when your name is called.

Each speaker will have a two minute speaking time and a beep will sound when your time is exhausted and the next speaker will then be called.

First on today's public testimony list I believe joining remotely is Spencer Litzenberger.

Spencer Litzenberger.

Oh or in person.

Sorry Spencer we can't hear you because you're not speaking into the mic or it's not on.

There you go.

Hi I'm Spencer and I go to Denny Middle School.

I'm here to talk about the February 2022 Clean Energy Levy.

Why should we do this?

It can let our students live longer and fuller lives.

And we can set an example for our state.

How can we do this?

We can, in buildings that are being remodeled, add electric heat pumps and electric stovetops.

and replace aging and broken natural gas heating and cooking with newer electric ones.

Thank you.

I yield the remainder of my time.

Thank you so much.

Next speaker please.

The next speaker is Chris Jackins.

My name is Chris Jackins.

Box 84063 Seattle 98124. On the Viewlands and Kimball $50 million construction contracts the district should have provided the board with an evaluation of renovation instead.

Please vote no.

On action items five points number one nine out of twelve of the action items on the agenda are for both introduction and action at the same meeting.

Number two intro and action along with packing the consent agenda reduces the opportunity for public comment and for board due diligence.

Number three board members have stated that these changes are part of a new deliberate more efficient way of doing things.

Number four a past superintendent was known for never taking notes but still efficiently dealing with issues.

It was a great trick until the district lost track of tens of millions of dollars.

Number five the current school board's lack of due diligence is a great trick too.

On transportation service standards please offer transportation to all students who live outside the walk zone of their assigned and chosen schools.

On the first student contract amendment two points.

Number one providing eight million dollars for a past contract issue in the new contract sounds like a sweetheart deal.

The district should address past issues separately.

Number two are there any provisions to ensure that bus drivers share in the 5 percent rate increase.

Also today's meeting agenda did not include a flag salute.

Board meetings generally start with a flag salute per state law.

Thank you.

Next on today's testimony list is Janice White.

Janice White.

I believe Janice was planning to attend in person but Janice are you on the line.

If so please press star-6 to unmute.

I am on the line.

Thanks.

The Special Education PTSA has sent you written comments on the BAR Policy 3246 and the procedure that will be introduced later today.

I want to talk about community engagement.

The last draft of the policy that was shared with community was flashed on the screen on a Zoom call last spring.

People had to read it from the shared screen and provide immediate reactions.

It was not provided in advance nor was it circulated after the meeting.

Last week the SSC&I committee discussed the draft BAR policy and procedure but that was the first time anyone in the community saw a draft BAR and draft procedure.

At the student forum My son was the only student participating who had been restrained and isolated.

The only reason he knew about the meeting is because his mom is president of the special ed PTSA.

The meeting was horribly uncomfortable for him and he would not turn on his camera or his microphone.

He participated by typing in the chat.

This is the same kid who was routinely the only student in his classes to have his camera on.

Why was he unwilling to be seen or to talk.

Because no one from the district had explained to him in advance what to expect.

Contrast that experience with the Kings who participated in the forum.

They met the day before with their staff advisor reviewed the questions in advance and prepared their answers and it showed.

I very much appreciated Mr. Loyal who read my son's comments from the chat and made sure that he was heard.

But the experience was painful.

You have talked about making decisions based on data and student outcomes.

Your data show that the students who are most affected by restraint and isolation are overwhelmingly disabled students with IEPs.

But no effort was made to center those student voices and that is why last week the PTSA had to call out in multiple places in the documents the failure to include disability and recognize the intersectionality of race and disability with respect to this issue.

The ableism in the district was on full display in the development of these documents.

There should be nothing about us without us.

Thank you.

Next for public testimony is Allison Underdahl.

Allison Underdahl.

Hello.

Go ahead Allison.

Hello my name is Allison Underdahl and I am a 6th grade math teacher at Meany Middle School on Capitol Hill.

This spring I watched the construction of the solar microgrid at Miller Community Center on my walk to work.

This microgrid will provide backup power storage for the community center during emergency events.

And I'm here today to ask you to follow the lead of Seattle Parks and Seattle City Lights.

I ask that you fully fund the Clean Schools Implementation Plan and commit to rooftop solar for every Seattle school.

The Miller Community Center microgrid is a great example of how we can begin to address the serious risks posed by the climate crisis and prepare our schools to act as shelters for extreme heat cold and smoke.

These projects will help engage students in learning about careers in clean energy and provide opportunities for hands-on work experience through internships.

These projects will also create living wage union jobs for families thanks to the SPS Student Community Workforce Agreement.

There is no time left to wait.

The climate climate crisis is here and we need to start this work by prioritizing upgrades to our schools that serve communities furthest from educational and environmental justice.

Thank you and I see the rest of my time.

Next on the testimony list Ashley Lindell.

Ashley Lindell.

Ashley if you're on the phone you need to press star-6 to unmute.

Ashley Lindell.

Moving to the next speaker Galena White.

Galena White.

Can you hear me.

Yes we can hear you.

Is this Galena.

Hi my name is Galena White.

I'm calling to remind everyone that the great wealth of our species has been built aside from slavery basically basically from the stored sun energy of fossil fuels.

We need to find a way to capitalize on a similar form of energy.

And I propose that we do so with hydrogen fuel cells for our solar powered schools.

Hydrogen is a much less polluting form of energy and the fuel cells are require less elements which are difficult to mine and harm the ecology.

So we should work for the environment and make solar schools with hydrogen fuel cells.

Thank you.

I yield my time.

Next on today's testimony list Susan Oxley.

Susan D. Oxley.

Susan if you're on the line you need to press star-6 to unmute.

Susan D. Oxley.

Yes thank you.

I'm Susan Oxley from West Seattle a retired Minister of Community of Christ.

And I want to speak on behalf of full electrification and solarization of all educational facilities in the Seattle School District.

And the proud grandmother to three children in the Seattle School District and deeply concerned about the future of our planet and the increase in carbon emissions.

Providing clean energy in our school district is one step we can implement and it would accomplish three things.

It would decrease the amount of fossil fuel emissions the Seattle area is contributing.

It would provide a model of action and advocacy that proclaims loud and clear we care.

We are making changes.

It's possible.

That's the message I want my grandkids to hear and remember.

And it's simply the right thing to do.

Whether we ever see the results or not doesn't matter.

You do it because it's ethically responsible regardless.

My grandchildren provide their support by sharing the following statements which I quote with their permission and the permission of their parents.

Quote I support support the idea of solarizing the school.

It's better for my health and for my future.

So go out and do it.

Ava Scoresmith age 12 Denny Middle School.

Quote.

It's a good idea and I support that.

I don't like gas energy because it pollutes the world and hurts plants and animals.

Leo Scoresmith age 10 Arbor Heights Elementary School.

Quote I like the idea of switching from gas to electric and stuff because it won't hurt the planet.

Solar is good.

It's even better than electric.

So make the switch.

Adrian Scoresmith age 10 Arbor Heights Elementary School.

Please move forward in electrifying and solarizing all buildings within the authority of the Seattle School District.

Thank you.

Next on the list Jess Walleth.

Jess Walleth.

Jess.

Good afternoon.

Oh sorry.

Go ahead Jess.

Hi.

Great.

Thank you.

Hi SPS Board.

My name is Jess and I'm an organizer with 350 Seattle.

We're a grassroots climate group with 10,000 members here in Seattle and King County.

I'm honored to be here today with the families educators and community members you've already heard from urging the board to fully fund the Clean Schools Implementation Plan and commit to rooftop solar for every Seattle public school in the 2022 capital projects levy.

Additionally I'm representing more than 400 people who've already signed our solar school's petition in support.

We've all just come through a summer of deadly heat waves and wildfire smoke.

I think everyone here knows that there's a climate crisis on.

But what many people don't know is that Seattle's climate pollution is still going up every year.

If we're to ensure our kids have a livable future we need to simultaneously reduce our climate pollution as quickly and equitably as we can and build climate resilience in our communities.

Earlier this year the SPS Clean Schools Resolution committed the district to transitioning to 100 percent clean energy with the goal of improving health and creating more sustainable communities.

It's time to put those well-researched words into action and back these commitments with robust funding.

And when the power goes out like it did for many in this summer's deadly heatwave myself included schools with solar power can serve as community hubs as cooling centers and emergency shelter.

Installing solar on all Seattle schools will also create dozens of new living wage union jobs that directly benefit Seattle students and their families thanks to the SPS Student Community Workforce Agreement.

Seattle Public Schools can not only do its part but lead our entire city towards a healthy climate future for all.

That's why we urge you to fully fund the Clean Schools Implementation Plan and commit to rooftop solar for every public school in the 2022 levy.

Thank you.

Next for public testimony Neil Anderson.

Neil Anderson.

My name is Neil Anderson and I'm here as someone who works with teachers to help introduce the topic of climate change to their students.

Understandably when they learn about it they're very worried about what this could mean for their futures.

We found that it's very important to also show them examples of progress that's being made.

So we talk about the latest electric vehicles and about new wind and solar projects that are being built.

But it's frustrating for the students to understand that we're in a crisis to know that they're the ones who will bear the brunt of it.

And to look around their school and see buses still running on diesel.

Heating systems burning natural gas.

And wasted food going to landfills instead of compost bins.

All of these things remind them how far we are from solving the problem.

That's why I was so glad to hear that there was a proposal to put solar panels on school roofs.

It would be something the students saw every day when they got to school.

And it would be a visible symbol that the place where they go to get an education cares enough about their futures to take steps to help preserve it.

Children need to understand the realities of climate change and they need to be equipped with the skills to help build solutions for it.

But they also need hope and to see that we're making progress.

And this seems like a very achievable way to help provide that to them.

Thank you.

Next is Vonna Milligan.

Vonna Milligan.

Okay.

Hi, my name is Vandana Milligan.

I'm a parent of a five-year-old who will be starting at View Ridge, uh, in the fall.

Um, I'm also a physician, um, hospital, uh, a internal medicine and pediatrician who follows, you know, the medical journals I need to.

And, um, you know, the Lancet has recently come out with a series of saying that longer-term planning for cities needs to explicitly incorporate a warmer future with more frequent and intense heat waves.

A regional action plan should be part of a larger plan to prepare for other climate-related hazards.

So basically you know our summers are going to get hotter.

The schools are a place to serve our vulnerable children for you know whether it's from hunger or from the heat the schools provide that service to children.

And I do think that the plan to to build climate resilience into our schools will be the best thing for them.

And I'm here to speak in favor of implementing and funding the Clean Schools Implementation Plan.

Thank you.

I seize the rest of my time.

Next is Rebecca Hendrickson.

Rebecca Hendrickson.

Hi.

Thank you.

So in addition to being a mom of two excited hopeful young SPS students I'm a psychiatrist who studies the impact of stress and trauma on our lives.

We as a community know now the kind of disruption stress and trauma that the building climate crisis is going to hold not just for distant generations but for our kids.

And sometimes when I look at our children just planning out their future lives I'm overwhelmed with fear and grief for what they face.

But my job we also know what protects people from the worst effects of trauma and it's not just taking action or being a part of the solution.

It's also being part of a community that is acting together to protect its most vulnerable and keep everyone safe.

Conversely when adults see a child that is at risk or actively being harmed and we fail to act the lifetime impact of that trauma is magnified significantly.

Our kids need to feel like they're part of positive change and they need to know that they're not in it alone that we're in it with them.

Solar schools is a tangible concrete step that we can take now that will improve the resiliency of our kids' schools protect our kids' health and demonstrate to them that we as a larger community are willing and able to act to help protect their future.

When my daughter was in 4th grade she was just learning about the climate crisis and was determined to do everything she could to take action.

She joined her school's green team.

She and her friends testified on climate bills for the state legislature.

She stopped eating meat.

But now at age 12 she's ready to quit.

She's looked around and concluded vocally that while adults keep talking about taking action on climate there's very little that she can see that is actually changing.

Why should she even try at this point.

Our kids are watching our actions.

If we want to protect them if we want them to know that we are not facing that they are not facing this alone then we need to step up and take real visible meaningful action.

This is a perfect opportunity.

Our kids are watching.

Let's not fail them.

Thank you.

Next is Arvea Morris.

Arvea Morris.

Go ahead Arvea.

Hello.

Can you hear me.

Hi.

My name's Arvea Morris and I'm a climate activist.

I live in Wallingford and I also worked on the team that helped put together the Clean Schools Resolution and it was a real honor to do that work.

And it was a real honor to see how much work is already being done in the Seattle Public Schools with the operations groups and the resource conservation groups.

And so I just want to put a plug in for the resolution and hope that it does get implemented.

I'm a little concerned that this levy is being written.

I did without the task force and I did write about that and I was told that well the task force is going to be the one once the task force is in place then we can start implementing the resolution.

And the task you can't wait for the task force.

The the the levy needs to needs to start funding the resolution even without the task force being being there.

There's a lot of things that could be funded in the levy.

For instance there hasn't been a baseline assessment of how much CHC the schools produce in 10 years.

So you know that could be funded.

I'd like to see line items in the in the in the levy that speak specifically to things in the resolution or line items in the levy about electrification of school buses electrifications of buildings.

Also in the financial section of the levy I'd like to see how much money is going to be saved when buildings have better weatherization you save a lot of money.

and greenhouse gases when you do weatherization and then of course much more when you do electrification.

So I'd really like to see some line items for electric furnaces in that levy and the weatherization so people can understand very transparently how that resolution is being implemented.

And I think that's that's probably about it.

I'm just really urging you not to wait put things in the levy to start implementing that plan.

I heard a cost estimate it's going to cost $1.3 billion to implement between schools.

You don't need to put all that money right in this first levy.

This is over the levy the resolution goes out to 2045 but you could put in some money to get the project going and turn the situation around.

As we've all heard we are in a climate crisis.

So thank you very much.

Next is Alice Marr-Abe.

Alice Marr-Abe.

Hi.

Go ahead Alice.

I think my mute just came off.

I'm going to start.

Hello.

My name is Alice.

I'm a former Seattle Public Schools student graduated from Garfield High School in 2014. And like many others calling in today to urge you to fully fund the Queen's Schools implementation plan and to commit to rooftop solar in every Seattle public school in the 2022 school levy.

For me building climate resilience in our community is incredibly urgent.

At the peak of the heatwave this summer my family's house in South for a while because the electricity grid just couldn't keep up with everyone trying to stay cool and not get heatstroke.

And that was a minor inconvenience for us at the time but these heatwaves are going to keep happening.

Wildfires are going to continue making this debris.

So by our schools we have a really unique and wonderful opportunity to create solar-powered microgrids that can provide energy resilience to our whole communities.

Schools could be a community hub.

Cooling centers and emergency shelters could also create many many And third is a career pathway for students to enter the sustainable energy industry.

So in closing I support both of these goals.

I think they are not in contradiction to each other.

I think that's implementing the Clean Schools Resolution and decarbonizing as fast as we can is important.

I know that your staff is already working hard on this.

And I also think that solar should be included and is urgent as well because as I said it's a unique opportunity to kickstart in resilient energy infrastructure and keep us all safe in the years to come.

Thanks so much for your time.

Next is John Milligan.

John Milligan.

John Milligan.

You may need to press star-6 to unmute.

John Milligan.

Moving to the next speaker on today's testimony list.

Eric Cruz.

Eric Cruz.

Hello.

Hi everybody.

My name is Eric Cruz with Bridge Housing.

I want to thank you for the opportunity to be here to discuss our proposed partnership and project for an affordable housing development in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle.

Bridge Housing is working to partner with St. Luke's Episcopal Church located in the Ballard neighborhood to propose the development of approximately 80 units of affordable housing for individuals and families.

St. Luke's Church has been working on this proposal since 2017 with a commitment to diversity equity and inclusion.

This conceptual proposal would develop approximately 15,000 square feet of the 55,000 square foot property.

Bridge has a 38 year track record of building affordable mixed income housing in Seattle and throughout the West Coast.

We are very excited to be part of St. Luke's vision and recognize that the parish has been a longstanding neighbor and spiritual anchor to the Ballard community.

We intend to embrace these values and reflect them in our communication with neighbors and community stakeholders throughout the projects anticipated pre-development design construction and operation phases.

With that said we look forward to discussing with Seattle Public Schools the project.

fact check which school boundaries we fall into.

Learn the best way to connect with each school and how the Seattle School District would like to be informed and involved since one of the goals is to attract families with children with an emphasis on diversity and equity.

Meeting early can help inform our design or raise issues that we need to be thinking about at this time.

So your feedback would be much appreciated.

I look forward to collaborating with you all on this potential project and I thank you very much for your time.

But going back now to two names we called earlier Ashley Lindell.

Ashley Lindell are you now on the line.

So press star-6 to unmute.

Ashley Lindell.

Okay and moving to the final name John Milligan.

John Milligan are you now on the line.

We need to press star-6 to unmute.

President Hampson that concludes today's testimony list.

Thank you Ms. Wilson-Jones for your wonderful efforts to make sure that our public testimony participants are heard.

Okay we will now move to the action items on today's agenda.

Starting with approval of Student Outcomes Focused Goals and Guardrails aligned with Seattle Excellence.

Approval of this item would approve the goals and guardrails presented in the Board Action Report and aligned with Seattle Excellence to allow implementation of Student Outcomes Focused Governance.

May I have a motion for this item.

Of course I move that the board approve the goals and guardrails presented in the board action report and aligned with Seattle Excellence to allow the implementation of student outcomes focused governance.

This has been moved by Vice President Hersey and seconded by Director Rivera-Smith.

And Superintendent Jones would you like to speak on this.

Yeah so I'd like to make sure that we present these top line goals and guardrails for your approval.

These are the same interim goal excuse me the interim goals and guardrails that were presented to you on August 11th are not necessarily subject to board approval but they are they do support monitoring.

So today we're going to talk about the top line goals and guardrails again for your approval.

So to here we have the alright please move the slide.

Thank you.

So here we have the glossary just to remind us for the for the public what the goals and guardrails are.

These are really a reflection of the community's vision and the community's values.

Our focus here is to really focus on outcomes.

What can students know and do after a defined period.

We have interim goals and interim guardrails that essentially measure the progress to the outputs that we say we're looking for.

Next slide please.

So on the March retreat we had the introduction of student outcome focused governance.

And then March through May we had several discussions about the development of the goals and guardrails.

In June we also had a supplemental workshop as well.

And then in July staff started to work on the interim goals and guardrails and refine and refine the top line goals and guardrails.

At the August board meeting we we are now introducing we introduced the goals and guardrails for your approval to familiarize you with the interim goals and guardrails and a portfolio of measures.

And so after we hopefully approve these goals and guardrails this evening then we'll move into September for community listening sessions.

So that was a mouthful around goals and guardrails and interims but the bottom line that we're trying to achieve tonight is an approval of the top line goals and guardrails.

So staff will present the finalized interim guardrails at a later work session but here we have presented before you are the goals which we'll see in a second here and the guardrails.

So the top line goals for board approval are as follows.

Number 1, 2, and 3 are talking about the percentage of Black boys who achieve English language arts proficiency or higher on 3rd grade Smarter Balanced Assessment will increase from 28 percent in June 2019 to 70 percent in June 2024. The second top-line goal is the percentage of Black boys and teens in the 7th grade who achieve proficiency or higher On the 7th grade Smarter Balanced Assessment in math will increase from 23 percent in June 2019 to 45 percent in June 2024 and to 70 percent in June 2026. Essentially double essentially doubling over three years and reaching the target the target at 70 percent in five years.

And thirdly the percentage of Black boys and teens in each of a cohort class who graduate and successfully complete at least one advanced course will increase from 52 percent in June 2019 to 62 percent in June 2024. So these are what we're calling the top-line goals.

They're consistent with our Seattle Excellence focus on targeted universalism.

And so I'll be quiet for a second and see if board members have any questions.

And we have staff here to be able to respond to your questions.

Thank you for that Dr. Jones.

And just to remind folks this is our collective work and directly tied to our existing strategic plan.

I think the board action report well describes the extent to which this is additional clarity and accountability provided on our existing strategic plan and goals within that strategic plan and that these are now SMART goals and And then with really critical accompanying guardrails which describe very much critical points as to the environment in which those goals will be accomplished.

Do you want to have questions now or wait till we do look at.

We can have questions now and then we can go to guardrails.

Okay do we have any questions from directors at this point.

Director Harris.

You're not miked.

Can you hear me.

Whoa now.

Indeed I feel like a commercial.

I really truly appreciate how much work has gone in to this initiative and the extraordinary conversation that's gone in to this initiative.

But I cannot vote in my heart for goals that are measured by the SBAP.

It's culturally inappropriate.

Many pieces of it are racist.

It has been submitted to us by corporate ed deformers that are making a ton of money on the backs of our children throughout the nation and We districts have been blackmailed into using it.

So to base policies and goals on that very difficult foundation is not something I can do.

Do I appreciate the concept of student outcomes and student outcomes led policy work.

In my heart of hearts you bet I do in a very big way.

But I can't vote for something that is based on such a nasty foundation.

Thank you.

Any other directors have questions questions.

Yeah I follow on that actually was people who are watching may have seen me run around the room for a second because I wanted to see if we had a staff person who could talk a little bit about the assessment part of it.

Because I have concerns about the same and my understanding that I would like confirmed is that smarter balance is what's currently the summative assessment that state required.

And using a different measure would require us to actually add additional assessments which we don't want to do.

And that there is also is my understanding is that there is going to be a commitment to continual examination of this assessment and other options in the future.

So I would just want to make sure that my understanding is correct.

I'd like Dr. Scarlett or Dr. Perkins to come up and just do a quick breakdown of the summative assessment versus the interim assessment where we are with summatives and where we are with interims.

Thank you.

Thank you for having me to come up.

I'm Keisha Scarlett Chief Academic Officer.

So just a note about the Smarter Balanced assessments.

We do share some of your same concerns about Smarter Balanced but in keeping with our 2019 the board approved strategic plan we identified the Smarter Balanced assessments as our top line district accountability measure for both the 3rd grade and 7th grade math 3rd grade reading and 7th grade math goal.

We however recognize that the standardized assessments such as SBA are not reflective of a child's inherent gifts talents and there's no single assessment that can authentically measure the full complexity of an individual student's capabilities strengths and human potential.

Further we recognize that standardized assessments have have fraught history that have been a fraught history of being weaponized against students in communities of color.

Seattle Public Schools has played a part in that history we know and we must do our own our own work to own that mistake and not to repeat those same mistakes.

With this in mind we as a district commit to the following things.

So with regard to reporting student achievement data as we think about the report of the student achievement data that we'll make sure that we have an asset-based framework.

We are working on that.

We're not going to focus on achievement gaps or make default comparisons between students of color and White students nor assume that White outcomes are normative.

Rather we will view student achievement in terms of student efforts to meet and exceed high standards for academic excellence.

The SBA measurement is our state accountability guideline.

And so we think it is important for Seattle Public Schools to still follow that guideline.

However especially when students do not meet or exceed standards we commit to reviewing SBA results holistically and in proper context.

And really that is the work with the interim assessments the interim goals that we'll be doing and working on as we move forward.

So we'll be working relentlessly to close opportunity gaps or disparities in the quality of instruction for our students.

and the instruction that our school provides.

This investment in what is described as an investment in comprehensive portfolio measures that's really a holistic capture of our students' strengths and abilities and potential.

And these measures will be included to ensure more authentic and curriculum-based assessments and performance tasks as a perceptual or qualitative measure such as students' self-efficacy as scholars social emotional learning and safe and welcoming schools.

So we'll continue to review our assessment portfolio through this process through the goals and guardrails process and student outcomes focused governance and we'll review the portfolio of assessments currently administered in the district and determine if they're providing the necessary data to inform the strategy and improve outcomes for students.

And so part of this is us starting and stopping things.

That means that we will have to stop using assessments that do not meet the needs of district our educators and students and then add those that will.

Thank you Dr. Scarlett.

Thank you Dr. Scarlett for that excellent assessment of our more than imperfect system and yet the work and accountability that we have to layer on top of that to hold our ourselves and well ourselves and our superintendent accountable.

And so that we are still working hard to produce provide services that that creates the environment for student outcomes that are positive.

Did you have anything else Director Rankin.

Okay I'm going to give it back to you Superintendent Jones.

Okay let's move on to the guardrails.

And I'll just read I'm reading for clarity here.

Number one the superintendent will not allow school and district initiatives to go forth without engaging students of color furthest from educational justice and their families following stakeholder engagement principles that are utilizing current adopted best practices.

Number two the student excuse me the superintendent will not allow implementation or adoption of any programming that does not prioritize educational and racial equity.

And number three the superintendent will not allow behavior adult behaviors in central office school buildings or classrooms that are misaligned with district-wide vision values and anti-racism initiative.

Now number three is the one that we've we've done some work and the two-by-twos on and this is a modified guardrail from where we were and I believe the board generally is in consensus about this but let me not make that assumption.

Let me go on to number 4 and 5 and then we'll have some conversation about the guardrails.

Number 4. The superintendent will not allow the use of disciplinary actions as a substitute for culturally responsive behavior and social-emotional supports for students with and without disabilities.

And number 5 which has also been adjusted and modified.

The superintendent will not allow any district department or school building or classroom to provide unwelcoming environments.

So I want to open up to see if there's any questions concerns comments from board members and staff is here to maybe address those.

Okay comments questions concerns from directors.

Director Rivera-Smith.

Is it on.

Can you hear me.

Yeah speak up a bit.

There you go.

Thank you.

No I think so yeah.

At the August 11th board special meeting I had proposed some small but I thought critical language change to this guardrail regarding classroom teachers and our expectations that they are not also that they're included in this expectation of not isolating themselves from district-wide vision values and anti-racism initiatives.

And this guardrail has clearly been updated and I really do appreciate the change of language that I feel does try to encompass all people who come in contact with our students.

My only last question about or concern about it would be that in regards to people who reside or take these come into contact with our students outside of the building classrooms or central office specifically our bus drivers because they come in daily contact with our students and it's we need to know that they are also in line with our values visions and anti-racism initiatives.

So how how do we go about ensuring that.

And to another extent our after-school classes and service providers our community-based organization partners because you don't specifically oversee them and this is specific to who you oversee.

But they are again coming in great contact with our students.

Yes so I'll answer that.

Most most of our policies do apply to those who are vendors and those who provide services to our students.

And so we have the ability to hold folks accountable to the to these specific standards that we have.

And they're again they're codified in policy.

And then was there another part to the question.

I guess I guess that doesn't encompass the bus drivers and the school service providers.

I mean just knowing that there are avenues for expectations and then accountability in those areas.

Chief Bush if you could comment just briefly around how we have our partners our CBO's and the like accountable to the policies and procedures.

If you could just say a quick quick word about that please.

Good afternoon everyone.

James Bush Chief of Equity Partnerships and Engagement.

Can you hear me.

So in terms of like our vendor agreements personal services contracts MOUs with all of our community-based partners vendors everybody they all have to meet standards that we've established with legal and other departments to make sure that they're meeting our expectations.

And we adjust those annually to make sure that they meet kind of whatever the goals and objectives we have as a system.

And that'll be a consistent ongoing process with all of our projects that I could work follow up with Fred and everybody else but yes I think that this sentence actually does include everybody and if I'm committed to working with you all to make sure as we move forward and kind of making adjustments to kind of as we're defining the interim guardrails making sure that those things are codified and in any of the ways that you guys feel more comfortable.

I just want to thank Director Rivera-Smith Smith for bringing up this point of clarity which allows Chief Bush to to make that point and it's an excellent reminder of work that I know is important to everyone on this dais which is that our relationships with everyone with whom we contract or engage in any agreement whether it's for a student whether it's our teachers union whether it's our Teamsters is that inherent in that expectation and in the work that we do and you know what falls into this space which is central office in this number three is that the values and vision that the community has and is looking to us to uphold are extended to those through those relationships and that those are opportunities for us to represent those vision and values and We are seeing those every single day through the community student community workforce agreement and many other good works.

It's it's written into the 0030 equity in education policy which is actually many of our policies as a top line and is one that that we should be paying close attention to so that it is in fact consistent across all So I think it's a it's a great point of clarification and discussion.

Anything else from directors.

Director Dury.

Are we just commenting on guardrails or are we allowing for like overarching questions at this point.

Right now we're just doing guardrails.

I might have missed it.

Do we know when we're going to I just want to say too I appreciate that we're looking at the interim guardrails later to make sure that we get really meaningful measures.

And I but I missed if we had a timeline or we'll just know when they're ready.

Just for clarity they're not subject to board approval.

Right.

But yes they will be brought back.

One of the reasons we said let's put the interim guardrails in advance is because we've been having healthy dialogue with board members about that.

So we want to bring it back to either a work session or the executive committee to further explore what those guardrails what those interim guardrails are so that you all are very comfortable with what it is and you have full comprehension of where we're trying to go where we're trying to go with it and what measures we're actually using going forward for your progress monitoring.

So I think Dr. Jones and I will look at the calendar and figure out when that's going to work best once we get school open next week.

So we have spaces open.

One of the things that helps with consent agenda is then it creates opportunity for us to have dialogue publicly about some of these critical pieces of work that is 2-8 conversation with staff and board.

So I would hope we can get that done in September.

Again I super appreciate that where we want to get those measures in a way that's are really meaningful for us to be watching this stuff.

So thank you.

Anything else.

Okay.

That's it.

All right.

So were there other questions holistically.

Director Dury you had one.

Hello.

Okay.

So following up on what Director Rankin was asking or.

If you could move your mic just closer to your actual face.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Timeline and the so-called.

One of the questions I have is when can we expect reporting back to the board on these things.

What's the timeline for that.

And secondly can we as we are looking once they're determined as we're looking at the interim assessment I don't want to use that word interim reporting.

on the top line things can we see a comparison of the portfolio of measures that are outlined here with the SBA ongoing because that could be informative to how the SBA does not accurately assess our students compared to other systems we have which could inform how we can better implement strategies going forward.

So with respect to the the monitoring timeline that calendar There she is.

I'm looking for Ms. Worth over here.

That will be in conjunction with our consultant A.J.

Craybill will be building out that full calendar of of the monitoring schedule and that will begin to take up a large portion of our conversation with one of the and with this we also have to take this out to community.

And so Julia could more directly speak to what that is going to look like.

That is the next step once we approve this and then we'll be approving some contract language we would be approving contract language in a subsequent meeting coming up very soon.

Julie do you want to speak to that timeline at all or.

Let's see.

So in terms of the timeline once the goals and guardrails are adopted here in August September is when the community listening sessions would begin.

The board would also begin additional work sessions with AJ Crabill and the Council of Great Cities Schools to develop the progress monitoring calendar.

That work would continue it looks like into November.

During that time the board will also be receiving training from A.J.

Crable and the Council of Great City Schools on a shift in board practice.

So not only a calendar for the for the progress monitoring but exactly the type of thing you were addressing their Director Dury how to look at the data.

What types of questions to be asking about the data and how it then will inform strategy and policy going forward.

So that work and training continues through into the winter.

We would also look at the types of meetings that the board conducts.

How the board spends its time.

And that work and and would continue into the spring.

And it would also include examination of our policies.

So as President Hampson indicated looking at our annual report calendar looking at our work session oversight work sessions and really digging into the policy work and making sure it aligns with our goals.

Guardrails community vision community values and the strategic work of the board.

And meanwhile these are also what we will be utilizing for superintendent evaluation.

And so that timeline is also part of this and we have that set up through Dr. Jones's contract and we'll begin having these conversations as part of that superintendent evaluation.

And I don't have those dates off the top of my head but Unless somebody in board office does we can get those to you later and we can you all should have a copy of that that timeline that she's reading from but we can also resend it and attach it to maybe that when we do the interim goals and guardrails we can attach that timeline as a reminder.

Anything else.

Thank you.

Okay so with that I would entertain a motion for approval.

So moved for approval.

Oh read the whole.

Yep.

Read the.

Wait I'm confused.

Didn't we already read the motion for approval.

Oh did we.

Did you already move it.

Oh sorry.

Call for the vote.

Vice President Hersey aye Director Rankin aye Director Rivera-Smith aye I'm sorry I missed your vote aye aye.

Director DeWolf Director Harris President Hampson aye.

This motion has passed by a vote of 6 yes with 1 abstention.

Thank you.

And sorry for some being back in person is surprisingly distracting.

Doing the same thing we've been doing all year, but getting tripped up.

But so grateful to see everyone's faces here, even if.

If half-masked.

Okay.

So this brings us to our next item on the agenda.

Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding MOU between Seattle School District Number 1 the district and Seattle Education Association SEA.

Approval of this item would approve the MOU as attached to this board action report and authorize a superintendent to take the steps necessary to implement each district responsibility detailed in the agreement.

Immediate action is in the best interest of the district.

This is here for introduction and action for reasons that are specific to the fact that the tentative agreement was just reached last week.

So with that I will turn it over to staff for the presentation.

Your boy is going to come forward with this.

Thank you.

Oh sorry.

Hold on just a second Mr. Boyd.

Oh yes thank you.

Thank you.

May I have a motion for this item.

It would be my pleasure.

We have done this before.

Yeah.

Sometimes we do.

I move that the school board approve the MOU as attached to this board action report and authorize the superintendent to take steps necessary to implement each district responsibility detailed in the agreement.

Immediate action is in the best interest of the district.

Second.

Okay this motion has been made by Vice President Hersey and seconded by Director Rivera-Smith.

Take it away Mr. Boyd.

I don't Just flip it up the little switch.

Ronald Boy.

There you go.

Ronald Boy Executive Director of Labor Negotiations.

Before you today is our MOU for 2021-22 Health and Safety.

This is an agreement reached with Seattle Education Association covering our health and safety protocols in relation to COVID.

Specifically the health and safety protocols that impact working conditions of SEA represented staff.

And I think that you will see that from our previous MOUs that have touched on this topic that this is really an evolution and a and an extension of what we've done in the past.

Reflecting additional knowledge.

Reflecting the new guidance that we've received from Department of Health and Public Health Seattle King County.

And this agreement was is also a reflection of a great amount of work with the Seattle Education Association to come to an agreement on On things that we can both agree are in the best interest of our employees and our students to keep them safe.

And it is a I think a good reflection of that that work and I'd be happy to answer any questions.

I also would like to point out that with the governor's mandate for the vaccine for all school employees that we are currently working on that with SEA.

So you'll expect a first amendment to this MOU very soon.

So it is an unusual process to already be working on an amendment before an agreement is even finalized.

But that is the situation here and we are we are working on that right now.

Thank you.

Questions from directors.

Director DeWolf.

Thank you.

Thank you for your work on this Ronald and thanks to SEA for their work on this as well.

My only question is Part R it's Part R around COVID testing at school.

Is it universal every time student walks in everybody's going to get tests and obviously tests or can you just maybe give me the protocol for COVID testing at school.

I think that Sandra can speak to this a little bit better than I can but I understand that the COVID testing will be used as needed and available at all school sites.

When there is an incident of suspected COVID we've got the availability of having those tests available for for an entire class or staff.

We're also discussing the potential of potentially testing people coming into the school things like that.

Other comments questions concerns.

Director Rivera-Smith.

Hi.

Thank you Ronald.

Thank you for your work.

First go around with this one.

I appreciate that.

Appreciate the work of SEA also as we get ready for school.

I have a couple questions.

I'll start with my first one.

Regarding under Section F cleaning and disinfecting the protocols are outlined but it says both that the staff will have access to approved cleaning and disinfecting products with instructions for use.

for cleaning such items as desktops keyboards phones et cetera.

But it also says that SCA represented employees will not be expected nor compelled to clean their workspaces.

So who exactly will be doing that cleaning of the keyboards desktops phones and if that question is especially for a middle school where every period is a nuisance of students.

Yes thank you for that question.

The of course we have our custodial staff that is the primary cleaners within our school buildings and that specific sentence that was added to that was at the request of SEA to make it clear that it is not part of their job duties to clean.

However the cleaning products will be available if any person chooses to use them.

So will custodians come in between each class in middle and high school to clean those desktops or will they not get cleaned between each class.

They will not be cleaned by custodians between classes.

Okay.

So let me thank you for that.

My next question or did somebody else.

Sorry.

Yes go Pete.

I'll follow up on that.

Can just just as you're on that clarifying it I'm reading it as will not be compelled to clean their workspace as in their desk.

Are you asking about individual students' desks.

Yeah so I'm asking that as a question.

Is their workspace considered their personal desk or is their workspace considered the entire classroom.

It would mean that SEA employees are not required to clean as part of their job.

However the cleaning products will be available for students or anyone else that may choose to use them.

Okay but their workspace is then the entire classroom.

I would consider their workspace their classroom.

Okay.

No.

Okay.

Thank you.

And I felt like I know that in these talks it was it was at one point brought up there was some learning supports and staff expectations regarding posting of online homework assignments learning objectives assignments onto district supported learning management systems.

What was the status of that because I don't see it in this obviously.

Is that something that families will still can still look for or is that clearly that that was not included in the MOU.

Yes thank you for that question.

The references to that type of work being done are in job job descriptions and the current CBA language.

The methodology by which the.

work is done we believe is a management right to determine and we will be we are expecting to issue directions to staff on how to use that method to make sure that students are able to stay track with their homework and lessons if they are outside if they are absent from school due to the due to potentially quarantine or illness due to COVID.

So are you saying that that will be an expectation of our educators to have that up there.

Yes we are expecting to provide directions to staff to make sure that's done.

Thank you.

I guess my last question is hopefully a quick one regarding the interim sites such as the Marshall Building or Javan Asphalt and Schmitz Park.

Will they also be equipped with the COVID health and safety protocols for HVAC because they are our interim sites and those are included in all of that.

All of our buildings are being occupied by students will be and staff will will undergo the same HVAC.

Thank you.

Any other questions comments concerns.

Okay.

Ms. Wilson-Jones.

Thank you Mr. Boy.

Director Rankin aye Director Rivera-Smith aye Director DeWolf aye Director Dury aye Director Harris Director Harris just to confirm that was a yes vote.

Thank you.

Vice President Hersey.

Aye.

And President Hampson.

Aye.

This motion has passed unanimously.

Acceptance sorry the next action item number three acceptance of screening and brief intervention and referral services.

SBIRT grant extension in the amount of $800,000.

This came through SSC&I on August 18th and is presented here for introduction and approval.

It was recommended for approval.

Approval of this item would authorize the superintendent to accept the school-based screening and brief intervention and referral services grant extension from King County in the amount of $800,000 for a one-year period from August 1st 2021 through July 31st 2022. Immediate action is in the best interest of the district.

May I have a motion.

I move that the school board authorize the superintendent to accept the school-based screening and brief intervention and referral services grant extension from the King County in the amount of $800,000 for one year period from August 1st 2021 through July 31st 2022. Immediate action is in the best interest of the district.

Second.

Okay this is a move by Vice President Hersey and seconded by Director Rivera-Smith.

And it looks like Dr. Pedroza is here and ready to go to present to us our Assistant Superintendent.

Hello everybody.

Dr. Conrad Pedroza Associate Superintendent and I'm here to it's fine I'm here to just give some little bit of background information regarding the screening and brief intervention and referral to services grant extension.

Just to share that this is a grant that actually supports 7 of our schools Eckstein Middle School Hamilton Middle School Jane Addams Middle School Madison Middle School Mimi Middle School Whitman Middle School and Seattle World School.

This is in order for them to utilize the Best Starts for Kids grant funding.

Specifically it is used as a substance use reduction and mental health promotion program in which identified students are provided additional support services either internally or through community partners.

I just wanted to add a couple more talking points and we do have Manager Lisa Davidson here if there's specific questions but I'll just highlight a few components from this.

Just some things to know is that to ensure that we are effective with all of our students who are receiving these resources the district will provide staff who can offer culturally sensitive and relevant services to students.

We'll support staff the SBIRT staff which is the acronym for the the screener with training in motivational interviewing trauma-informed care and cultural risk competency.

We will deliver the screener at both the universal and targeted levels.

We will increase flexibility in brief intervention sessions frequency to accommodate student needs.

We will ensure family engagement in the process and have interpretation services available for students and staff and we will continue to build partnerships with culturally relevant referral services.

I will also share that this is one component of our culture of care support for the entire year.

It's one component of that.

There's additional data listed and I am here or Lisa Davidson here to answer any specific questions that you have.

Okay.

Director DeWolf first question.

Hampson.

Nice to see you.

Assistant Superintendent Concie.

Dr. Pedroza I'm just saying.

It's good.

It's all good.

In looking at the background around this screener it says that the SBIRT is used to identify reduce and prevent substance use and promote mental health.

Can you clarify or confirm if there are any questions related to housing or housing instability or homelessness because I think without those types of questions my concern is that we would be missing a huge gap in some of the reasons why students would have mental health concerns or issues or even substance use.

That is a very good question.

So I'm going to have Lisa Davidson the Manager of Prevention and Intervention answer specifically your question.

Thank you Dr. Pedroza.

Good evening directors and Lisa Davidson.

There are several questions that are asked of students to get to know their strengths as well as their needs.

And some of those questions are around food insecurity.

They may be around what's happening at home.

They may be around how they cope and what their interests and activities are.

So in kind of the situation that you mentioned Director DeWolf of if a student may be indicated that they were experiencing anxiety or symptoms of depression that would that would instigate a one-on-one motivational interviewing type meeting with that student where we would ask them where their provider would ask them questions to get at get deeper and to help that student figure out what they might need to be able to feel better for themselves.

But they would also have some information from the demographic portion and strengths portion of the screener.

There is not a direct question about homelessness.

That just that is my main concern about it.

If there's a way to add that I imagine it is a long well-researched thing.

In fact when I was at All Home we certainly tried to work with them to include those questions.

So I think it is deeply important that we ask those questions in some way because a student's mental health is gravely impacted by having housing instability or homelessness experience and so those are just I'll just name those in.

Thanks for answering my question.

Apologies Director Rankin for not going to first as chair of SSC&I.

Do you have any questions comments or concerns.

That's okay.

Thanks.

The only comment I have actually is about items 3 4 5 and 6 which is that we discussed at our committee meeting.

that this type of item that are renewals without any major changes are a good example of things that could come right to introduction because there were some you know there's been some discussion around this type of item that I feel like is valuable for everybody to be part of.

And rather than have staff kind of do the same thing twice when we don't necessarily have something that needs to be examined by by committee and also to respect staff time.

I think I just I guess I just kind of wanted to state that for the record that that renewals I think are things that we you know we end up having some really good conversations when they come to committee because they're the first that we're hearing of them.

And I always kind of feel like oh shoot everybody could have really benefited from being part of that conversation.

So I just kind of wanted to note that and thank you all for for your time and coming to talk to us about this again.

Director Harris.

Thank you.

I would agree with you but when we were in SSC&I because this was intro and action and because the conversation was so good we wanted the entire board to hear it.

And one of the problems with our bandwidth and our budget is that we don't necessarily capture all the extraordinary community committee conversations.

And and there's a number of reasons for that.

Bandwidth translation et cetera et cetera.

So the transparency piece there's a balance there that we specifically asked you because these are intro and action and because frankly we were so impressed.

Thank you.

Thank you for that reminder that this one is for interim action.

I had actually forgotten that but we definitely don't want to be in a situation where we're just skipping right to taking a vote.

So we'll we'll work on it as we as we go forward.

Thanks.

Okay.

Any other comments questions concerns.

Thank you so much.

Ms. Wilson-Jones.

Vote.

Director Rivera-Smith.

Aye.

Director DeWolf aye Director Dury aye Director Harris aye Vice President Hersey aye Director Rankin aye President Hampson aye.

This motion is passed unanimously.

The next action item is number 4. Acceptance of the Assistance League of Seattle ALS gift donation for Operation School Bell Shopping Spree to clothe Seattle Public Schools Elementary and Middle School students.

This came through SSC&I on August 18th and is presented for approval.

I have a motion for this item.

I move that the school board authorize the superintendent to accept ALS OSB gift of $475,000 For the 2021-22 school year immediate action is in the best interest of the district.

Second.

Any comments questions or concerns from directors.

Sorry going first to Director Rankin Chair of SSC&I.

Thank you.

The only thing I wanted to say about this was that it's for introduction and action so that we can allow staff to have sooner quicker access to these funds which go directly to purchasing needed supplies for students.

So yeah we want to get that you know as quick as possible.

And this is something that we do every year.

And it's something that we do every year.

I'm sorry Dr. Pedroza.

That is fine.

So I'm just loving it you guys.

I don't know why it's so confusing in person.

It's okay.

I'm sorry.

Introduction and I'm just trying to we got a lot.

I know.

So I'm actually like just trying to stay focused on getting us through.

But so please take it away and provide.

Let me provide at least three to protect a quick context.

Rather than me speaking for you.

Yeah no problem.

So the Assistance League of Seattle is one of our key partners and I am actually in love with Operation School Bell since my days as a head teacher at Bailey Gatzert Elementary School when I got to watch children get their clothing.

It was one of the biggest highlights of our experience.

Just to share that they've been in a partnership with us through the Seattle Public School Family Support Worker Program.

We have been partnered with them since 1990. It's an all-volunteer program.

program that has been historically focused on helping students and families who are the most in need in our schools and the furthest from educational justice.

The Coats for Kids donation of over $11,000 is worth of new winter coats.

And then also we provide they provide COVID-19 gift relief cards for families.

The ASL partnership donated over $43,000 in emergency assistance in the form of gift cards.

And then there's an annual shopping spree 438,000 in 2020-2021 and 475 proposed allotment for 21-22 pending board approval.

They've also delivered books to our families.

They provide supports in terms of summer programming.

Gift cards.

Nike with Sony.

Those were delivered through Gerald Donaldson and Dominique Pye's summer programming and also enrichment scholarships.

And they're just many many things and they're directly linked to our McKinney-Vento program.

And so I just want to share that it's a really a wonderful program and intro and action would be a wonderful way to ensure that our students get the services and the need met right away to our schools.

Thank you.

Any questions.

Do you have a question.

Director DeWolf.

Just extreme gratitude for the Assistance League of Seattle.

I hope that if they're watching or listening that they understand how grateful I think myself and I don't want to speak for the full board but how incredibly grateful we are for their support to our students.

So I just want to make sure that they know that.

We'll make sure to let them know as well.

Thank you Dr. Pedroza and Ellie if you could call for the vote and then afterwards take another look at the website which seems to not be loading again for us.

Thank you.

Calling the vote.

Director DeWolf aye Director Dury aye Director Harris aye Vice President Hersey Director Rankin aye Director Rivera-Smith aye President Hampson aye.

This motion is passed unanimously.

On to Action Item Number 5. Approval of Contracts for Private Schools Proportional Share Services RFQ03969.

The provision of equitable services to private school students eligible for special education.

Providers are Hamlin Robinson Hampton Tutors with a T not an S.

Ryther and Spring Academy.

This came through Student Services Curriculum and Instruction on August 18th and is was recommended for approval as presented here for introduction and action.

May I have a motion.

Of course.

I move that the school board authorize the superintendent to execute contracts with Spring Academy in the amount of $830,000.

Hamlin Robinson in the amount of $100,000.

Hampton Tutors in the amount of $90,000 and Rither in the amount of $46,000 or excuse me $46,744 to ensure the provisions of equitable services to parentally placed private school students attending approved non-profit private schools under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act idea.

with any minor additions deletions and modifications deemed necessary by the superintendent and to take any necessary actions to implement the contracts.

Immediate action as always is in the best interest of the district.

Okay second.

This has been moved by Vice President Hersey and seconded by Director Rivera-Smith.

And I will go this time first to Dr. Pedroza to brief us on this introduction and action item.

Yes this is an annual item and we are federally required by Individuals with Disabilities Education Act IDEA to set aside a proportionate share of the federal special education funding allocation to provide equitable special education services to students attending approved non-profit private schools.

If there's any specific questions we I'm here to answer them as well as Dr. Torres.

Okay.

First to you Director Rankin.

No comments questions or concerns.

Anyone else.

All right.

Thank you.

We'll call for the vote.

Apologies for the delay.

Director Dury aye Director Harris aye Vice President Hersey aye Director Rankin aye Director Rivera-Smith aye Director DeWolf aye President Hampson aye.

This motion is passed unanimously.

Thank you.

This brings us to Action Item Number 6. University of Washington Experimental Education Unit EEU Interagency Agreement to Provide Special Education Services to Students with Individualized Education Programs IEPs age for ages 3-6.

This came through Student Services Curriculum and Instruction on August 18th and is presented here was recommended for approval and is presented here for introduction and action.

May I have a motion.

because this is a long one.

I move that the school board authorize the superintendent to execute an inter-agency agreement with the University of Washington Hearing Center in the amount of $1,816,377 for the following services.

Educational services for up to 42 preschool students including extended day services for up to 21 students delivered by the EEU in the amount of $1,000,000 $78,917.

Educational services for up to 17 kindergarten students delivered by the EEU in the amount of $653,101.

And technical support and training to staff and services for students in identified preschool classrooms slash programs within the Seattle Public Schools to be provided by the Professional Development Unit in the amount of $84,359.

In the form of the draft agreement attached to the school board action report with any minor additions deletions and modifications deemed necessary by the superintendent and to take any necessary actions to implement the contract.

Immediate action is in the best interest of the district.

Second.

This has been moved by Vice President Hersey and seconded by Director Rivera-Smith.

Back over to you Dr. Pedroza.

Yes just to share that that the University of Washington's EEU programming has been a long-term standing interagency agreement partnership that we've had.

For this specific BAR it is to provide inclusive services for 17 kindergartners and 42 preschool students including 21 project data which is developmentally appropriate treatment for autism service seats.

It is an actually recognized program that began at the Haring Center.

And then project data is the model for which Seattle Public School has designed our preschool continuum of intensive services as well and programming for students with autism spectrum disorder.

There's additional supports in terms of coaching and additional supports for students and families.

Our early learning program partners very extensively with them.

And we do have the Director of Early Learning here if there are additional specific questions about the program.

But I'm here to have any comments or questions.

Director Rankin to you.

Thank you.

Yeah I don't want to repeat the conversation that we had in in committee which was great.

I I guess but I do want to note that we had a really good something that we talked about was how valuable the inclusive early learning environment is and that our SPS early learning is also Taking steps to become to have more inclusive settings and I think at at least from directors on this end of the table as well as I think everybody else at one point or another has expressed we're very very interested and supportive of having early learning environments be accessible to all any and all of our students.

And I'll add also as a personal as a 6-year-long parent at the EEU of a child with and without just children with and without disabilities.

One of the you know early intervention is so important and especially for you know for students who haven't identified disability but also in the case of my child a student who has a disability that has not yet been identified that emerges in the early learning environment.

And having educators that know what to look for and know how to how to address and help help kids succeed and help families learn about disability is just invaluable.

So I'm really grateful.

to to hear more and always eager to hear more about from our early learning about how we are braiding together various programs and overcoming the obstacles that are usually to do with the funding mechanisms not the students just based on what programs are funded by federal state local and how those go together.

So I just want to say hugely appreciate the renewal of this and also the efforts to make our offering as well more inclusive.

Director Harris.

I so wish that we had videoed that meeting because it was marvelous.

And and remember five years ago we were ready to throw the EEU out And and lose that extraordinary nationally recognized partnership.

When the Seattle Preschool Program started it didn't start with Seattle Preschool Plus.

Plus meaning the inclusivity of students that need additional assistance.

And one of the things that we've done pretty consistently is said you told us back then You were going to bring some of these services or model those services in-house and that appears to be happening and extraordinarily grateful that that is happening.

Things have gone slowly too slowly for my speedy taste but it is in fact happening because a great many people are working on it.

Thank you.

Okay.

Ms. Wilson-Jones please call for the vote.

Director Harris that was an aye.

Director Harris aye.

Thank you.

Vice President Hersey aye Director Rankin aye Director Rivera-Smith aye Director DeWolf Director Dury aye President Hampson aye.

This motion has passed unanimously.

Thank you.

On to number 7. Thank you Chief I mean Associate Superintendent Dr. Pedroza Concie.

Okay.

Item Number 7 BEX V School Construction Assistance Program SCAP and Distressed School Grant Award Construction Contract P5179 bid number B102017 to Absher Construction Company for the Viewlands Elementary School Replacement Project.

This came through Ops on June 3rd and is recommended here for approval and and I see you are here to present to us Chief Podesta.

Yes thank you Chief Operations Officer Fred Podesta.

This item and the next were brought to the board prior to the construction bid because we try to make good use of our summer construction season.

And so that is the revision that is bringing these bars for discussion is the bids have been completed and we have a We're apparently a successful bidder and we're awarding a contract and we have a contract amount.

So item 7 is for the construction contract for the replacement of Buelands Elementary School.

There were 6 bidders who submitted bids on August 10th.

Apsher's successful bid was $52.1 million versus our construction estimate of $58.7 million.

The big climate this summer has been pretty good.

There certainly was uncertainty during COVID and the supply chain issues but so far things have been favorable.

The construction should be completed in July of 2023. This project is subject to this district student and community workforce agreement and the project itself will utilize passive design which will minimize the use of energy overall and will eliminate any use of fossil fuels in the new building.

Be happy to entertain any questions.

Yes and we'll do the motion at the end because I forgot again.

So we'll go first though to Director DeWolf for as the Chair of Operations for any comments questions.

Thank you so much Chief Podesta.

Always good to see you.

Glad to see you back in person.

We sent this to the board for approval and I just wanted to also highlight thank you for for mentioning the district's commitment through this to honoring our resolution we passed earlier this year the 100 percent clean renewable energy resolution.

But I also want to highlight that this this BAR also includes the requirements of a student community workforce agreement and were included in the contract document.

So thank you for ensuring that those are there too.

And I'll turn it back over to you President Hampson.

Any comments questions Director Rivera-Smith and then Director Hersey.

Hi thank you.

This is an item that as mentioned was introduced back in June 23rd and many of my agree that this was an item destined for the consent agenda.

But I I appreciate it being here because when it was introduced it lacked the contract vendor name the dollar amount and the alternatives in addition to the base bid.

So now that we have those I appreciate that this was brought forward for discussion during action.

Thank you Chief Podesta.

Director Hersey Vice President Hersey.

Thank you.

I just have some general questions around how are we advertising the Student Community Workforce Agreement in respect to these projects.

Like how are we getting the word out for people to know that this is available.

We are working both with contractors and subcontractors to help them understand kind of the contours of the agreement and what it means to them and how working with them on their kind of inclusion planning for their recruiting for labor to see how are they going to meet the terms of the agreement and get the type of workers in our local agreement that we're trying to get.

So we're this is still evolving.

We've engaged a couple local public affairs consulting firms to help us with experience.

Some of the groups that helped us establish the agreement and are helping us with other kinds of inclusionary contracting but you know it's the contracting the construction labor market is an interesting place right now.

But and then we're also partnering with our colleagues in CTE to make sure our own students and Since our agreement extends benefits to Seattle Public Schools households broadly defined to make sure that our students understand it and their families understand it.

So we're you know again trying to beat the bushes with each bid.

And really again since these are employees of our contractors trying to understand from them what they're doing.

And many of them are pulling out many stops to to locate labor right now because of the kind of dislocations and

That's awesome.

Thank you so much for that update.

If there is any way specifically for board directors when projects pop up in our districts that we can be helpful in getting the word out to make sure that the folks who the community workforce agreement was intended to have access to it please do not hesitate to let us know.

That would be great.

You know we as you mentioned earlier we do the job of celebrating.

We may you know think about some groundbreaking and as we roll levies think on the planning end are there public events that we could make those things more visible.

Fantastic.

Thank you.

Love that idea.

Any other comments questions or concerns.

Okay.

Can I have a motion for this.

Just to clarify we're on number 7 correct.

Yes.

I move that the school board authorize the superintendent to execute construction contract P5179 with Absher Construction Company in the amount of $52,000 or excuse me $52,125,875 including base bid plus alternatives number 1B, 2A, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Plus Washington state sales tax with any minor additions deletions and modifications and actions deemed necessary by the superintendent to implement this contract.

Surprisingly immediate action is not in the best interest of the district.

That was not part of the official motion that last comment.

Is there a second.

Second.

Okay.

Ms. Wilson-Jones will you call for the vote please.

Vice President Hersey.

Director Rankin aye Director Rivera-Smith aye Director DeWolf aye Director Dury aye Director Harris aye President Hampson aye.

This motion is passed unanimously.

Okay and that moves us to number 8. BEX V School Construction Assistance Program SCAP Award Construction Contract P5-180.

Bid number B102029 to Cornerstone General Contractors for Kimball Elementary School Replacement Phase 2. This came through Operations.

on June 3rd and is presented here for approval.

This has been updated since introduction.

May I have a motion for this item.

Absolutely.

I move that the school board authorize the superintendent to execute construction contract P5-180 with Cornerstone General Contractors in the amount of $49,028,610 including the base bid plus alternates number 1 2 3 4A 5B and 7 plus Washington State sales tax with any and minor additions deletions modifications and actions deemed necessary by the superintendent to implement the contract.

Second.

This has been moved by Vice President Hersey and seconded by Director Rivera-Smith.

Over to you Chief Podesta.

Thank you.

This is virtually the same situation as the previous item.

This was a contract that this authorized a contract that had not been bid at the time it was introduced.

These bids have since come in as expected on July 27th.

There were five bidders.

The successful bid came in at 49 million versus the estimate at the time of 54.4.

Again we're benefiting from a favorable bid climate.

This will like the previous project this will make use of passive design and eliminate all use of fossil fuels in the building and is also subject to the terms of our student community workforce agreement.

And to you now Director DeWolf.

Thanks President Hampson.

I guess maybe more of a general comment on October 1st was the year that we would it be a year that we signed that agreement.

And so I would just maybe make a plug or a request if there's any possibility for our district to be thoughtful about that one year anniversary to use that as a hook.

to do I think exactly as Director Hersey excuse me Vice President Hersey was mentioning which is we really need to get the word out.

I think it came obviously in the middle of COVID last year so it was the time it could be but it would be really really helpful I think if we got and shared this information with more of our community.

So just a plug for that and I'll turn it back over to you President Hampson.

Any comments questions or concerns from directors.

Director Rivera-Smith.

Hi likewise I appreciate us going forward with the name of the project vendor dollar amount and alternatives in addition to the base bid so that we can maximize transparency with the community.

Thank you Chief Podesta.

Sorry was that it.

I'm a little distracted by the side talking so I didn't quite hear the end of that.

Okay.

All right.

Great.

So with that I'll call for the vote.

Director Rankin aye Director Rivera-Smith aye Director DeWolf aye Director Dury aye Director Harris can you say it one more time in the mic.

Thank you.

aye Vice President Hersey with that an aye.

aye.

Thank you.

And President Hampson.

This motion is passed unanimously.

Are we okay with a 7 p.m.

break.

Is that soon enough.

Okay.

The light.

Okay when we take a break maybe we'll check with staff about seating rearrangement or somehow taking that light out.

Number 9 Item Number 9 approval of the 21-22 Transportation Service Standards Ridership Eligibility.

This came through operations on August 12th 12th and was presented for approval.

It is presented here for introduction and action and materials have been updated as of yesterday the 24th of August.

May I have a motion for this item.

Absolutely.

I move that the school board approve the recommended transportation service standards including Appendix A and Appendix B that are attached to the board action report for the 2021-22 school year and authorize the superintendent to implement the standards with minor modifications as needed.

Immediate action is in the best interest of the district.

This has been moved by Vice President Hersey and seconded by Director Rivera-Smith.

Chief Podesta.

Thank you.

The adoption of transportation service standards is an annual action by the board that documents which students are eligible for transportation services provided by the district.

This set of standards is fundamentally a return to the standards that we had And the 2019-2020 school year providing transportation as we can expect for both general ed and special services.

It is modified to provide transportation services to students have been relocated to interim school sites as a result of our construction program.

Some of the two of the projects we just mentioned will relocate students and so transportation is provided to the interim sites.

One other aspect of this is we're trying to align bell times for Head Start students and this starts moving us with elementary bell times and this transportation standard starts to move in that direction to the extent we can.

Of course we are starting up our transportation program at scale after a long period of time so we're still monitoring our resources closely but so far things are looking pretty good.

And again so this is.

Hate to say it this way but it's kind of a return to normal for us in terms of transportation.

Happy to take any questions.

You're gonna you're gonna jinx it Chief Podesta.

Okay to you Director DeWolf.

Thank you President Hampson.

One clarification Chief Podesta is that this is obviously an annual action.

And I think some of the conversations we were having last year around our transportation is this the vehicle for us to was this the vehicle for us to bring those issues from last year's transportation issue or is that a completely different vehicle for those conversations.

This structurally this would be the vehicle as we think of other equity issues and efficiency issues they would manifest themselves in the annual transportation service standards.

This particular set.

because of just the resources and the timing required for the start of school doesn't.

Again it's fairly status quo.

I'm bringing them to you very late in the summer.

Some in typical years we adopt these early in the year for the following year but we needed to know what school was going to look like.

So we will begin this work.

After we have a successful start of the school year we will begin the work we've been talking about of evaluating the standards in terms of equity and efficiency given the financial challenges our transportation program faces that we discussed earlier in the year.

Understood.

So I guess my only request is just to make sure that we have assurance that that will be the priority for the next one and that that process will include Hopefully some student and community voices.

And I would say you know a less restrictive environment for Head Start students is is a step.

It may be modest but there's again where we've made some adjustments so far.

Okay questions comments concerns from other directors.

Director Rankin.

I'm just double checking something I believe to be true but just making sure.

I had I think it was just one person but asking me about bell times and if there was discussion around changing times and that's the times really that's in the transportation service standards but that's also embedded in the collective bargaining agreement right.

So if even if anybody had wanted to talk about changing bell times it wouldn't be only here.

I am not aware of any constraint in our collective bargaining agreement for bell times at a particular school.

Oh no that's the calendar.

Sorry we agreed to the calendar.

Bell times are happen to be codified.

in the transportation service standards as an artifact of well this is how you need to set up transportation to accommodate the bell times.

They're not really with the exception of Chief Sealth and Denny Middle School where we it was a condition of our master use permit of staggered bell times for the two sites.

School you know we work with schools about the bell times they'd like to have just like we work with early learning about the bell times that they would like to have.

Try to accommodate that in our transportation transportation program.

It doesn't dictate bell time.

It just records them.

Gotcha.

Thank you.

Given Director DeWolf's question one of the things we would be looking at in the future is if we staggered bell times a little bit differently could we get some of those efficiencies.

Not necessarily changing the whole tiering system but just a little bit of adjustment at each end that one route could serve two schools perhaps.

Those are the kinds of things we need to look at.

I just other questions.

I just had a quick question about under G no yes it is under G page 5. Per the construction master use permit Decatur Elementary School and Thorton Creek Elementary School must begin school a minimum of 45 minutes apart.

construction master use permit is construction no longer I mean there's no construction going on there right now.

Yeah that's a similar situation to Denny himself.

It's that to get the master use permit for the site we've made agreements with the city that occasionally we will stagger bell times.

Got it.

So there isn't any as part of the traffic management plan.

Right.

Okay.

That makes sense.

Okay.

Nothing else.

Ms. Wilson-Jones please call for the vote.

Director Rivera-Smith aye.

Was that an aye.

Aye.

Thank you.

Director DeWolf aye.

Director Dury aye.

Director Harris aye.

Vice President Hersey aye.

Director Rankin aye.

President Hampson aye.

This motion is passed unanimously.

Okay.

Number 10 on the action item agenda.

First Student Contract Amendment Number 2. This came through operations on August 12th and is presented was recommended for approval and is presented here for introduction and action.

May I have a motion for this item.

I move that the school board approve contract amendment number two with minor additions deletions and modifications deemed necessary by the superintendent.

Immediate action is in the best interest of the district.

Second.

This has been moved by Vice President Hersey and seconded by Director Rivera-Smith.

Chief Podesta over to you.

Thank you.

This is the second amendment with our contract with First Student who is our primary transportation service provider provides yellow bus service for student transportation.

Our contract with First Student had a one-year extension built into it that would serve this year that is required to be agreed to a mutual agreement by both the district and First Student.

This amendment exercises that option for the option year.

It also is part of the negotiations with First Student to exercise this option.

We've been discussing this issue all year with them given that the 20-21 school year was the second to last year of their contract and the fifth year is something that we had to mutually agree to.

The challenge for both of us was our the structure of our contract was really unit based that per student gets compensated for bus service that they actually provide on a per route basis.

And we get compensated from the state on the same formula by actually transporting students.

So in March of 2020 when we the COVID pandemic caused us to discontinue in-person education Student transportation virtually ceased and but given that we wanted to keep first student on tap and keep drivers on the payroll we continued to pay first student through the end of the 19-20 school year.

In the fall and we're assured at least informally by the state that that would be all right and we would be reimbursed for those costs cost per our usual formula.

In the fall of 2020 it was not clear how compensation in two school districts from the state would work given that the formula is about actually transporting students and at the start of the year we weren't.

And so we at least informally worked with First Student to say you know subject to funding being available from the state subject to the approval by this board we would help them with the uncompensated costs that they have for property insurance maintenance keeping their lease costs for buses you know all the fixed costs that they have to park 400 buses that we will ask them eventually and that we needed them to provide us this year and we needed them to provide us in the spring of the last school year.

So we worked over a lot of numbers and again made it clear that we would only Consider a settlement to help them with uncompensated costs based on the availability of funding from the state and which was not clear until the spring would the state allow us to cover those kinds of costs.

That became clear finally at the end of the legislative session.

And so we reached a settlement to cover a portion of their uncompensated costs fund lump payment of $8 million.

It also establishes the rates that we've agreed to for the coming school year.

And also allows for costs for cleaning services that weren't anticipated in the original contract.

And relaxes the bus replacement requirements since again we're in the last year of our contract and this district's contract has an unusual requirement of the aging of buses is different than the state requirements.

So that's something we want to look for in the long term.

But I think First Student has been a good partner has realized in revenue from us not counting our settlement about $8 million out of an expected $38 million is what they would usually and kept the lights on and as asked to pretty much come through for us and provided whatever service they could as we needed whether it was delivering meals whether it was ramping up some services in a hybrid model on very short notice which were different than we had been planning for.

And I think so far we're comfortable with their preparations for the fall.

Again we're starting up a big program after many months of not having it.

But I think everybody is working hard in a difficult labor climate to be ready.

I recommend that this is the best place we can land to have services in the coming.

Happy to take questions.

I'll go to you first Director DeWolf.

Thank you President Hampson.

I don't have any questions just want to highlight again the kind of the concern that we had raised in committee was just around $8 million and so appreciate you kind of highlighting the fixed costs and it sounds like we actually come out better in the end with that low of a number.

So I appreciate that clarification.

So I'll turn it back over to you.

Okay any questions comments or concerns from directors.

Director Rivera-Smith.

Thank you Chief Podesta.

We heard earlier tonight about the importance of getting to electrified fleet for our schools and including our buses.

Was there any consideration with First Student in moving towards an electric fleet.

Well they would love to talk to us about electrifying their fleet.

They have asked many times when they might be allowed to present to our Clean Energy Task Force and have met with us and their partner Uterra which is a big green energy provider on their plans and again they're at the end of a contract and have equipment already so and so there's a big capital investment of building an electric bus barn and vehicles which now electric school buses is more than a $200,000 premium over diesel but and so we're talking to them and other providers and industry experts about how does How does any firm or how does the district amortize those costs given that these contracts are limited to a five-year term.

But they again have been responsive to our questions seem very interested in what the next contract will look like.

We'll be going to bid before the end of the year for our next five-year service provider.

So I think at the end of a contract when nobody even knew what school exactly would look like this year You know we can't do much but they certainly express great interest and have been very forthright on their plan.

Thank you Chief Podesta.

Any other comments questions or concerns.

Okay let's call for the vote.

Apologies President Hampson.

Did we get a motion and a second on this.

I believe we did but I lost track on this one.

I possibly not.

Did we move.

We did.

Okay it was a short one so that might have.

Thank you.

Director DeWolf aye Director Dury aye Director Harris aye Vice President Hersey aye Director Rankin Director Rivera-Smith aye President Hampson aye.

This motion is passed unanimously.

Okay.

Do you have a preference for us to move through this next item Chief Podesta or are we okay to take a break.

We have one more action item then I'm.

I'll be back later but it's so it's totally up to you.

I have a lot of intro items.

I'm going to beg the board to get through this next item because then we can take a break and Chief Podesta is done.

So action item number 11 approval of the renewed agreement with King County Metro to purchase ORCA business passport products.

This is through Metro Transportation.

May I have a motion.

I move that the school board authorize the superintendent to execute a contract with King County Metro for student ORCA cards that will not exceed $2.5 million in the form of the agreement attached and presented to the school board with any minor additions deletions or modifications deemed necessary by the superintendent and to take any necessary actions to implement the contract.

Immediate action is in the best interest of the district.

Second.

This has been moved by Director Vice President Hersey and seconded by Director Rivera-Smith.

Take it away Chief Podesta.

This is an annual renewal of our agreement with King County Metro to provide ORCA cards.

This is dependent on the transportation service standards that you adopted earlier in this meeting to provide the actual cards that we give students that this is their means.

There's no real changes here other than the fact that we this is a three-way partnership between the district Pink County Metro and the City of Seattle and the city has picked up the full cost of actually buying the 20,000 cards that we buy at five dollars a pop.

So that's nice.

But other than that this is the same as it has been in previous years.

Directors comments questions concerns.

Director Rankin.

Just a quick comment again thanking the students at Rainier Beach for their advocacy that has led to this.

And my 7th grader was beyond excited to get his ARC card yesterday and I said do not lose that card.

Yeah the first one's free.

After that.

So thank you and thanks to the city and Metro.

Okay.

Director Rivera-Smith.

Yes and we discussed this in committee so I just wanted to reiterate that I hope there can be some education to the high school students about tapping in and tapping out for their rides because as we're now paying not by just trip but by length of trip them tapping out is critical to you know save us some money there.

We're in conversations with Sound Transit because that applies to Link Light Rail about that and other communications.

So brief question which I'm happy to take offline at a separate time if that's preferable.

This is such an amazing program and again thanks to those students for their advocacy and it led me to wonder why if we want to grow transit users we should be encouraging use at this as young age as possible.

And then I know there's also as a result if more kids are doing using ORCA cards for transportation that's in some sense a competition with school bus service but we also know our limitations there.

So one of my questions is that we don't provide specific we provide transportation we don't necessarily provide ORCA cards automatically for students experience McKinney-Vento students.

No not necessarily.

Depending on you know where they fit into the standards and where if they're out of district we often are using alternative providers for those.

Students experiencing homelessness or that qualify under McKinney-Vento foster students low-income students.

It seems as though there's a graduated set of students that are in middle and high school for whom it would be really critical to have access to ORCA cards.

I try and.

I think that's a great point and speaks well to the kind of revisioning the transportation service standards as Director DeWolf brought up earlier.

Those kinds of issues exactly.

It's and there's a high need.

Those first two groups that I brought up there's an incredibly high need to be particularly once you're in middle and high where they need to be able to utilize transportation on their own and having not having access to ORCA card.

It's it's a community decision and a partnership that you know we would have to encourage.

But then I think it also to the you know Everything else that we've heard about tonight climate change.

Again we're we're growing students.

I'd like to see it eventually be all of our students get all students get free ORCA cards because that's how we're going to grow students that are going to use public transportation.

And and the bus won't have such a negative connotation along with all the other fantastic transportation options that come along with that.

So yeah I would love to continue talks about that.

We very much the Transportation Department would very much like to leverage its relationships with transit providers and we have new contacts with Metro.

One of them sitting to your right.

And so we hope to and another as well.

Just a couple.

We really see that there's an educational opportunity to using transit as opposed to yellow bus service or other things.

Okay.

Thank you so very much for allowing me to highlight that and responding positively.

And we'll get to talk about it more and with that I'll call for the vote.

Or I mean can you please call for the vote.

Did I miss somebody.

No.

Director Dury.

Director Harris.

Director Rankin aye Director Rivera-Smith aye Director DeWolf aye President Hampson aye.

This motion has passed unanimously.

Thank you Chief Podesta.

And for once you're not going to be the last one standing at the end of the evening.

Ten minute recess.

Okay reconvene at so we will recess at this time 7-05 and reconvene at 7-15.

Approval of the renewed agreement.

Nope.

We did that.

Item Number 12. Last action item.

Approval of Resolution 2021-22-3 to request a waiver from the 180 instructional day requirement for the 2021-22 school year.

This is presented this did not go to committee is presented for introduction and action.

And I am going to turn sorry may I have a motion please.

I move that the board approve Resolution 2021-22-3 as attached to the Board Action Report to request a two-day waiver from the 180-day instructional day requirement in RCW 28A.150.220 for the 2021-22 school year and provide assurance that the district will meet the instructional hour requirement in RCW 28A.150.220.

I further move that the school board waive the provision of policy number 1420 that board action reports and relevant supplementary information will be posted to the district's website at least three days in advance of the board meetings.

Immediate action is in the best interest of the district.

Second.

This has been moved by Vice President Hersey and seconded by Director Rivera-Smith and I will go now to Associate Superintendent Dr. Concie Pedersen.

All right.

Good evening.

So today I'm here to present the board action report regarding the district's petition to OSPI for a 180-day waiver for two additional days for kindergarten transition activities.

You will see in the attached part to this attached to this BAR the resolution for board approval and the OSPI waiver waiver application.

The resolution is a requirement of the OSPI waiver application that will be submitted to OSPI.

We are seeking both intro and action this evening due to the waiver requirements as well as the start of school year schedule which brings us to this decision this evening.

Approval of this BAR allows for kindergarten staff to engage in two additional days on September 7th through 8th for Family Connections Conferences.

We have heard from families and educators that our youngest learners and their families would benefit from a graceful transition back to in-person learning in response to the family and community need.

All students including students furthest from educational justice will have the opportunity to meet virtually with their teachers and other staff including special education staff bilingual staff specialists to ensure that families can share their students' stories strength and need to be asset and social emotional focus to start this school year.

Kindergarten staff and families have three days to complete WA Kids Family Connection Conferences.

This is a state-mandated activity as part of WA Kids Kindergarten Readiness Assessment.

The district is seeking a waiver from OSPI for an additional two days of transition activities including extended conferences for preschool and kindergarten students and their families on September 7th and 8th with the first day of preschool and kindergarten instruction beginning on September 9th.

The calendar schedule is posted on our website and on our calendar pages.

It was planned last spring as part of our COVID response to incoming families who have not yet been in it's been to school in our district.

When this decision was made OSPI guidance allowed for asynchronous learning.

When updated guidance was released in late May this was no longer allowed.

The impact of this decision requires staff to try and identify options and consult with OSPI and resulted in a decision to request a waiver.

However the timeline of that this decision did not come in time for inclusion at the last meeting in early July.

This is why we're asking for introduction and action today prior to the start of the school year.

While we are excited to return to school in person we cannot ignore that up to 533 of the 991 preschoolers enrolled in Seattle Public Schools during the 2021 school year elected to remain remote given the return in March.

And it is important to note that many families have been out of school and have not yet participated in our in-person learning opportunities.

Ensuring families have an expanded opportunity to meet with district staff work to build culture of care and supportive environments of return will help build a strong foundation for the year.

And just I want to talk through a little bit about the technical components of the waiver OSPI.

requires a signed resolution from the board indicating the number of days we are requesting the waiver for as well as assurances that we will meet the instructional hour requirements for the year.

We are requesting a two-day waiver and we will still meet the 1,000 instructional hours requirement for kindergarten.

The waiver request is only for the 2021-22 school year.

Thank you Dr. Pedroza.

And now we'll go to board directors for comments questions concerns.

Director Rankin.

Thank you.

I am wondering about families with kindergartners who celebrate Rosh Hashanah.

How and fully appreciate and understand that the first day of kindergarten has been on the 9th so that all students can participate in that first that kind of landmark first day.

But now of course I'm wondering about the opportunities to get to know the teacher and sort of have that introductory experience if how how we're making that available to students who might not be flexible in those days.

I can add that the reason why for the conferences Rosh Hashanah is a big consideration in that and so the extension of the three to five days actually provides more opportunities to meet around the Rosh Hashanah holiday.

And I will note that if this doesn't get passed the kindergarten day could fall back to the two earlier days and that would impact families who celebrate Rosh Hashanah for the first day of school.

And we noted that in the in the application.

Okay so there's flexibility beyond the 7th and 8th to reach out to those families.

There's 5 days total.

So we're extending the law days from 3 to 5.

Gotcha.

So the state allows 3 days.

We are here requesting 2 additional days.

I got it now.

Thank you.

Okay.

Okay thanks.

Any other comments questions or concerns.

No.

Okay.

Sorry Director Rivera-Smith.

Hi.

Thank you.

I was going to do all schools do the walk-ins.

Yes our yes our our Seattle Public Schools participates in WACids and I believe all of our schools participate in WACids for the program because the kindergarten calendar is set.

And so that is the that is the state requirement that every program.

So we're identifying preschool and kindergarten for this opportunity for these five days.

And those WaKids days are separate of the pre-K connections day.

They are they are.

Pre-K.

Yeah there it's combined.

It's combined.

So pre-school is having their parent-connector meetings and kindergarten.

Remember these are done with the teachers.

So the individual teachers who will be meeting with the students.

And I don't have specifics around the programming but if you have a specific question I do have.

Heather Brown here Director.

So families don't do like if you have a kindergartner you don't do both you do one day for both.

I'm not sure it depends on so some just sometimes our students go to different schools correct.

So I'm not sure exactly how that would work with students in different schools.

Heather do you have that.

Sorry I don't know it's specific.

And I'm just getting.

I'm getting.

I have an incoming kindergarten and we only have one day so I'm wondering did we miss something.

So just checking if it's a separate or.

Can you repeat the question.

Yes our are the WAC kids family connections.

Is that a meeting in a separate pre-K or are those the same meeting.

That started pre-K pre-KK connections and WAC kids family connections.

Hi there Heather Brown Director of Early Learning.

We were calling the two days that Pre-KK Connects to allow schools who may have completed their WaKids Family Connections in September's 1st through the 3rd to do other kindergarten and preschool family engagement activities and this will be held virtually at this point.

However it does give that opportunity for schools in preschool and kindergarten to have the additional two days to have those family conferences.

So we were naming the two days Pre-K K-Connects but again they can include the family connections conferences.

If that makes sense.

Yes.

Thank you for the explanation.

Thank you.

And all schools in Pre-K and kindergarten across the district do engage in these conferences.

Thank you.

Anything else.

Okay.

Ms. Wilson-Jones please call for the vote.

Director Harris aye Vice President Hersey aye Director Rankin aye Director Rivera-Smith aye Director DeWolf aye Director Dury aye President Hampson aye This motion has passed unanimously and I'm going to circulate the resolution for signature right now.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay we will now move to the introduction items on today's agenda.

Item number one review and approval of the 2021 Career and Technical Education Annual Plan per Board Policy Number 2170. This came through Student Services Curriculum and Instruction on August 18th and is recommended for approval.

Approval of this item would approve the 2021 Career and Technical Education Annual Plan as attached to this board action report.

And I see you'll be briefing us Chief Scarlett.

Yes.

Aisha Scarlett Chief Academic Officer.

I'd also like to introduce my colleague Dr. Caleb Perkins.

He's our Executive Director of College and Career Readiness.

I'm here this evening to introduce this board action report for the annual SPS CTE plan.

To introduce the BAR I want to remind the board and those listening our board directors and those listening that Board Policy 2170 Career and Technical Education states that the board will annually review and approve the district's plan for the design and delivery of its career and technical education program.

Similar to the last four years this plan includes strategies to improve the quality of the design and delivery of the district's career career and technical education program and plan for programs through the 24-25 school year.

The CTE team uses the annual BAR as an opportunity to share details on how the district's CTE work supports the goals and outcomes of our district's strategic plan for 2019-2024 Seattle Excellence and our efforts to help all students particularly students furthest students of color furthest from educational justice to become ready for post-secondary opportunities and career preparation.

This annual plan emphasizes equity and access to CTE programs that support career exploration and preparation necessary to achieve personal and individual career goals.

The plan also highlights strong partnerships between SPS CTE industry and business partners community-based organizations the City of Seattle and our post-secondary institutions.

And now I'd like to take a few moments to share some highlights from the report.

First with respect to CTE enrollment we did have increases in enrollment at all levels.

A move from 1,343 to 1,357 at high school.

160 students to 204 students at middle school and 85 up to 87 at Skill Center.

The demographics of our CTE enrollment continue to match the overall district which is really what we want.

Strategies.

Now this is the fifth year that we'll bring this annual CTE plan before the board with the same main strategies which are focused on providing more equitable access to career pathways rigorous programs work-based learning skill center courses and partnerships.

The CTE plan also includes powerful examples of our efforts to promote engagement in racial equity.

For example in terms of engagement as the board knows well the CTE team participated in the Student and Community Workforce Agreement Task Force.

This allowed staff to work with local labor and industry partners to increase access for SPS students in the exploration and preparation for careers in the skilled trades.

in terms of racial equity.

We continued our efforts to increase access for students of color furthest from educational justice to explore and prepare for careers in high-interest high-demand and family-wage areas including in STEM for which we expanded course offerings at Chief Sealth and Rainier Beach High Schools that connect to programs at Seattle colleges.

We we also expanded the health and medical pathway So that is now available at Franklin Garfield Hale Lincoln Rainier Beach and Sheepstow.

And they offer this pathway for students.

This pathway is a sequence of three courses to introduce and prepare students for careers in the healthcare industry.

With respect to outdoor education Jay Connolly at Interagency launched an outdoor program that helps students earn a Certificate of Completion as well as OSHA 10 and forklift endorsements.

Finally I should note that the Skills Center served 400 students overall this summer thanks to the leadership of Principal Dan Goldsmith.

Speaking of leadership as you may know we've been currently looking for a new CTE lead and we're so grateful that For nearly five years our CTE leadership that Jane Hendrickson provided for SPS.

We were sad to see her leave the CTE leave position this summer but really are grateful for the legacy that she left here.

And we just made a critical hire.

So Mr. Brian Day who's the director of CTE long-time director for decades I think in Everett Public Schools will be joining us.

So we're super excited about him coming aboard.

So in the August 18th SSC&I committee we heard the following questions a few questions that I will like to summarize briefly.

So we heard some questions from Vice President Hersey from Director Harris and Director Rivera-Smith.

Director Hersey cited some concerns about the some questions about the residency at South Lake High School and also wondered about proposed internship opportunities that he that he heard had been denied.

So the CTE team proposed having the partnership with the residency that's through Macklemore at Southlake or excuse me Allen T. Sugiyama at Southlake High School in the summer when the Sugiyama leadership brought this idea to us in March.

Unfortunately the residency did not have the capacity for the summer.

Now going forward Sugiyama can partner with the residency on music and recording arts courses.

Also as for internships generally you need to have a CTE course connected to an internship and that sometimes means that it's hard to support CTE credit bearing internships in all areas of schools since they cannot offer all courses.

That said schools can provide work-based learning experiences without CTE credit and schools like Franklin are having great success in providing a wide range of these opportunities.

Director Harris you wondered about more CTE offerings at ALE and small schools.

And so the CTE grant pathway data that's on page 8 and 9 of the report and the report document that reports that when a school is able to offer four CTE courses in the sequence this is harder to do when some schools only have one or two CTE teachers.

Interagency a school that we spoke about the majority of their programs is skilled trades but they do have Career Connect courses and a few students who took Environmental Horticulture and they also offer Applied Math which is a STEM course.

NOVA is actually able to offer a wide range of CTE offerings not just the four courses in a particular area for most path for most pathways.

Lastly connected to that question.

and access to Skills Center.

Pathway access is generally increased is great has greatly greatly increased particularly if we consider the Skills Center courses as well.

A student can use their summer class with the Skills Center to add to course offerings at their home.

And remember we have 400 students served this summer for that.

And Director Rivera-Smith you had a question about Agricultural Sciences so I'll just share that with you.

That according to OSPI grouping for the CT pathways Agricultural Science and Environmental Ed falls in the STEM pathway.

The horticulture classes are now offered at Nova Hale and Ballard and Environmental Sciences also offered at Ballard.

And then lastly you asked a question about construction at Lincoln and so and what effect the construction at Lincoln will have on CTE course offerings.

Yes there will be a nominal disruption some disruption to the CTE courses during construction but the good news is Principal Metzger has already thought about this that the CTE team is working with Principal Metzger to figure out the best interim solution and that Lincoln will have a medical careers and culinary CTE courses available in the long term.

So lastly messaging and marketing.

Yes the question about how do we improve this for CTE.

And then lastly the CTE team has made a number of recent efforts to develop and communicate about CTE pathways and programs.

We're excited about Brian Day's leadership.

He's done a wonderful job for Everett Public Schools and he'll bring that brilliance to us at SPS and help us grow as a program.

And so with that Dr. Perkins and I will take your questions.

I'll go first to Director Rankin Chair of SSC&I.

I don't have anything else to ask or add but thank you.

Director Hersey.

Thank you for digging deeper into some of those things Dr. Scarlett.

That is very much so appreciated.

My only question is regarding the fact that it would not necessarily be credit bearing but ATS Alan T. Sugiyama at South Lake could still provide those courses.

What would the negative impact of that be.

And do you think that the administration over at ATS knows that that is a possibility.

I'm trying to like understand what is the drawback to not have it be credit bearing.

Yeah absolutely.

I have Dr. Perkins.

So just to clarify one point.

Sorry.

Caleb Perkins Executive Director for College and Career Readiness.

Thanks for the question.

Very important program that you're referring to.

First of all, in terms of it can still be credit bearing.

It would just be elective credit bearing.

For it to be CT credit bearing, then the state requires that you take a course before you engage in the internship.

So that said, there's still absolutely the possibility of providing both the course and the internship.

The challenge is just making sure there's adequate enrollment.

And this is where, as happens every time we bring this plan before the board, we get good ideas and good feedback.

And so already the CTE team has been responding on the question around small schools, including Sugiyama.

you know to think through are there ways to share CT course offerings across some of these schools.

But we will also follow up more specifically with the plan around the Recording Arts request that they made.

So.

Thank you for that.

So it sounds like to me there isn't necessarily a critical drawback to having it not be credit bearing for CTE in and of itself but rather it can still hold credit just not in that particular program.

Correct.

So they wouldn't meet that exact graduation requirement but they would still be earning credits that they need to graduate.

Got it.

Okay perfect.

Thank you.

Other directors.

Director Rivera-Smith.

I thank you so much for following up on those questions we asked.

I really really do appreciate that.

I was going to ask a new question regarding middle school opportunities and I see in here there's this partnership with Open Brackets.

Can you tell us more about Open Brackets.

Unfortunately I cannot but I would gladly pull together more information with John Parker and Harvey Wright who are two of the CTE specialists who work on that.

But thanks.

I appreciate the interest.

I'll have to follow up.

Thanks.

Yeah I just reminded I know there was I don't know if we still use the Microsoft I think it was called TEALS I don't remember what it was called.

But that's right.

I was just wondering is this are we still doing TEALS is this different.

Just any information on that would be great.

Okay sorry I couldn't tell at the end there if you're still asking a question.

I just have a I don't know if it's a formatting question.

I'm confused about which parts are the update for what happened in the past and which parts are what's going to have like we have to approve this next legislative session.

And so in terms of approving the plan the annual plan this is a policy requirement correct.

2170 that's right.

So

It says updates for annual plan goals for the 20-21 school year.

There's no page number listed.

I'm on page.

This is the table of contents.

Yes.

And so there's no page number listed.

And then it says new strategic initiatives for improving design and delivery of CTE but then that's a report on what happened in 2021. I'm just confused about when we're talking about 2021 and when we're talking about 2122.

Yeah no I could see how some of the information could be clarified.

So the updates all of the things below it are the updates where it says new strategic initiatives those are all the updates.

So most of the report.

From 2021.

Correct.

So that's the that's what's happening.

Some of those pieces share a little bit about what's going forward but Appendix A is has more of the detail on the specific plans going forward.

But embedded with each of those strategies you have information on what we've accomplished and what we want to do.

going excuse me going forward but I I that could be further clarified if that would be helpful.

Okay.

My request would be that somehow you clarify this because I couldn't didn't have I couldn't figure out how to get to where I wanted to go to just as somebody who uses a table of contents to go back and forth to get to the actual like what happened I thought it was structuring me to go find the thing the update for this year versus what happened in the past and you're saying it's embedded but that it just needs to be clear.

I didn't couldn't tell that that was part of the same that updates for annual plan goals for 2020-21 school year and new strategic initiatives for improving design and delivery of CT programs.

That's all part of the same sentence.

Correct.

Same the same section.

That's right.

Okay.

Yeah.

So I think it would much improve the ability to absorb all this information if I could access it better.

Yeah.

That's it for me.

Okay.

I think that's it.

Thank you very much Chief Scarlett and Director Perkins.

How did I get lost.

Oh I'm on the right thing.

Okay.

Introduction Item Number 2. Rename and Amend Board Policy Number 3246 Restraint Isolation and Other Uses of Physical Intervention.

This came through.

at long last through Student Services Curriculum and Instruction on August 18th and is presented here for consideration.

Approval of this item would rename and amend School Board Policy Number 3246 as attached to the School Board Action Report.

And take it away Dr. Pedroza.

Yeah and you can't see my smile because I one of the things I promised Director DeWolf is that we would get this before his term ended.

And so here we are starting this process.

So I want to say that to you.

So just yes I want to share a little bit of history and then just some context for this this this renaming and amending of the policy.

First I just want to share some highlights.

First the process began in January 2020. Director Hersey and Director Rankin started this conversation in community meetings and with the intent of discussing the intersectionality of race and disabilities from the onset.

So I wanted to share that.

This is specifically aligned to our strategic plan Seattle Excellence Safe Welcoming Environments.

It focuses on students furthest from educational justice students with disabilities and the intersectionality.

Committed to co-creating an engagement plan and timeline in May and June with the school board directors.

We started this process arm and arm together starting with updates with board memos at all the committee meetings.

Meeting with outside folks such as Seattle Children's Hospital an institution that has one of the first hospitals that actually started this process of what does it look like to have a policy when we actually really talk about what does it mean to de-escalate and not actually put children into harm's way.

I just want to also share that we have developed a multidisciplinary departmental internal work group.

So this included everybody and this is on recommendations when we brought this group.

It was actually the committee that actually gave us different ideas.

So we actually had members from security on that group.

We had members from the Department of Transportation.

Principals.

Behavioral specialists.

counselors so forth SEA members all part of this group to talk about what does this really mean for all of our departments to work together in a sync-sync way and ensure that we're really really thinking about how we're going to support this plan moving forward.

We coordinated and consulted with OSPI.

That was starting in January 2021. They've met with us many times and given us feedback on our processes and our plans.

We solicited community feedback and so the extensive list of all the community stakeholders over 20 are actually listed in the within the BAR and we receive feedback in various ways with them.

And one way I'll share that because we talk about what does engagement actually look like but one way that we shared is that we actually gave the policy and sent it in an email to various groups and they sent us back feedback that we then had to incorporate in many of the plans.

Also in addition we held the community and student forums and I will state that the community forums was did have a student panel that was trained in that forum and then there was additional students that visited and were part of as guests.

And then policy and procedure edits based on feedback direct feedback.

And then also I just want to add extensive work with Chief Narver and the General Counsel's Office.

I also want to note some of the big changes towards this policy.

We are banning isolation and I want to state that very clear to the entire community.

We are banning isolation.

We added language to make it clear that the use of restraint is a prohibited practice only to be used for imminent likelihood of seriously serious bodily harm.

We added terms and definitions in the draft procedure.

We added language to support behavior and mitigate for racial and disability bias and requiring staff to use trauma-informed de-escalation strategies before a restraint is used.

We added language to support the prevention process to better understand the incident and strategies to prevent or further reduce the use of further restraints.

And then we also added language to align with the data requirement of OSPI as well as utilizing data to support changes in practice to further the use of restraints.

I also want to add that after the committee of the SSCI committee on August 18th and I want to thank actually personally thank Erin Romanek and Pat Sanders but really Erin Romanek who gave up a time in a conference to really spend the time and help and edit and receive the comments that were provided even during that committee time.

So I want to thank you very much for all your efforts.

And so we provided those that background information and equity analysis recognizing the collaboration with Director Hersey and Director Rankin.

We provided a track changes policy with the BAR packet.

Added developmental of community plans.

And we also put a timeline.

So we actually put in the BAR a timeline of what the Coordinated Health Department is going to do to enact to ensure that we get the training in place for teachers and to share that we will our plan is to train 104 schools within 3 years.

That's the goal.

We have a plan for that.

We have a budget for that.

We have a timeline for that.

And I wanted to share that all of that is outlined in the procedures.

I also want to add one thing that I think is really important and I think this is important part.

We also included our labor partners.

Our labor partners were not absent from this.

They also provided feedback.

Our past representatives and SEA also provided feedback along the way.

And so I and we met with them and I just want to share that our team has been responsive and updated additional specific information every step of the way.

And I am standing here in front of you to take any questions you may have.

Okay.

I'm going to I'm going to if it's okay I'm going to go first to Director Hersey.

Take it away.

Thank you.

No like seriously thank you.

Because I just have to say when I first brought this idea to senior staff before you and I had even had conversations.

I was met with a list of reasons why this would not work.

And now here we are a little more than a year later or less probably.

Whatever the timeline is.

And this is working for our students and not only that it's working for our entire system and we've been able to come up with a solid plan about how to get there.

So gratitude for Aaron Concie everybody who's had hands on this.

that there is no words for the impact that this is going to have on our system in the in the interest of our students.

And I am elated to see that it has come this far and we as a board have the opportunity to vote on this and really lead in our state in terms of making good on our promises laid out in our strategic plan but also being responsive and representative to the demands of the Black Lives Matter at school movement.

I think that many of our policies have been directly responsive to that movement specifically.

And again, words cannot express the amount of joy that I have right now.

Again, my smile is much bigger than this mask could contain, but again, just an immense amount.

I see it in your eyes.

Yes, absolutely, absolutely.

It's the flicker in my eyes, not the light.

But again I just can't say thank you enough.

We really appreciate all the work that's gone into this and the collaboration and the community engagement that has been put forth through this policy specifically.

For me at least that's the gold standard for what our expectations should be going forward for everything that we do.

And it shows in how how well this has all turned out.

So again thank you.

Director Rankin.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Bringing forth this policy I would say is how Brandon and I kind of got to know each other as as colleagues as policymakers.

His community meeting that I was a guest at really catalyzed us both in committee to say this is this is going at the top of our list.

so impactful in that intersection between race and disability and that we know that within students with disability the population of students with disabilities that the students who are in the more that the less inclusive environments who are experiencing restraint and isolation more are disproportionately students of color especially Black and Native students.

And that doesn't just impact those students.

It's also becomes a mindset about how our whole system and everybody in the system sees Black students Native students students with disabilities.

And so as grateful and excited as I am about I mean excited is not really the right word but grateful as I am I know that this is this is not the this is not the end.

This is the start to where we say these are the students who are actively hard — now I wanted to say take a minute to talk about what isolation is because in one of our community meetings there was a conversation with students who had experience being excluded or feeling isolated not understanding that the state definition of isolation is putting a child into a room or an environment that they cannot leave on their own terms alone.

And the trauma of that and the idea that that has been acceptable I can't and that same resistance that Brandon kind of got at the beginning of oh gosh here's all these reasons we can do it.

I felt that too when we talked about we've got to get rid of isolation.

There's no good reason to do isolation ever.

There's no good reason to push a child in crisis who's escalated into a closet that's had its door removed and hold them in there with a big blue gym mat.

There's no reason and that is not permitted ever anymore in any circumstances.

A child should never have to experience that and it's it's a shame and so upsetting that children have experienced that.

So immense gratitude that we are making that commitment and and understanding that that's stuff that happens to kids who are out of our general view because they're being removed from their educational environment over and over and over.

And we know that it's those same it's it's not lots of students getting restrained and isolated.

It's the same students that are experiencing education through discipline and physical intervention and they're being removed from their peers and they're they're being removed from their learning environment.

And this is part of what I'm so grateful that we're on those interim guardrails taking some time to really get what those data are going to look like.

Because we need to think about discipline not just as suspensions and expulsions but when a child is punished by being removed from their educational environment.

So it's not successful to me if a student is sitting in the hallway alone instead of being sent home.

They're still being marginalized.

They're still being removed from access.

They're still being penalized for behavior which is a communication.

Kids behavior is communication of a need that they have that we're not meeting.

And so as much as I am so grateful and really want to celebrate this I also just want to note note that like we all know this isn't like we don't drop our mics now and go take a victory lap and that it's really incumbent upon everybody in every building To dig into this to understand that when your student is having a behavior they're telling you something.

They're telling all of us something that they need and they're not getting it.

Particularly the students who experience the same thing over and over and over.

I mean there's a saying about doing that and expecting a different result right.

So you know we this is to me the beginning.

I'm so grateful to Director Hersey and our partnership on this.

and for really continuing to center students of color students with disabilities and understand especially as an early a younger childhood educator that this experience particularly for younger kids stays with you forever.

And so this is the beginning of a shift that we all really need to commit to and it doesn't happen just by this paper.

We all every principal every educator every IA and I just I also want to give immense thanks to family members Social workers counselors IA's who shared their stories with me personally who didn't want to come forward publicly huge huge thanks to those of you who have experienced this seen it tried to do something not not quite known you know how to escalate it how to elevate how to how to fix this knowing that you're seeing something happening with a child that's not okay is not good for them and figuring out how we fix it so Thank you thank you thank you for being vulnerable and sharing those stories with me.

And I we're not going to we're not going to now move on to the next thing.

This is something that we are all really committed to changing mindsets and practice around and it doesn't begin and end with the policy and the training.

Thanks.

Okay over to Director Hersey and then Director DeWolf I'm sorry Director Harris.

Thank you.

One of the things and this frankly feels a little negative but I think it's something that we need to own in this district.

We now have a policy that we can hold our staff and others that harm children accountable to.

And and in the same issues of bringing this forth we need to continue and to be really diligent that we don't look the other way.

That we don't write settlement checks and send somebody that has harmed children down the road to another district to harm more children or another school or another state.

This provides a framework where We can stand really diligent and and I'm very grateful for that.

Thank you.

Director DeWolf.

Thank you President Hampson.

I Director Hersey and I sat on a stage at Garfield High School about a year and a half ago and the stories we heard which is really the whole point of that meeting was to just sit and listen.

The stories we heard both on the stage and as we went out into the audience and listened to more they were really hard to hear and I'm I'm really grateful.

Thank you Director Hersey Vice President Hersey and Director Rankin for pushing us through so so diligently and thank you Associate Superintendent Dr. Concie Pedroza.

for your work on this.

But but I think I don't want to simplify what you've done because what we have here is a policy update a procedure and a timeline and the incredible amount of community engagement that you've done to put this together is just truly remarkable.

I think it's only the cherry on top that you were able to bring it forward before I'll be leaving the board and it is just such a treat to be able to go back out to community and and say we wanted to do it right.

We have a lot of work ahead of us.

You need to keep us accountable.

But we heard exactly what you told us on that stage in February of 2020 about the harm your experience and what we needed to do and I thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you Dr. Brent Jones for for elevating Dr. Concepción Rivera-Rosa to Associate Superintendent because I think this was such a fabulous everything about this was what's great and I'm so looking forward to our community seeing this and keeping us accountable to it.

So just really thank you for the work on this and thank you to directors for for pushing it through and that's really all I have to say.

Thank you.

Director Rivera-Smith.

Hi.

Thank you.

I don't know that I could add anything to all that because it definitely there's a deep deep gratitude for this coming through.

I'm honored to be part of a board that is doing this for our district.

And I have questions.

Okay.

I don't expect any left.

I do have questions but just because I want to make sure We don't leave anything.

No absolutely.

Go for it.

And I know you know I know that this Seattle Special Education PTSA sent a letter with a lot of points they made there and I I remember at the committee meeting it was said I think I understood that you guys were still going to be digesting that and and doing something with those.

We actually did many changes.

I do want to stress though that they're one entity of many many many organizations that are part.

So I just want to stress that.

We took some of those details and we did put those changes and I'll just give a couple examples.

One is for example being really clear to align all the language to make sure that disabilities and race were.

connected so that was something that we'd I'm just not going to go through all of them.

Like I said there's a lot of work here.

We also took into the fact that we added the timeline.

There was some questions about the timeline and the start date so that's why we put those in there.

Those were all in my talking points.

We also added some information about the training information.

We added some specific language around the purpose for mitigate for racial and disabilities.

We also included the terminology about imminent likelihood of seriously bodily harm.

I'm just sharing that these are examples.

So we were responsive and that was my point is that because you have to remember too it was it's been many many organizations.

So the first part was taking all of that information and compiling it.

When you send out a document imagine anytime you send out a document and you get you know if you send out like a recipe right.

And then 20 cooks you know tell us how to make this better.

You get 20 very very diverse ways of thinking.

Because the organizations represented I'll just share some of them had deep support deep understanding of mental health and supports.

Some had a family perspective and a community perspective.

Some had their labor groups.

We had our labor group.

Some had a racial perspective.

You know some had a restorative justice perspective.

And so I just think that's really important but I do want to state that we did go through it.

And as you can see that those changes have been tracked.

I'm not going to go through each and every one here but the team did do that including even looking at Representative Pollitt.

Although I don't know I don't know if he was at the committee or not but we addressed some of those in the committee meeting.

I just want to let you know that the things that we could do that we could see we took care of.

Okay no that's appreciative and I understand that there's a lot of parties who are stakeholders in this.

Very very many stakeholders.

As as and they all and they all represent a number more people so for the organizations they are just.

Yeah and I do encourage people to look at the organizations that participated in this.

So ACLU of Washington.

Attorneys of Education Rights.

ARC of King County.

Seattle King County NAACP.

Seattle Council PTSA.

Special Education PTSA.

The PASS group.

I'm just sharing that there is a variety of entities that have had had gotten to look at that document give us feedback.

In fact I recently just received a letter from an attorney who really studied it and thanked us for this work.

So I just want to share that people are watching and paying attention.

I will state that we can't do everything.

You can't.

You can't take 20-30 ideas and take every complete piece.

But we did take the information that we felt was pertinent to include here.

So.

Yeah.

Thank you for that.

And I have so I have my own questions.

I wasn't just going to repeat theirs.

But one question I did have and this might be the only one that I'm actually repeating of yours was the other uses of physical crisis intervention.

What are those.

Can they be.

So that is I don't have the outline for the exact numbers of the discipline.

Erin are you can you respond.

Thank you.

I don't have it off the top of my head.

I don't know if she does though either.

Oh you do.

Hello.

Good evening.

Erin Romanek Student Support Services Supervisor of Coordinated School Health.

If you actually look to the procedure we actually define the other uses of physical crisis intervention on page 1 of the draft procedure.

Typically when we do different trainings we talk about different blocks and moves.

If a student grabs us like how we are able to kind of get out of those types of things.

So it's all the other types of engagement and physical contact that's not a restraint.

So if I just block and put my hand up and I happen to come in contact with a student that would be an example.

So again not a restraint.

I'm not actually going to try to control any type of like arms or legs or anything like that but it's a type of physical contact that could happen in an escalated situation.

Okay yeah and I saw that and I thought that there were other types of like I think I was thinking of it in the opposite direction of what was okay versus what wasn't okay so.

Anyway thank you for that.

My other question is in paragraph 5 of the draft policy it says just I can repeat the whole thing it was to support student behavior and to mitigate for racial disability.

My my question is that it gets in there and it says These things must be used to the greatest extent possible before any form of restraint isolation or early physical crisis intervention may be used.

I would think do we want to strike the word isolation there since we've already said previously in Paragraph 3 that isolation is prohibited under all circumstances.

I don't know that word because there's no before it at this point.

You can't have isolation.

What page is that.

Paragraph 5 of the draft policy so page 1 of it I guess.

Because Paragraph 3 says there's no isolation period.

In Paragraph 5 then we say before we isolate do this but we don't isolate so.

Thank you.

So I was just striking that.

under the parent guardian notification section of the superintendent procedures and I know there's no board we don't approve those.

So this is clearly just for just my my maybe my concerns with it and you can take it for what it is but under the notifications part it says A the building administrator designee will make a reasonable effort to verbally inform the student parent student's parent guardian of the incident within 24 hours of the incident.

What worries me is that a 24 hour window could mean that a parent unknowingly sends their child back to a school the next day to a room where they had a trauma occur without the opportunity to first counsel and prepare their student.

So.

Yeah but but then it goes on to say that is I'm sorry I don't I'm not looking at it I'm looking it says it says 24 hours in what I'm reading here so is it contradicted somewhere else then or is it 24 hours.

Yeah so efforts but I mean it's they ultimately have 24 hours correct.

So again that's just a concern that somebody isn't able to prepare their student before they go back in that classroom because they have 24 hours.

So yeah my recommendation would be before the before basically the next school day they're informed parent.

I will state though just FYI you know our contact list is not always up to date.

You know there are you know you do these things and you do the emails and I mean I've been a principal before.

I'm just being honest and in those in those spaces right you have those emails those phone numbers those types of things and they're you know someone's calling and calling and calling short of actually doing a home visit right.

So we're we're trying to make it reasonable in terms of what we can do.

But the expectation is that they call within 24 hours.

Thank you yeah.

And so I think likewise on paragraph B there where it adds that if the school primarily provides the parent or guardian with the school-related information in a language other than English.

I love that and I think that should go.

I think it should apply to the first paragraph too that the verbal notice should also be expected.

As the way this reads it only applies to the second one where the report is in their language.

We'll make sure and note that.

Thank you.

And I guess my last overall question is about this in the equity analysis it doesn't appear that for the this whole this BAR I don't see that the racial equity analysis tool is used so I don't see an answer to this question but I'm wondering just to look at it holistically are there any negative impacts for us because this is one of the questions in that tool.

Are there negative impacts for specific student demographic groups including English language learners and students with special needs.

How would that have been answered.

So I will state that the whole process of this was actually a racial equity analysis process from the very beginning.

It was one of those targeted universal approaches and designs starting with the most vulnerable students in the system and backwards designing That in itself is a racial equity analysis process.

When you take the most vulnerable populations and you're designing for them and that's what we really should be doing.

Instead of like taking when we're talking about designing new things you should be designing for the most vulnerable learner and then or the most vulnerable system or student or family and then backwards map from this.

So that process itself is by design a racial equity analysis.

Now however.

That doesn't that doesn't excuse us from not using racial equity analysis when we gather the data.

and to analyze our processes and analyze our procedures and our reporting.

So I'll just share state that that that is something that should be incorporated as well into the the analysis process of how are we doing.

Where are there gaps.

Where are there hot spots with schools.

Where do we need to go back and train and using that data.

So it's a racial equity analysis is part of that process.

But the the intentional design of targeting those students is by and large a racial equity process.

Thank you for those thoughtful responses.

No further questions.

You're welcome.

Okay.

Director Dury.

Yeah I second what everybody else said.

I just have one small thing on the very last section L of the procedure.

I'm just wondering if we should either incorporate or reference a non-retaliation clause for any of staff reporting that might happen.

Food for thought.

I don't need an answer.

Okay.

Thank you.

And just for clarity here I just want to make sure that everybody on the TIAS and staff and anyone listening understand that we are not approving this procedure.

That is not for us to approve.

So and one of my questions was just the timeline because this was last updated in May of 2021. And so if not that I have a specific need that I'm trying to propose but just curious when you think the procedure should be reviewed again.

We actually have.

If the policy passes assuming the policy passes.

So we already have draft procedures.

Okay.

So I'm just letting you we didn't we have draft procedures.

We've been working on them iteratively the entire time.

I think we have a couple of finalized things.

Go ahead.

Sorry I just want to add one correction.

I apologize I did not in the draft procedure that should be struck out.

This is actually current and was just updated last week.

So I apologize.

So the date that you see at the bottom of May 2021 of the procedure.

I apologize for that.

That should have changed but these are the draft current and most recent that we updated last week based on continuous feedback that we've been getting.

Okay so maybe we need to include a redlined version or I'm not actually sure what the standard usually it's changed procedures or just referred to the board directly.

But in presentation we just want to make clear that this is yeah updated because that's what I was trying to figure out why it was it was updated in May and then.

Okay so now we know that this is actually updated as of August 17th.

Just picking a date.

And I will say that the policy was updated as of 2 days ago.

So just letting you know.

So yeah just want to be really clear on that.

If for some reason the board feels that a given procedure is not in line with the policy then we can we have the right to take that.

But but that's not what we're we're looking to approve.

So I just want to make sure everybody's clear about that.

I think there's opportunity to provide that feedback directly but I just don't want it to be conflated with what we are actually approving through this process.

And then so everybody else is done.

I want to in addition to profound gratitude from where we were where this conversation started that we finally have something that is truly actionable in this regard and begins to allow us in this district to have the conversation about why it's not appropriate to put your hands on our children.

And it's amazing to me that that we've had to do this but it's so critical and it is not it is It's not it's not kismet it's not coincidence.

It's no surprise that the next item on the agenda is about risk management pool.

So.

But wait I'm not done.

Because I wanted to give one more bit of gratitude which is that how appreciative I am of the conciseness of the policy because it's clear It's understandable and I'm saying that and I could still be wrong and maybe it could be clearer for somebody that that isn't part of the district.

But I really do think it's important that folks understand the policy and then the implementation aspects of it that are detailed in the procedure are critical and that we're able to provide that clarity for folks is something that we really need to be diligent about as board members.

And then as when you don't have to answer this now but it would be good to know and I think this is a question we should ask any time we have either a new policy or a policy of this import coming forward say for example an infectious disease policy what Do you think would be the appropriate kind of review time for a policy like this which understanding that it once it's been around for a few years that it might become more embedded and but we might learn some things you know after a year or two years and.

So I don't know if you have any sense of that but.

Yeah and part of this policy there is an annual report to the school board and it's annual.

So just I think that is a good time to sort of assess because as you know we have a 3-year timeline to train everybody including so just to share for this year we're going to have a targeted group of schools to train this year and then the goal is to do all school leaders and all school leaders this year as well.

the all-school leaders and then a targeted group of schools for this year and then roving over the next three years.

So I since part of that annual review that should be a time to actually do some reflection on progress success how this is working the procedures you know and changes.

That's that's what I hope.

It should be an annual process.

It's in here.

And that's actually and it sounds like there's probably a direct tie to the interim goals and guardrails.

And that's ideal.

If we're not adding another annual report but actually tying it to what we're supposed to be measuring.

So yay and thank you.

Wow triangulation.

Exactly.

There you go.

We're making it work.

We can do this folks.

Okay.

And so excitingly our next item is renewal of the Washington Schools Risk Management Pool coverage for fiscal year 2021-22.

This came through Audit and Finance on August 16th.

There's JoLynn.

for and is recommended for approval.

Approval of this item would authorize the superintendent to accept the proposed Washington Schools Risk Management Pool coverage agreement for the 2021-22 school fiscal year and that the expenditure of $4,595,177 in premium contributions to the Washington School Risk Management Pool loss funding pool will be authorized and that $650,000 be allocated to the tort claim reserve account for management of claims falling under the increased self-insured retention level and that the district provide the risk pool notice of withdrawal.

And I'm going to let you take it away Chief Financial Officer JoLynn Berge and tell everybody what a fascinating conversation we had about it.

Actually it was a very robust conversation we had in A&F so.

Exactly.

Good evening.

So as you stated this BAR would approve our annual insurance coverage with the Washington Schools Risk Management Pool for the 21-22 school year.

The rate as determined by the risk pool is increasing by 1.5 million dollars from the 2021 school year for a total cost of 4.6 million dollars in premiums.

That does represent a 50 percent increase in our premium.

In addition we're recommending changing the amount of the self-insurance retention otherwise commonly known as a deductible or in school risk management language SIR from the current $250,000 per occurrence to the $500,000 per occurrence level.

Because of the increase in our deductible to the $500,000 level we are recommending adding $650,000 to the tort claim reserve account.

By way of background SPS was offered three options for the renewal of our deductible with amounts of $250,000 $500,000 and $1,000,000.

The rates for each of these levels are included in a table in the BAR.

Evaluating these options weighing the known increase in premium costs with the unknown cost of taking on a higher initial share of each claim it's our recommendation that we're moving to the $500,000 deductible or SIR level.

This BAR is coming later than usual.

We did not get a final rate from the risk pool until June and the SIR change was unexpected and proposed by the risk pool not us.

It did take staff some time to work with the risk pool and to thoroughly evaluate the options.

With that I would be happy to take questions.

I I think the only thing that I would have to add is that I know we are looking to make sure that our options are open to us as this becomes more

That that's correct.

We're recommending withdrawal notice to be provided to this school and that would take effect in the 23-24 school year.

We'll be evaluating our other insurance options.

That evaluation won't take place though until January of 2023 because those other options would not be able to give us a quote until that time period.

And I think it was really important for us and A&F to come to that understanding that it would be of course Nobody is going to forecast what the risk scenario for an institution such as ours is going to be at that for at that time in the future.

And so we want to make sure that we have that option but we have to give that notice very very far in advance.

So with that I will turn it over to any comments questions or concerns from directors.

Director Harris.

The approval line on the budget for approval of settlements is what.

I would have to get back to you with the exact amount.

Okay.

Because sometimes we see what the risk pool pays and then there's a spread there in terms of the oversight and to approve settlements is something that I think needs to be clarified further before we vote on this and hugely appreciate it.

And a 50 percent increase is breathtaking.

So Director Harris you're looking for the line in the budget that we currently use for settlements.

No no.

The line where it comes to the board to approve the settlements and whether that includes the equation that the risk pool has paid what we paid if we're going to up our deductible or reserves.

And how does that change the we think you should settle this the risk pool pushes us right because they're our only game in town.

We could be perceived sometimes to be pinch-pointed in those settlements.

Thank you.

Other directors.

Director Rivera-Smith.

Hi.

Thank you.

I so I didn't actually attend the A&F meeting.

I listened to it and I attended.

Sorry I was not a sitting member of the committee.

And I had asked in the meeting though Director Dury was kind enough to take my text message and asked the question for me about that timeline of if we get the notice can we change our mind.

And I think I understand it is that we have to do it within that first month the actual month that our notice of not being with them anymore actually takes effect or not a notice starts but the actual.

Maybe you can repeat how it works.

My question to the end of that is is there a situation where we end up without a risk management pool at all.

No I don't believe that that's a risk for us.

I mean we'll have to be mindful of when we give them notice that we would like to if we want to rescind our withdrawal notification.

So we'll tee that up and it's a timeline similar to those that we follow for submittal of other important documents.

So we'll have that in our timeline and built in.

But there is time for us.

It's a short time frame between getting quotes and then giving that re You know notice of to rescind the withdrawal.