SPEAKER_19

moment and SPS-TV will begin broadcasting.

For those joining by phone, please remain muted until we reach the testimony portion and your name is called.

All right, this is President Hersey and I am now calling the June 21st, 2023 regular board meeting to order at 418 p.m.

This meeting is being recorded.

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

Ms. Wilson-Jones, the roll call, please.

SPEAKER_39

Director Harris.

Director Hampson.

Here.

Vice President Rankin.

Here.

Director Sarju.

Present.

Director Rivera-Smith.

Present.

Director Song-Wei.

Present.

Director Cron-Beron.

Present.

Director Hassan.

Present.

And President Hersey.

SPEAKER_19

Here.

All right.

SPEAKER_10

I will now turn it over to Superintendent Jones for his comments.

Thank you, President Hersey and board members and audience today.

This past Monday, school offices in Seattle Public Schools were closed to honor Juneteenth.

An email went out to staff and families on Friday commemorating that day.

In it, we reaffirmed our district's commitment to honor the Juneteenth legacy by dismantling systems and barriers that we want to make sure that we're honoring and making sure that Black students in our educational system thrive.

Here at the John Stanford Center, the Office of African American Male Achievement also hosted a social to honor that day on Friday, June 16th.

And this is where we commemorated our commitment in this SPS community around Juneteenth.

Also, as we continue to celebrate Pride Month, we raise the pride flag.

We want to make sure we acknowledge our students, our staff, and families that are in the LGBTQ plus community.

And on this Sunday, June 25th, SPS is going to once again be participating in the pride parade and this has been an annual participation for the last 30 years and making sure that we are committed to our LGBTQ plus identities and they're part of our community They feel safe and they're welcome and we really again want to have take that opportunity to celebrate So take the opportunity to march behind our banner ride on the bus and more information can be found on our website Next, as many of you in the crowd probably know, graduation is upon us.

And as this year comes to a close, next week we will celebrate and send off the class of 2023 to their bright futures ahead.

This cohort's high school experience started off with tectonic shifts to their learning experience when the pandemic hit.

And in the face of all these unforeseeable challenges, they forged ahead with ingenuity, dedication to learning, and courage.

These students have made history by completing high school in these unprecedented times.

The stories they can tell to their kids will be pretty amazing.

I believe this cohort will also continue to make history as they go into their next great thing.

What a triumph, what an honor to celebrate the completion of their K-12 journey.

We have student board members, and two of our graduates are here with us today, our very own student members, Jenna and Nasira.

Jenna, Nasira, and Luna, we are all so grateful for your time that you spent building the student member program from the ground up.

Your presence and insights have grounded our conversations and have reminded us of the work that you do is for students, and it's ensuring the best possible outcome for students.

Jenna and Nasira, as you go on to your next phase in your educational journeys, we're going to be cheering you on, and we're going to be looking to see how you impact those around you.

Luna, who will be joining us for one more year, and we're fortunate, and our incoming students, Ayush and Lola, we are excited to have you with us as we look for you the year ahead.

Your leadership will be critical as we continue to work to meet the needs of students and the voices of students.

Regarding the budget, this board will hear the intro of the 23-24 budget.

This intro and subsequent board action is the final step.

I'll say it again, the final step in a months-long process of staff and the board being engaged through work sessions, two-by-twos, the development of the fiscal stabilization plan, And this budget reflects the board's direction, which was provided in work sessions and through the approval of the fiscal stabilization plan, as well as the board priorities as articulated in our goals and guardrails.

I will acknowledge that it's been a challenging year, a challenging process, but the strong partnership between the board and staff have resulted in a budget that I believe will best serve our students in the coming year.

And it lays the foundation for stability for our district in the future.

Next, I want to reference well-resourced schools and transportation engagement.

In our continuing efforts to engage with community and families on significant initiatives, by July 1st, we'll be releasing information around our first round of community engagement meetings regarding well-resourced schools.

These sessions will be held in a hybrid format with regional, in-person, and virtual attendance options.

My staff and I are looking forward to these opportunities to talk with parents community members about what we want for our students in the future of Seattle Public Schools.

This is a time for us to build a vision of how we provide the best academic social emotional and other services our students deserve and need to flourish.

Staff also has held an information session on June 13th regarding the transportation changes impacting some of our schools next year.

The link for the recording of this meeting will be on our website by the end of the week.

Franklin High School, go Quakers.

I went to Franklin back in the day.

Good to see you all.

I want to acknowledge you all in the crowd today, and we've heard your concerns about the mock trial program, and we're heartened to know that there's a meeting with Dr. Williams tomorrow to discuss the issue.

We're going to be looking forward to your participation to get to resolution on the issues.

Thank you for being here.

Finally, before we close, I want to take a moment to play our fresh off the press First Bell.

This edition features another student takeover and a reflection of the incredible year that we've had together.

Can you please play First Bell?

And I think you Franklin folks may recognize somebody in this.

SPEAKER_45

As the Lazio School approaches, we're looking back at some of the stories that caught your attention this year.

SPEAKER_29

We hit the streets to hear what students had to say about their experience this school year.

SPEAKER_45

And for show and tell, we're taking you to Rainier View Elementary, where students are growing in their learning through a gardening club.

SPEAKER_29

All this and more coming up on First Bell.

SPEAKER_49

Hi, I'm Martin Jones, Goaltender for the Seattle Kraken.

You're watching First Bell on SPS-TV.

SPEAKER_45

Hey SBS, I'm Ibrahima Dukere.

SPEAKER_29

And I'm Annie Small.

Thank you for tuning in to First Spell, where we chime in with news from all across the district.

We've almost made it to the end of the school year, and we're excited to look back on some highlights.

Let's get into it.

SPEAKER_45

After a delayed start to the school year, it was all gas and no breaks as students and staff hit the ground running.

Now, with the end of the school year upon us, we want to revisit some of the highlights.

Here's Jahiya Abdullah to walk us down memory lane.

SPEAKER_49

From the long-awaited groundbreaking of Rainier Beach's new building, to awesome academics, to some spectacular award winners, Seattle Public Schools is doing big things.

Let's look back at some of our top stories of the year.

SPEAKER_99

you

SPEAKER_49

We hope you enjoyed looking back at these moments.

Be sure to drop a comment on social media with the hashtag SPS Flashback and share your favorite memories from the school year.

This is Yahia Abdullah reporting from the field, back to the studio.

SPEAKER_45

We know the year was not without some tough moments.

School communities grieved the death of staff members.

Students and staff continue to struggle with mental health issues and several school communities are dealing with the aftereffects of gun violence on or near the campuses.

In the wake of tragedy, the district is making progress in strengthening the safety of our schools.

Superintendent Brent Jones put forth new guidelines to ensure all schools can provide safe and welcoming campuses.

You can learn more about these plans on the SPS website.

SPEAKER_29

We showed you some highlights from our top stories of the year.

And now, let's hear about yours.

We traveled to a few schools to hear about your favorite moments.

SPEAKER_47

In May, we did this project for Asian American Pacific Heritage Month.

And I thought it was really fun, because each morning, we would have a sheet of paper, and we got to color it in.

And under it, it would tell us about the person and what they did.

So that was really fun.

SPEAKER_46

This school year, we got to get a pet hamster, and over the weekends, different people get to bring it home.

And I enjoyed that, because it's really cool to have a hamster if you don't have a pet already.

And it's a good way to show responsibility as, like, a role in life.

But that was pretty cool for me.

SPEAKER_47

Being with my friends and my teachers, we have, like, a really fun time here.

SPEAKER_44

My favorite thing that I learned this year was about dead presidents.

It's cool to learn about how they change the world.

I feel like field trips, because it's so fun.

And you get to go with your friends to a fun place for everything.

SPEAKER_48

is when I was running for prom king.

And I actually got prom king.

I was really happy about that.

The reason why I wanted to be prom king, because nobody will ever, ever forget the prom king.

So that's why.

SPEAKER_35

For me, it's probably the sheep by dissection in science.

It sounds gross, but it was pretty fun.

It was pretty fun.

I think my favorite thing to do was, like, planning for school dances and stuff.

I'm very, like, organizational.

That was also really fun, like, setting up.

Yeah.

That was fun.

For me, it was awesome.

Can't forget Kyla and all my orchestra concerts.

I got to meet a lot of new people.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

SPEAKER_04

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

SPEAKER_47

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

SPEAKER_17

Have a great summer.

SPEAKER_46

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

SPEAKER_99

Have a great summer.

SPEAKER_46

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great summer.

Have a great

SPEAKER_10

All right y'all give it up for our students and our comms team.

That concludes my remarks.

Back to you President Hersey.

SPEAKER_19

Thank you Dr. Jones.

We've now come to the board comment section of the agenda.

I want to first shout out all of our 2023 Seattle Public Schools graduates.

So if you are in the room or listening to this meeting congratulations to you.

We are so proud.

Yeah.

Give yourselves a hand.

Absolutely.

We are so proud of all you have accomplished throughout your academic careers.

You all have demonstrated incredible strength and love in your learning journeys as you've navigated the pandemic upheaval to your high school experiences.

I feel honored to celebrate you and am looking forward to all of the successes you have ahead of you.

Among this year's graduating class, we celebrate our own members, Directors Nasira Hassan and Jenna, excuse me, I'm talking too fast, and Jenna Yuan.

who are graduating from Chief Sealth International High School and Franklin High School, respectively.

We are, yeah, lit.

Turn up for Franklin.

We are excited to see your continued impact in our community as you move on in your education and careers.

Thank you both and Director Cromborough, a junior at Nathan Hale, for your leadership this year.

Directors had the opportunity to thank our inaugural class of student members before tonight's meeting and I would like to welcome any additional comments of gratitude alongside our other reports tonight.

Moving to a few highlights from tonight's agenda.

We will have two opportunities for public testimony.

The first is our regular public testimony period.

Up next after board comments please see staff if you wish to be added to the waiting list.

Excuse me.

Later this meeting we will also take testimony during a public hearing for our recommended 2023-24 budget which will be introduced tonight.

There is a sign-up sheet for budget public hearing in the back of the room.

In-person testimony will be taken on a first-come first-served basis according to the sign-up sheet at the public hearing.

Remote budget hearing testimony will be taken following the in-person testimony.

Please see tonight's agenda if you are listening remotely for more information and sign-up.

Tonight's agenda also Tonight's agenda also has three items sponsored by directors.

First, the consent agenda includes a regular board meeting dates for next year that I'm proposing with Superintendent Jones consistent with our recently revised policies.

We propose a meeting cadence similar to this year with 18 meetings spread across the year and some adjustments to account for observances of non-work days.

Under action items, I'll have the opportunity to speak to our appointments for the 2023-24 school board student members in collaboration with the selection committee.

And finally, Director Sardieu will introduce proposed policy revisions for our discipline appeal council policy.

Our next regular board meeting will be Thursday, July 6, and due to the holidays that week, our testimony sign-up timeline will be adjusted and will be communicated on that agenda.

Our next Ad Hoc Community Engagement Committee meeting is scheduled for June 28th at 3 p.m.

and that one will be virtual, so make sure that you are adding that to your calendars.

We'll now move to our other reports for tonight, beginning with Director Hampson for the announcement of a completed internal audit.

SPEAKER_26

Board Procedure 6550BP, Internal Audit, requires an announcement of completed audits.

As the Audit and Finance Committee Chair, I am announcing that during the June 6th quarterly audit meeting, the Office of Internal Audit presented the Substitute Reimbursement Audit Report, which is posted publicly to today's agenda, and the Office of Internal Audit Department website.

That website is also where you can find all previously completed audits, including those that are currently in the process of audit response, where we converse about management's implementation of recommended audit or report findings.

And the Audit Committee's next quarterly meeting is in September.

SPEAKER_19

Thank you very much, Director Hampson.

Do we have an ad hoc policy manual review committee report?

SPEAKER_27

We do.

We met last, was it just last week?

Yeah, last week.

And so I just want to take this opportunity to explain a little bit about what we talked about in that meeting and where we're headed.

So here is our current collection of board policy and procedure.

And actually just for fun flip to a random place here flip to a random place so Policy is how the board directs the district policy is where you as community should see your values represented in our direction to the district and then the Superintendent is responsible for reporting back to us progress on whether or not That's being made so flip to another one Do do you who I would I would ask people to to Folks who are along the wall here who are SPS employees They could tell us whether or not all of these policies are being followed in all of our buildings And so here's We have this huge, so there's three sections that they're, sorry, six sections that they're put into.

The board of directors, which is the 1,000 series.

The instruction series, which is the 2,000 series.

The student series, which is the 3,000 series.

The 4,000 series is community relations.

The 5,000 series is personnel.

And the 6,000 series is management support.

So grabbing this from the superintendent, the policy that just opened up is distribution of information and was last updated in 2011. Here's the student health policy that was last updated in 2017. Release of resident students 2013 so I'm children of Seattle school district employees 2011 the reason that I'm saying this is because under the current or the structure that we're moving away from Policies come forward to the board When there's a state law that requires a change in policy when an emergency comes up that requires that we look at the policy but we have not had a system of accountability and regular oversight into Is the district operating in a way that meets with the values of our community?

And so what we talked about most recently in the Policy committee was that part of the policy review is going to include Recommendations made by our committee to the full board about a regular schedule of review where we're going to review the entire manual There's a whole bunch of things that are duplicative.

There are some things that are outdated there are things that conflict with each other and So when you go from building to building and you think well That's not how they do that over there or that's not what I understood for that to be working That is because this is very confusing and overwhelming and almost impossible to follow and we as the board haven't Regularly been holding the district accountable for following them So under this policy governance model and under the recommendations that the committee is going to make to the board, every single policy will be monitored and reviewed in public by the board at least once every term.

That means at least once every four years.

For the ones that are much more critical towards student outcomes and specific values, those will be reviewed more often, annually or biannually, where we will say, OK, In February, we're looking at policy 0010, which is the instructional philosophy for the district.

It is a low number which lets you know it's very important.

And so we will be looking at that together and the community will we will engage with community to let us know does this match with your values.

Does this is this current an update to what you the community expect from Seattle Public Schools.

And if the answer is yes then we'll say to the superintendent can you show us that this policy is being followed and lived in all of our buildings.

That is how we hold the district accountable for our community vision and values and how we as the board monitor whether or not our superintendent is doing his job and whether or not we are meeting the outcomes that we see for our students.

So this is kind of nerdy.

I'm very excited.

I'm a nerd.

But it's super super important I think to understand that this right now doesn't get us.

to living our values as a district in all of our buildings.

And so the structure that we're moving towards is we decide when we and how often we review each policy instead of the random coming to us through various committees and things based on a state schedule or somebody's change in procedure, we will have a constant and continuous review and updating based on the values of community.

And I'm really excited.

So our board is, the job is to govern based on the vision and values of the community.

And the superintendent's job is to operate within the constraints that we have given him based on what's important to our community.

And then report to us, the board, as community representatives, how we're doing on those things.

a policy governance model helps us authentically take charge as the as the community representatives and it helps it will help us be proactive instead of reactive there are People in the audience here today because they're responding to something that happened to them Because we don't have that strong direction about what we expect to begin with and that's something that I'm really excited about is really important the importance of policy is that Policy is the position of the board as adopted by a majority of the board who was democratically elected Individually, we do not have authority I can say I really think I would really like to see a program where everybody has everybody trains a foster puppy Me saying that up here doesn't I would like to see that but me saying that up here doesn't make that happen.

That's not governance.

If I bring forward a policy and the majority of the board votes to approve it, then that is direction to the superintendent.

So having policy is really important to get clarity for the superintendent about what it is we are actually demanding from the school district on behalf of the community.

It provides clarity.

It's very deliberate and thoughtful.

It's clear that it's the board's position and it's a mutual commitment on behalf of the board and the superintendent to living up to what the community expects.

So I brought all of these.

Because I I it's I think it's just important to see what we actually talk about when we talk about policy and procedure And so I guess the update is that I'm really really excited that through this committee work Recommendations we will be making to the board are gonna allow us as a board to take greater control over our policy manual Thank You director Rankin do you also have a legislative report And feel free to say you don't No, I don't specifically.

And I will not just talk for no reason.

SPEAKER_19

Love it.

Thank you.

All right.

Finally any additional liaison reports.

OK.

No.

OK.

Any additional board engagement for us to discuss tonight.

All right.

Fantastic.

I am also real like.

Go ahead.

SPEAKER_26

Just a reminder if you Director Rankin and I completed the Tribal Consultation Training in Tulalip, I don't know if that was last week or the week before, there are still opportunities to complete the Tribal Consultation Training that has been provided to you in the weekly email.

The training was great.

And encourage you if you don't get it done now there will be opportunities either and through like January of next year but Because we I'm encouraging folks to get it done sooner so that everyone is well trained before we review bring their tribal consultation policy For intro and that way everyone has a much better contact so you can contact us PI Maxine Alex at OSPI to get registered for those things.

SPEAKER_19

Thank you very much.

So I am realizing that we did not attend to student board member comments.

So if any of our student board members have comments that they would like to share at this time please take it away.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you President Hersey to because there are so many new faces in the room I'll introduce myself.

I'm Luna Chrome Brown.

I am a junior at Nathan Hill High School.

I use she her pronouns and I am a student board member.

And this is.

SPEAKER_02

Hello everyone.

I'm Nasira Hassan.

I'm a senior attending Chief Sealth International High School and I'm also a student board member.

SPEAKER_37

And with my time today, I wanted to highlight a couple of things.

First of all, thanking everyone from Franklin and other schools who is here today for being here today.

And then, another happy, proud month.

Super important, super close to my heart as a trans and queer person.

And also, biggest note is a huge congratulations to the class of 2023. I know even for me in the last three years I've been in high school it's been a crazy ride.

I can't imagine how crazy it was to go into high school in person, be like, yippee, this is my, you know, I'm going in, I'm ready to do it, and then like, nope, you're online for two years.

And to see the incredible things, and yet besides those huge barriers to see the incredible things that this class has accomplished and to see the incredible people that I see at Nathan Hill, the incredible people that I know who are graduating this year.

I can't wait to see where they go next.

And that is why I want to say a specific word of gratitude to my two fellow student board members who are graduates this year.

First off, I want to talk about Jenna.

Jenna Yuan, who had to leave already.

Jenna is just an incredibly, wickedly smart human.

And she is so smart and has so much to say and always knows the perfect time to say it.

She'll keep it quiet until, yeah, it's me, I'll be running my mouth and talking and talking and talking, and then Jenna will like butt in and say the most impactful thing any of us have heard all day.

And I look up to her so much for it.

She's just incredible and she's so kind and she leads with that kindness and gentleness and clear love that she has for her school community at Franklin and for our SPS community in general.

And I also want to talk about Nasira who's right next to me today.

Nasira is probably one of the most incredible people I've ever met.

She is, again, so wickedly smart, and so wickedly kind, and not afraid to be fierce when it's called for, and inspires me every time I hear her talk, even if it's not in this space, even if we're just having a casual conversation.

And I am so thankful to have been able to get to know these two incredible women throughout my time here.

And I'm super excited to get to know our next two student board members.

Super excited to get to that later in this meeting.

And this has just been an incredible experience because despite the challenges and despite the frustration, I have been able to build some really incredible relationships with some really incredible people.

And seeing humanity in each other and holding each other as complicated humans who are carrying something, because everyone's carrying something, is such an important lesson to take from this experience, no matter how challenging it's been.

And with that I want to hand it over to Nasira if she wants to say anything.

SPEAKER_02

Thank you first off and I want to give another thanks to just everyone on this board and the staff that's you know put in this immense work to help and encourage a student board members and like gave us so much support throughout this entire like journey.

As everyone knows this was the first year of SPS having student board members, so it was extremely difficult of finding, you know, like just our way throughout this entire thing.

And me, Jenna, and Luna, we had like there's no other student board members before us so we really had to make and pave our own way and I'm so excited that is continuing and now we have Luna who is going to be continuing next year on our next term and we have our two wonderful next student board members as well and yeah and then I also as graduating this year want to give us you know a little shout out to two self and And then I would also like to say like us seniors we have persevered through a lot and this four years have been very interesting and a roller coaster for sure.

But we made it through and I'm so proud of everybody and yeah I'm You know very grateful to have had this wonderful experience to really amplify student voice and I want to give a thank you again to the entire board for being so helpful.

SPEAKER_19

At this time would directors like to offer any additional comments about our student board members.

Go for it Director Rivera-Smith.

SPEAKER_22

Thank you for your wisdom.

Every moment you shared with us I know was a moment you could have been doing other things that teenagers would love to do but you were here with us doing not so fun work sometimes but I really appreciate that you made that commitment and saw this through.

I wish Jenna could be here because she was a part of this and likewise I appreciate her her time and proud of the places that you're about to go well Luna even you could you're the One more year and it's a big year ahead of you.

So thank you for choosing to come back because that's a big deal too.

But again just best of luck to everything you guys move on to and accomplish in your lives.

And it's going to be a treat watching it.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_19

Go ahead Director Hampson.

SPEAKER_26

I don't really know what to say other than it has been so fun getting to know you three and spend time with you and learn from you.

And I think the thing that sticks with me that you've all impressed on us and certainly impressed on me that's going to stay with me is how important your voices, and how important it is for us to still be the adults in the room.

And no matter how brilliantly you're showing up, which you do all the time, that we still have a job to do.

And that is to create a supportive environment where students like you can thrive.

just want to thank you for hitting that home because you've you know the two of you sitting there have said that multiple times on multiple occasions and at the same time you've done it with not the tiniest bit of gloom or guilt or but with a lot of joy and I That's a huge uplifting thing for the likes of us You get to this point in your life, and you can get really down with the weight of These structures that we're all part of right and we that we want to Make better and do better by you all so thank you for your energy for your Spirit for your honesty and clarity and I wish you all the, I'm so glad that you're sticking around, Luna.

I think it's just, it makes my heart feel, you know, we didn't totally ruin it for you guys.

So, as our guinea pigs, and you know, I know it was rough going.

So, and to you, Nasira, I hope I'm gonna see you around.

I know you're gonna.

I'm gonna see you doing great things regardless and and obviously the same for for Jenna and Just so much gratitude for having the bravery to be the first ones Because that's a lot and yeah, you guys will never be forgotten because you were you were the the first The ogs or the og school board members so and oh and if it not for you I would have well first of all there's some thrifting items including the shoes I have on that I never would have gotten and but I've also never would have gone to an escape room and I don't think we as board members would have gotten out of there if not for y'all we needed the students to help us because that yeah you guys were just on it so anyway that was so fun we wouldn't have done that if not for your your demand so thank you

SPEAKER_19

All right, thank you again for your service.

We really appreciate everything that y'all have given to the district and are very excited to see what you will continue to give to your communities and whatever roles that you matriculate into.

So again, thank you.

We will next go to public testimony, which we will be taking public testimony by phone and in person as stated on the agenda.

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 see 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 those combined number of speakers.

Time will not be restarted after the new speaker begins and the new speaker will not be called again later if they are on the testimony list or waiting list.

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

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

The Board expects the same standard of civility for those participating in public comment as the Board expects of itself.

As Board President, I have the right and will interrupt any speaker who fails to observe the standard of civility required by Board Procedure 1430BP.

A speaker who refuses or fails to comply with these guidelines or who otherwise substantially disrupts the orderly operation of this meeting may be asked to leave the meeting.

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

SPEAKER_39

Good afternoon for those who are joining remotely.

When I call your name, please press star six to unmute on the conference line and also make sure to unmute on your device.

And then one more announcement that we have a public hearing later in tonight's agenda that is about the budget.

So if you signed up on the signup form in the back of the room, that is not the one I'm going to be calling from for this portion.

That is specific to the budget public hearing.

So moving to today's testimony list, first up is Gabby Robbins.

SPEAKER_99

you

SPEAKER_32

Hello my name is Gabby Robbins.

I go to Franklin High School.

I'm one of our mock trial captains for next year's competitive season.

We are here because we have some demands for you.

But before I talk about those I just want to tell you an overall what our team's about and what's going on right now.

So Franklin High School has one of the best mock trial teams in the nation.

We are one of the only five schools to have won the national championship twice.

once in 2000, and again in 2018. For over 30 years, Franklin Mock Trial has trained hundreds of students, including the Washington State Solicitor General, how to think critically, speak confidently, and argue persuasively.

Recently, we had news that there have been budget cuts, and this was at the peak of our class coming back after COVID.

Our class enrollment numbers for next year more than quadrupled.

There are approximately 50 students just participating in our first ever spring tournament that we held this year.

And both of our teams went undefeated in the district and state competitions, aside from the one team that placed first in state and fourth in the nation.

So this was a very good year for us competitively.

We made history this year as the first team in Washington state ever to move up 17 places in the state competition, placing 20th in 2022 and moving all the way up to third in 2023. It's because of all these achievements this year and the legacy that our team has that the loss of a budget cut for next year is devastating.

And so what we're asking for for next year is one mock trial class, that would be for the 2023-24 school year.

We're asking for $20,000 annually because there are very high competition fees and travel fees that OK that private schools can afford that we don't have the parent donations just can't make that up.

And then our final request would be to mock trial classes one beginning class and one advanced class for the 2024 2025 school year and beyond so we can keep the program going strong.

Our program is not sustainable without district funding.

Thank you for listening.

SPEAKER_39

The next speaker is Eleanor Larson.

Eleanor Larson.

Eleanor.

So that you can be ready that Eleanor is going to be followed by Pauline and Sophia.

SPEAKER_41

Okay.

Hi, my name is Eleanor Larson.

I'm and I'm a senior at Franklin.

I've been I've been involved with Franklin mock trial for the past two years and I was a captain of the team this past year.

Mock Trial is a program that helps us to gain confidence, public speaking skills, and critical thinking.

But not only does it provide intangible skills to us, it also provides us with invaluable connections to legal professionals.

For Franklin Mock Trial, essentially every Friday night from November until March is spent at the King County Courthouse practicing trial procedure under the guidance of our coaches, real attorneys, and judges.

At competition, every trial is presided over by real judges and rated by practicing attorneys, practicing many different types of law.

At the end of each trial, these raters pass out business cards, creating opportunities to get internships or other career building opportunities.

Washington has one of the best mock trial competitions in the nation.

Teams that win at state often go on to get top 10 in the nation.

However, the competitive field is dominated by private schools.

who have the funds to be able to finance buses, hotel rooms, and competition fees, and who have participants who can easily afford a suit to compete in.

Franklin High School, one of the only SPS schools in the competition, does not have any funding to finance the team's needs.

Our cycle of barely scraping by financially is not sustainable for the team's future success.

The opportunities mock trial gives students are unmatched by any other high school program.

Franklin students deserve these opportunities.

The excellence Franklin exhibits inspires students to pursue legal careers they may not have thought of and gives them the building blocks to do just that.

But this excellence requires support.

The private schools Franklin competes against do not have to think about money.

Much of our work this year was spent trying to figure out how we would pay to even show up to competition.

Just imagine what we could do with any support from you.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_39

The next speaker is Pauline Adonis.

Pauline Adonis.

And speakers, please feel free to reintroduce yourself.

Apologies on mispronunciations.

SPEAKER_13

Good afternoon, and thank you all for being here.

My name is Pauline Adonis, and I've been involved in Franklin High School's mock trial program for the past three years.

And today, I'm going to tell you why.

This program has served as a space for marginalized students to feel supported by a strong, established community and be centered in the conversation of justice, law, and advocacy.

A space where learning is sincere, leadership is a common practice, and where students achieve to their highest level.

With the future Franklin mock trial being in jeopardy, we risk losing future lawyers, policy makers, and school board members who add much needed representation for a most marginalized yet resilient communities.

Seattle Public Schools is committed to eliminating opportunity gaps to ensure access and provide excellence in education for every student.

These words come directly from our district's mission statement.

We are committed to holding you to this today and until the future of Franklin mock trial is secured and we hope you commit yourselves as well.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_39

The next speaker is Sophia Elias.

Sophia will be followed by Natalia McConnell and then Chris Jackins.

SPEAKER_31

May I start?

Okay.

Hello my name is Sophia Ilyas and I am a current sophomore at Franklin High School.

More importantly I am a first year on the ever so iconic Franklin mock trial team.

With this I've experienced some of the highest highs and lowest lows.

I went from not being able to hold eye contact being self-spoken to standing in front of a room filled to the brim with people.

If that doesn't emphasize the sheer growth my character went through this past year, I don't know what does.

In the past year, I have spent countless hours, sacrificed all my Friday nights and weekends from November through March, trying to perfect my direct examination as a defendant this year.

Not only that, but I've learned to be quick on my feet from being cross-examined so much.

That then I understood why Franklin's mock trial team is one of the best in the nation.

Not only are we coached by the same coaches that once upon a time took Franklin to nationals then won, but the amount of work we've poured into this team is stupendous.

As I was walking into Seattle Preps Auditorium on February 25th, 2023, four districts, I was overcome by various complex feelings.

I was excited to put all the practice, memorization, and quick thinking to use.

But I also felt out of place.

I distinctly remember looking around and not seeing anyone who looked like me.

I also realized Franklin is the only diverse team there, despite historically having many white members.

Franklin is comprised of over 90% of people of color.

Meanwhile, less than 10% are white.

I hope one day in the near future our team accurately depicts our student body without the class funding.

I mean sorry without class or proper funding our team is in jeopardy.

We ask of you the school board to give us one a class and two proper funding.

So hopefully we are sorry.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_39

The next speaker is Natalia McConnell, followed by, will be followed by Chris Jackins and then Mish Vickio.

SPEAKER_42

I'm gonna invite my entire Franklin team up.

Everyone, come on!

Look how many people are in the room.

Isn't that incredible?

My name is Natalia McConnell, and today I come before you not only as a passionate advocate for the Franklin High School Mock Trial Program, but also as a student who has fought tirelessly to secure its rightful place in our school.

Last year, along with my teammates, we were forced to fight for the future of our Mock Trial Program.

And today, you have required us to fight again.

Last year, as a sophomore, I joined the Franklin Mock Trial Program, seeking an outlet to cultivate my critical thinking skills and explore the complexities of the legal world.

Through the countless hours of preparation, the rigorous courtroom simulations, and the unwavering support of my teammates and coaches, I have witnessed my own growth as a confident and persuasive communicator.

This year's achievements were a testament to the incredible value of the Franklin High School Mock Trial Program.

We fought hard to reestablish the class and the results spoke for themselves.

The program flourished attracting a record number of students and achieving remarkable success in district and state competitions.

But now we find ourselves in our precarious situation once again.

The termination of our class threatens to unravel everything we have worked so hard to build.

It is disheartening to see a program that has proven its excellence and positively impacted so many lives left hanging in the balance.

Reinstating one mock trial class for the 2023-24 school year is essential to sustain the momentum we have built.

Additionally, allocating an annual budget of $20,000 to cover competition fees and travel expenses will ensure that our team are on the same playing field as the wealthy private schools we compete against.

We are not asking for a lot but we are asking for what we need.

Please fund a mock trial class at Franklin High School.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_39

The next speaker is Chris Jackins.

Chris Jackins.

SPEAKER_53

My name is Chris Jackins box 8 4 0 6 3 Seattle 9 8 1 2 4. Thank you everyone for being here today.

Nice job.

On the 20 million dollar budget increase for the Rainier Beach High School construction project 11 points.

Number one this action will change the overall project budget from two hundred and fifty six million dollars to two hundred and seventy six million dollars.

Number two, the report blames the cost overruns on inflation.

The contractor is supposed to cover those costs.

That's why you have a guarantee.

Number three, the board is being asked to give up the guarantee.

Number four, this action will also saddle a future school board with approving an additional cost overrun of $10 million above the $20 million today to cover a new performing arts center.

Number five, that money will come from a future levy that voters have not yet voted for.

Number six, it is not just inflation.

It is also profligate design and lax oversight.

Number seven, members of the community had requested the district not demolish the current Paul Robeson Performing Arts Center.

This modern facility is only 25 years old.

It's demolition.

is a waste.

Number eight, board oversight has been lacking with the board's usual committee suspended as encouraged by the board's outside consultant.

Number nine, alternatives include suing the board's outside consultant and firing the contractor.

Number 9 excuse me number 10 the board's placement of this cost overrun action in the consent agenda without any planned public discussion for both introduction and action at the same meeting continues a lack of proper oversight.

Number 11 please vote no.

On the one point seven million dollar budget increase for the West Seattle elementary construction project please vote no.

On school closures please do not close schools.

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_39

The next speaker is Mish Vecchio followed by Tyler DuPuis and then the next speaker will be Peter.

SPEAKER_30

Hi Mish Vecchio currently serving as the vice president of the Seattle Education Association and formerly a special education teacher at Nova High School.

I'd like to cede my time to Mel McLam a distinct teacher at Leschi.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_38

Hi, my name is Mel McLam and I am a distinct teacher at Leschi Elementary School and I've come to talk about adjustments.

So adjustments have come out this week and we all don't know what they are.

Communication around staffing has not been transparent or clear for this year, especially around special education and services.

February projections did not seem to match the contract ratio staffing formula and we are getting concerned for our students and our staffing and how intenable this has been over the past three or four years as a special education teacher.

The last few months have been really hard, and looking forward to starting the school year, continuing to be understaffed is very hard.

We are down a special education teacher at Leschi, and we are down a halftime special education teacher due to our numbers, which we are not going to get for next year.

We currently have more enrollment than FTE and staff are in overages across the district.

Mid-year hiring, even before the hiring freeze, is difficult and has continued to leave us understaffed.

Spending the first six weeks understaffed after these past few months is not centering students and it is not how we are going to keep special education teachers in this district.

We cannot wait until October to be fully staffed.

We need transparency about this adjustment and we need this information communicated so that we can hire qualified individuals into these positions that support some of our most vulnerable populations.

We need updates to our allocations that reflect our actual enrollment numbers and are given at the appropriate ratio to our student body and our special education programs.

Thank you.

Next is Tyler Dupree.

SPEAKER_15

Good afternoon my name is Tyler Dupuis I'm a kindergarten teacher and the representative of Seattle Education Association for ORCA K-8.

I have a letter here signed by our staff and with the support of our PTA that I would like to read.

We the undersigned are requesting that Seattle Public Schools restore the cuts that have been made to ORCA K-8 which comprise about 30 percent of our classroom teachers in our middle school and removes the assistant principal position.

Not only would these cuts severely impact our ability to make ORCA K-8 a safe environment they are also highly inequitable and directly affect a student population that is more than 80% students of color, these cuts are going to hurt Orca students.

Seattle Public Schools says that it supports students of color furthest from educational justice.

And yet, if we look at the demographics of our 6th to 8th grade population, more than three-fourths of our students are students of color, about 40% next year are expected to qualify for free or reduced lunch, and 35% are multilingual learners whose home language is not English.

Next year the district is projecting we will have the same number of 6th grade students as we do this year.

And yet the district is removing funding for one third of the core teachers who serve them and the halftime assistant principal who supports them.

This combined with other staffing changes as the budget shuffles everyone's positions mean that these students stand to lose half of the existing relationships they have with adults in the building.

And if these cuts do follow through and we are to follow a traditional schedule, the carryover effects would mean much larger class sizes and fewer, if any, elective options at all for these students.

There are creative ways we can design the schedule to mitigate these effects, but we believe the students that we teach deserve more than mitigation.

And the youngest elementary students deserve the maximum amount of educational and academic support, but reducing the staffing in the middle school and the staff available to support our youngest scholars will strain our entire school and the effect of these students who are not even directly involved.

We write this because even as the teachers are brainstorming how to produce the best learning environment in the face of these cuts, we could serve our students even better if we divert RNG and creativity away from Band-Aid solutions.

Signed by our staff and with the support of our PTA.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_39

Next is Peter Hynekius.

Peter.

SPEAKER_16

Good afternoon.

I'd like everybody to close your eyes and imagine the perfect class with me.

So obviously this class is going to focus on critical thinking skills, but not only that.

It's also going to teach advocacy skills.

So our students can argue persuasively and passionately about their ideals to any type of audience, whether it be their colleagues, to strangers, or to the powerful here.

Obviously, we're going to structure this type of class so that students aren't just passive recipients of content.

They're going to be actively engaged in creating their own education, empowering them to develop their leadership skills.

Last meeting, you heard all about the benefits of football and team sports.

So hey, let's rope all those benefits into this class as well, all right?

We're going to have the fire of competition forge these students into a community that spans generations, from the class of 99 all the way up to today.

Vice President Rankin, I didn't forget about you.

We're also going to make this class a drama class, all right?

So we're going to have students embody a person, another person argue from their perspective, gaining empathy and emotional intelligence.

Not enough, we're going to hold this whole thing in a foreign language.

All right, not a language taught anywhere else.

It's going to be the language of people who are in courtrooms and in the halls of power.

Because you would better believe that wealthy private schools are already teaching their kids to not only navigate, but to dominate those spaces.

So where should we put this class?

We should put this class in one of our most racially diverse schools, where two-thirds of the students are already on free and reduced lunch.

And in the interests of educational justice, we can't just have our kids be equal to these private school kids.

We want them to exceed.

Let's have them win a national championship against them.

Actually, no, let's not just win one national championship.

Let's win two national championships, 18 years apart, which no other school in the entire country has ever done.

Sounds like a class worth saving, doesn't it?

You may open your eyes.

SPEAKER_39

The next speaker is going to be Annie Cotton.

Following Annie Cotton, I will call Tia Rasmussen and Rachel Kafton.

SPEAKER_33

Hi, I'm Annie Cotton.

I am a six-year special education teacher at Mercer Middle School.

And I share concerns with Mel from the Distinct Program around the transparency, lack of communication, and delay around gene stocking adjustments, particularly for SPED.

This delay is detrimental to hiring the best and adequate special education staff.

And while some staffing adjustments have been made and communicated as of yesterday, it is not encompassing for all schools and all the needs.

So I speak for Mercer, because that's my experience, but really these are problems that are at every single school.

At Mercer, we are currently over our ratios and an overage for every single program, which is all of them.

We have enough over per the contract ratios to hire an additional teacher and additional IAs.

However, as of yesterday's readjustment, nothing was made for Mercer, as I assume a lot of other schools.

Not only is this problematic, that the positions could be unfilled when school starts, it is also very concerning because they most likely will not be filled the entire year.

In the past, Mercer had three unfilled positions at the start of the year, and only one was filled.

This has been true for countless other schools.

SPS says it supports inclusion.

However, inclusion needs the contract ratios to be followed.

It needs there not to be overages for special education staff.

This burns out teachers.

This burns out all staff at a school because special education students are missing out on what they deserve and what they're legally required.

It puts the district out of compliance.

On a personal note, I have really enjoyed being a SPED teacher.

And I take advocating for my students very seriously.

However I am really sick and tired of having to fight for them at every step of the way from the district level down to my school.

Due to this I am quitting SPS and I am going somewhere with more resources.

So in conclusion I implore you to adjust staffing at all schools.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_39

The next speaker is Tia Rasmussen.

Tia Rasmussen.

SPEAKER_43

Hi, my name is Tia Rasmussen.

I am the head coach of Franklin Mock Trial as well as the teacher of our now lost Law and Society class.

I would like to start by saying that all of our team supports our nutritional staff, our custodial staff, our distinct educators, all of our special education.

Budget cuts hurt us all.

Solidarity in the fight, y'all.

This is hard.

This is my first year teaching at Franklin and it has been the most life-changing experience I could have ever anticipated.

I don't need to testify to the skills of my students because they've already gotten up here and shown you what they can do and what they're capable of.

They are amazing.

But what I will speak to is how we spent our time this year.

I would say at least 50% of our time was spent applying for scholarships, applying for grants, running several fundraisers throughout the year that involved all hands on deck.

And all of this work was on top of what students were already doing just to compete in the district and state competitions.

We actually had a really successful fundraiser where we had our first ever public scrimmage.

The students prepared, and we held an auction.

And we were so proud to have raised $2,500.

That was our community showing up and giving everything they had.

Garfield High School held a similar auction earlier this spring and they raised over eighty thousand dollars.

The disparities between North Seattle and South Seattle high schools cannot be overlooked as it relates to participation in this particular activity.

And not only is it disparities between North and South Seattle all of our SPS students Garfield Franklin Nathan Hale who are competing in mock trial.

May I finish.

They are facing even more barriers when they get to the competition against private schools that have so many resources that they don't even have to think about funding.

Our students are advocates.

They are speakers.

They are performers.

And they do all of this on top of the fundraising and all the other work they have to do.

And they're already advocating to change Mock Trial itself.

Franklin is responsible for getting training, anti-bias training, for judges and raters in the Mock Trial program for the entire state.

And they are here today begging you For a penny, okay, we have no funding, we have no class, we have nothing, and the work and energy that goes into trying to get those things keeps us from reaching the level of excellence that we are capable of.

They weren't given a seat at the table, they weren't even invited to dinner, but they showed up anyway.

They are creating space for themselves and all they are asking is that you give them a chair to sit on.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_39

The next speaker is Rachel Kafton.

Rachel Kafton.

Rachel will be followed by Carol and then Claudette.

SPEAKER_40

Hello, my name is Rachel Kafton and I graduated from Franklin High School in 2017. I then went on to get my BA from Loyola Marymount University in 2021. Now, during my four years at Franklin, I was a member of the mock trial class and team, three of which those years I served as a captain of the varsity team.

To say that mock trial is a lot of work is an understatement.

The workload that mock trial provided me was more than all of my other classes combined.

And I can say that for some of my college classes as well.

So thank goodness I had a class dedicated to mock trial each school day.

That helped me, you know, edit and fine tune my speeches.

It helped me not only memorize, but understand the rules of evidence and so much more.

And it's important with this to remember that mock trial, it's not a physical sport that can just be practiced with repetition and hard work.

It is an academic critical thinking sport of the mind.

And when that class transitions into competition, Franklin students learn that much more.

They learn the art of winning and losing.

They learn how to speak to a room full of people that maybe don't look anything like them.

They learn how implicit bias and prejudice plays out in the real world court of law.

Without the foundation of a class setting, my teammates and I would have floundered in these moments of frustration, panic, and unfairness.

Franklin Mock Trial prepares you for it.

It's a shame that there are budget cuts, but surely there are other avenues than cutting the Franklin Mock Trial program, which has a history of richness that extends far before I was even born.

It has changed my life for the better, and you see how it has changed these students' lives.

I dare say that this program supports the underpinnings of democracy itself, which we know is under siege and needs young adults more than ever.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Carol Hoffman.

SPEAKER_28

Hi my name is Carol Hoffman mom to an incoming freshman high school student and I'm here to request that you reconsider your cut of funding for the mock trial program.

Franklin mock trial is a nationally recognized program and a legacy built through years of hard work by Franklin students and teachers.

What you choose to support and fund is our school board since students and families a clear message as to what SPS values.

Cutting this program indicates to kids both in and out of this program that their success is not celebrated, their hard work and determination doesn't matter, and their efforts are not worthy.

It's completely demotivating for these kids to have built a top-tier program only to have funding pulled out from underneath them.

This is not an independent school where raising $20,000 would be an easy task.

We should be in awe that they are thriving, ranking in the top 10 for mock travel teams nationally, despite the deck being stacked against them.

Franklin High School, and for that sake, South End schools in general, as we've seen today.

Students deserve rich programming beyond the bare minimum of just enough to meet graduation requirements.

Mock Trial gives them access to real world skill building and problem solving and serves as a flag to colleges how dedicated, intelligent, and capable these kids are.

It gives kids who may or may not be on an athletic team an additional option where they can build community as a class during the school day, excuse me, community, foster collaboration, and connect with their peers.

Having this offered as a class during the school day makes it accessible to kids who might otherwise not be able to attend after school activities.

It also enables the required support to provide the structure and guidance necessary for a program like this.

We've seen with COVID that you can't just pick up where you left off when you cancel a program.

It would be a travesty to disrupt the upward trajectory of these kids this program this school.

Please consider the harm you're doing to these kids who are already facing so many obstacles as well as the future Franklin High School students that would miss the opportunity to join a thriving mock trial program team.

I implore you to keep the funding in place this upcoming school year and beyond.

Thanks.

SPEAKER_39

The next speaker is Claudette Bluca.

SPEAKER_03

Hi, I'm Claudette Globka.

Giving young people the opportunity to excel in an intellectually challenging arena, isn't that what high school ought to be about?

As the grandparents of one of Franklin High School's mock trial team members, my husband and I have been privileged to observe firsthand the powerful and positive effect this learning tool has had on our grandson Griffin.

We've watched these young people from a wide range of ethnic, social, and cultural backgrounds learn not only to speak confidently in public, but to do so while thinking critically and arguing articulately and fairly.

I'd like to point out here that today these are the very skills most lacking in America.

Let's remember we're living in a society where people seem to have lost the ability to talk to each other, let alone settle disputes.

Mock Trial teaches those life skills that can serve to elevate the quality and substance of our public and our private discourse.

Sports, athletics, they're great for kids, but in my opinion, no match for brain power and the ability to harness it with the joy to use it.

Franklin mocked trial with its enormous diversity, bare bones funding, and volunteer leadership when undefeated at district and state levels against private schools with virtually unlimited resources.

Indeed, Franklin's program, which twice has won national titles, is on track to do just that again as soon as next year.

The Franklin mock trial program should be held up as a showpiece of Seattle Public Schools.

I ask you today how can we preserve that.

Thanks.

SPEAKER_39

The next speaker is Marie Angeles who will be followed by Lee Hofheimer.

SPEAKER_07

Good afternoon.

My name is Marie Angeles.

I am a graduate of Franklin High School and a past participant in Franklin Mock Trial.

I'm here this afternoon to ensure that Franklin Mock Trial can continue its 30-year history of developing students in their critical thinking, advocacy, and understanding of the justice system.

Much has changed since I attended high school from 2006 to 2010, but what remains constant is the need to invest in our students and their development.

However, SPS families have shared with me how there is limited funding to even have the equipment or necessary space required to practice their sport to reduction in AP courses.

We cannot add Franklin Mock Trial to that list.

A continued investment in Franklin Mock Trial is an investment in our students and the communities they will contribute to long after high school is done.

For one alumna, mock trial was much more than an elective.

As a non-profit executive and small business owner, nothing was more valuable to her high school education than being part of the Franklin mock trial team.

Mock trial taught her critical thinking, public speaking, developing an argument, reading for purpose, constitutional law.

If we remove the course, it robs students of the opportunity to participate in a class that centers on experiential learning, develops them as a whole people, and has a lifelong impact.

For me personally, Mock Trial offered a way to actively learn that I could not find in any of my other courses.

As an SPS student, I was often creating spaces that challenged me intellectually, including building out my own math curriculum in middle school.

But when I found Mock Trial, I no longer felt alone in my academic journey.

My first role on Mock Trial was to be the pre-trial attorney, which required me to argue for or against the inclusion of evidence based on Washington state law.

Throughout college, graduate school, and now as a director of DEI, I am constantly asked to make arguments for changing systems and processing complex information.

While daunting, the support I had to tackle that pre-trial role made me capable of taking on any educational or professional challenge I faced.

I'm incredibly proud of my time in Mock Trial and this nationally recognized program that is capable of competing against some of the wealthiest and most resourced schools in the nation and win.

It would be an absolute loss if Franklin Mock Trial were to end and I ask you to reconsider your decision to terminate this class.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_39

The next speaker is Leigh Hofheimer.

Leigh Hofheimer.

Leigh will be followed by Sherilyn Crowther on the phone and then Laura Marie Rivera.

SPEAKER_25

Good afternoon.

My name is Lee Hoffheimer, and I'm speaking in support of the Franklin High School mock trial class and for continuing funding of their teaching resources.

My child, Rebecca Nachman, graduated from Franklin High School in 2016 and took the mock trial class and also was on the team.

And the mock trial class really offered her another community and another way to connect at Franklin High School.

You know, you've heard, as you've heard from so many of the gifted and erudite speakers here tonight about all the qualities of skill building and critical thinking, but it also was another place for community and connection.

And I feel like high school students need as many places as possible to find their people, to find that community and connection.

And we should support that.

And one of the things that was unique about it, as you've heard, is that it happened in a class during the daytime.

It wasn't an after school program.

It was with adults.

teachers, volunteers with structure and organization to help carry this through, which is different from maybe having your, which my child also participated in, the Frisbee team after class, after school.

So I really feel like you've, the other thing that I feel like is so critical that we've all heard today is that the program also gave, I feel like gave my daughter and the young people here in this room very clearly, the confidence and skills to persist in the face of challenges.

in the classroom, in this room, in college, in workplace, further on.

And I really feel like we want to say to everyone here, these young people, that their voices matter, their opinions matter.

We want to hold that up, and we ask you to continue the continued funding of this program and this class.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_39

The next speaker is Sherilyn Crowther.

Sherilyn Crowther.

SPEAKER_24

And you can hear me.

We can hear you.

I'm Sherilyn Crowder President Seattle Special Education PTSA.

I am here again to ask for more communication with communities students families educators and staff.

In the last two weeks fears that the June adjustment wouldn't take place created incredible anxiety.

Okay.

The June adjustments are now out.

but the information is still questionable.

Families are still asking and anxious about the shift to extended resources.

Dr. Torres says listening sessions are being planned for this summer.

Good.

That's a small start.

Why are we so quick to believe the worst?

This quote gave me some answers.

Change happens at the speed of trust.

This district wants change in special education.

You've committed to training on inclusive practices and you are taking a step to end institutional racism by merging special education pathways.

As the inclusive practices training says change requires a shift in mindset.

Shifting a mindset requires trust.

Paraphrasing Director Hampson talking about the superintendent search the role of the superintendent is not to create the vision The vision for our schools comes from our communities.

That requires information and conversation proactively shared.

Please don't rely on people searching for it.

Director Hersey has encouraged people to bring their voices to the board recognizing that only a few of us do so.

That requires outreach.

Make it accessible.

Create community spaces.

Next year will be incredibly difficult full of change.

We need to trust the district.

The less information the more rumors the more fears for the worst.

Being transparent with class changes staffing school discussions makes Let's Talk a reality.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_39

The next speaker is Laura Marie Rivera.

Laura Marie Rivera.

Laura Marie will be followed by Manuela Sly and then Jennifer Motter.

SPEAKER_20

Good afternoon.

My name is Laura Marie Rivera and I am the proud parent of four Seattle Public School students.

I'd like to invite our board our superintendent our educators and our community to examine the possibilities of a quality public education.

What would it look like if we met each student where they were at.

How would it look if we gave each of them the opportunity and support to go where their potential and hard work can take them.

And why is the only current choice to cut things.

close schools, eliminate teaching positions, defund the arts, prohibit advanced math, or destroy the mock trial team.

In today's world of imagination and opportunity, why are we having so much trouble envisioning a smarter future?

Not every student will want to take calculus, but what would be the advantage of not allowing those that do?

Not every student will become a world-class artist or musician, but does that mean we should eliminate their opportunities to try?

We have a lot of students with undiagnosed and unaddressed learning disabilities.

Would early intervention make a difference?

I think we all know that it would, and it does.

And I'm concerned about the absence of a meaningful June staffing adjustment.

With the current budget deficit and overloaded schools, the school year will start understaffed.

And SPS will wait to do a count until October 1st and then students will continue to wait until November while jobs are posted and they find new hires for the positions.

These miscalculations or conservative estimates will have the strongest impact for our students receiving special education services and our students who are furthest from educational justice.

It's important for SPS to ensure that we are fully staffed for the first day of school.

We know that the state legislature continues to fail at funding our schools even though it's their paramount duty.

Yet we must still come together as a community along with this board to take a look at what it would look like to provide each student with that quality public education and those 180 days of excellence.

Thank you for your consideration.

Thank you to our school board and thank you to all of the educators and especially our students that showed up today.

SPEAKER_39

The final two speakers tonight will be Manuela Sly followed by Jennifer Motter.

And Manuela will be assisting an additional speaker who she'll be ceding time to with interpretation.

So we'll allow a little additional time to support the interpretation.

SPEAKER_05

Good afternoon, my name is Manuela Sly, Seattle Council PTSA board member and longtime Latino community advocate.

I'm here today to speak about language justice in SPS, specifically at Seattle World School.

Seattle World School is a vibrant community of immigrant and refugee students.

Their first graduation in 2015 had 13 students moving on to college, life, and career.

This year, there will be 43 graduates whose families are looking forward to seeing their kids walk on the stage.

Most of these families are non-English speaking.

However, every year, their high school graduation is conducted in English with some student participation in their home languages, with no language interpretation for the ceremony itself.

This excludes parents from fully enjoying the event.

Without interpretation, there's no language justice for these families.

I call on SPS student services, multilingual department and Seattle World School administrators to work together to remove the language barrier and make interpretation a common practice at Seattle World School graduation.

We need one interpreter for each of SPS top five languages along with interpretation equipment SPS already owns and uses regularly.

I have faith this can be done.

I cede the rest of my time to Arcadia Gonzalez current Seattle World School parent.

She speaks Spanish and I will be serving as her interpreter.

SPEAKER_11

Good afternoon.

SPEAKER_05

My name is Arcadia Gonzalez Lopez.

SPEAKER_11

My daughter goes to school and she likes school very much.

I'm very proud of my daughter, but I do not speak English and I do not understand English.

Cuando se gradue, yo quiero verla feliz y entender todo lo que dicen los maestros y las personas que dan sus discursos.

SPEAKER_05

When she graduates, I want to see her happy and I want to be able to understand what everybody is saying, including those giving speeches.

SPEAKER_11

Por favor, pongan intérpretes para las familias.

Gracias por aceptar a mi hija en la escuela y mil gracias.

SPEAKER_05

Please provide interpreters for the ceremony for the graduation.

And thank you so much for accepting my child.

She likes school very much.

SPEAKER_39

The final speaker is Jennifer Motter.

SPEAKER_36

Good afternoon.

My name is Jennifer Modder.

I proudly serve as SEA president representing educators that work in Seattle Public Schools.

Many of are here today.

I'm here today to raise concerns with my colleagues about the district's June staffing adjustments so that SPS leadership can be proactive instead of reactive.

Every year in February each school develops a staffing plan based on the district's projected enrollment.

And these student projections are very conservative.

More so in special education and multilingual education.

By June of each year, SPS has more accurate student enrollment numbers and has historically adjusted and increased staffing.

Just today, we learned that district leaders are only predicting a very small change in enrollment from what they predicted in February, and thus are not planning on staffing adjustments at many schools.

We understand the district needs to be fiscally conservative and that enrollment projections are always difficult.

However, it is also critical that the district not be overly conservative in its projections.

Because if the district under predicts enrollment and staffing needs, then there will be real impacts to students and outcomes, especially for students with IEPs who have been and continue to be impacted by short staffing, including from the district's own hiring freeze this spring, which left dozens of vacancies unfilled.

Staff are running on fumes right now, particularly our special education staff who have bore the brunt of the hiring freeze.

And this week, they're learning there won't be any staffing adjustments until after October 1st, leaving them in overage for weeks.

As we look ahead to next school year it is critical that we get our staffing needs as updated and accurate as possible so that we can be ready to meet the needs of our students on day one of the school year.

One hundred and eighty days of excellence.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_39

That was the 20th speaker today and will conclude conclude the public testimony.

There will be a budget hearing held later in the meeting and with a sign up sheet in the back of the room.

SPEAKER_19

All right, thank you very much.

Directors, we are going to take a 10 minute recess.

Please be back at 5.55.

We are about to return to our regular scheduled programming, so if you are continuing to have conversations, we invite you to do that, just maybe not in this room.

We have now reached the consent agenda portion of today's agenda.

May I have a motion for the consent agenda?

SPEAKER_27

I move approval of the consent agenda.

SPEAKER_21

Sarju seconds.

SPEAKER_19

Approval of the consent agenda has been moved by Vice President Rankin and seconded by Director Sardieu.

Do directors have any items that they would like to pull from the consent agenda this evening.

Director Harris.

SPEAKER_08

President Hersey I'd like to take item number 17 approval of the annual highly capable program plan for 2022 23 off the consent agenda.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_19

Thank you.

Any other items.

Director Rankin.

SPEAKER_27

Sorry, I have a question on number 15, so I'd like to pull that, please.

Okay, fantastic.

SPEAKER_19

So we're looking at number 7 and 15. Fantastic.

Any others before we move for an amended motion?

All right, seeing none, may I have an amended motion for the consent agenda?

SPEAKER_27

I move approval of the consent agenda as amended.

SPEAKER_21

Sarju seconds.

SPEAKER_19

All right, the consent agenda as amended has been moved and seconded.

All those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

SPEAKER_27

Aye.

Aye.

SPEAKER_19

Aye.

Aye.

All right.

Thank you.

We will now move into action items which we will begin with or rather items that are now pulled from the consent agenda.

We will begin with number seven.

May I have a motion for act — oh yo I'm sorry.

Seventeen.

I'm tripping.

Okay.

So should we go in numerical order.

Doesn't matter.

Yeah.

Okay.

So we'll go with number 15 which is Director Rankin's.

So if you would not mind giving us a motion for that one.

SPEAKER_27

I move that the school board approve a budget increase of $20,515,000 for the Rainier Beach High School replacement project, revising the overall project budget from $256,326,417 to $276,841,417.

I further move that the school board authorize the superintendent to execute the guaranteed maximum price amendment for the contract for contract p 5160 with lighting construction incorporated in the amount of two hundred and six million five hundred and fifty six thousand two hundred and Thirty seven dollars and eight cents plus Washington State sales tax with any minor additions deletions and modifications deemed necessary by the superintendent Immediate action is in the best interest of the district

SPEAKER_21

Sargey Seconds.

SPEAKER_19

This item has been moved and seconded.

I see Mr. Best is approaching the podium.

So feel free to ask your question.

SPEAKER_27

Thank you.

Well, I have a couple of questions.

One is actually for our levy oversight representatives, was if the levy oversight committee had a chance to discuss this.

And then if they had any more information to provide.

And then my second question is, The legislative capital levy, we got the request for this project for the skill center that's about the same amount.

No, it's $12 million, $14 million, I can't remember exactly.

But I'm wondering what the if that has any impact at all on this or if those are funded as separate Projects or just what the relationship is between this Increase and the the Skills Center building and the capital money from the state Director song Ritz.

SPEAKER_18

Do you want to answer director Rankin's question first and on the back speak the oversight committee?

I

SPEAKER_14

Yes, the committee did review this item.

I'm just looking through my notes to see.

SPEAKER_27

Sorry, I didn't give you a warning ahead of time.

SPEAKER_18

Well, I'll take the second question director Rankin so Richard best director of capital projects and planning for Seattle Public Schools The state legislature did commit nine million nine hundred nine million nine hundred Just one second here nine million nine hundred Thousand six hundred nine million nine hundred fifteen thousand dollars.

Thank you for The skill center program at Rainier Beach High School skill center program was always an element of this project We were aware that we would get funding from OSPI for the skill center project we were working with representatives from both OSPI and then Washington State Legislature to ensure that we would receive the funding in the time frame in which we needed to receive the funding and The state legislature came through, and this represents a portion of the construction costs for the skill center program at Rainier Beach High School.

And it's for two specific spaces, advanced manufacturing, which previously was called aerospace manufacturing, and then the construction trades skill center class as well.

SPEAKER_14

To my notes, we just discussed why the change to the committee didn't really have any feedback.

One of the things that I wrote down was that the potential build-out of concrete tennis courts.

We had a discussion about how we do not own, as a district, any tennis courts in the south part of Seattle.

And it feels like something that is an issue of equity.

We rely on parks and recs for tennis courts.

We don't have ones that we own ourselves.

SPEAKER_27

But it sounds like they didn't have concerns about this increase.

So it seems I just wanted to sort of make sure that they had the opportunity to give feedback since I really value that input.

So thank you.

SPEAKER_19

OK.

Any additional questions on the side.

All right.

So you know Miss Wilson.

Oh sorry.

Go ahead director Harris.

SPEAKER_08

We heard from a community member in public testimony about this concept of a guarantee by the contractor.

Could you speak to those allegations please kind sir?

SPEAKER_18

Yes Director Harris thank you.

Statutorily Seattle Public Schools is not allowed to enter into a guaranteed maximum price with the general contractor until the architectural firm has issued their 95% set of construction documents.

In the current inflationary market that we all find ourselves in We have bid out the Rainier Beach High School project and this is the guaranteed maximum price that this project will costs, so for both Phase 3 and Phase 4. I will highlight that there is one element that was a bit alternate that we identified in the memo that went before you.

That was for the interior build-out, not the shell, but the interior build-out of the Performing Arts Center.

That is not included in the guaranteed maximum price at this time.

As the project progresses we will be seeing if we have money available in the construction contingency at the end of the project that we could potentially use for building out the Performing Arts Center, or if it would have to become a BEX VI capital levy element should the board at that time move forward with Building out that Performing Arts Center in addition.

There were two items that were added to the project that we know that our district athletic director and the school administration would like and that is the visitors concession stand and restroom stand and for the stadium and then also the tennis courts.

Neither of those were elements included in the BEX V levy for the replacement of Rainier Beach High School or in the BTA V levy for the fields at Rainier Beach High School.

And so we've identified those two elements, but we have not included them in the construction.

And those two could be potentially a BEX VI Capital levy element, but they were never funded by either of the two levies So I just wanted to highlight that for the school board Thank you good So given how long it took to get Rainier Beach High School on Our schedule

SPEAKER_08

And now we've got three things that are not funded.

Do we have lessons learned here that we can apply to other major renovations?

SPEAKER_18

I think, and I think I made this comment also at the BEX BT Oversight Committee, this has been a complicated project from the outset.

The COVID pandemic definitely had an impact on project schedule.

Bringing community together to have conversations was definitely extended.

But I wouldn't give up the community engagement process that we have.

We have a lot of support in the Rainier Beach High School community for this project.

And I heard earlier tonight, you need to move at the speed of trust.

And I think we need to move at the speed of trust as well in capital projects and planning.

And I think we've built a lot of trust as we design this project with the community.

So that would be the lesson I would say I've learned as we've engaged in this project.

SPEAKER_19

Thank you.

Director Rivera-Smith.

SPEAKER_22

Hi Richard.

Just to clarify real quick because it was put out there.

Are we in fact demolishing the Performing Arts Center or not?

SPEAKER_18

We are demolishing the existing Paul Robeson Performing Arts Center.

SPEAKER_22

I couldn't hear you say that again.

SPEAKER_18

We are demolishing the existing Paul Robeson Performing Arts Center as part of our project.

SPEAKER_22

OK.

OK.

Thank you because I had heard otherwise but I wanted to just find out for you.

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_19

Any other questions on this item before we move to the vote.

All right.

Thank you.

Miss Wilson Jones roll call please.

SPEAKER_39

Director Song Moritz.

Director Hampson.

Aye.

Director Harris.

Aye.

Vice President Rankin.

Aye.

Director Rivera-Smith.

SPEAKER_22

Aye.

SPEAKER_39

Director Sarju.

SPEAKER_21

Aye.

SPEAKER_39

President Hersey.

SPEAKER_19

Aye.

SPEAKER_39

This motion is passed unanimously.

SPEAKER_19

Thank you very much.

We will now move to item number 17. Do we have a staff member?

SPEAKER_27

Do I need to make a motion?

SPEAKER_19

Yeah, we need a motion.

SPEAKER_27

I move that the board approve the highly capable program plan as attached to the board action report for submission to OSPI for school year 2022-2023 and that the school board authorize the superintendent to apply for the allocation of funds from OSPI.

SPEAKER_21

Sargi seconds.

SPEAKER_19

Thank you very much.

This has been moved and seconded.

Director Harris, given that you pulled the item, feel free to ask your questions.

SPEAKER_08

I'm not going to ask a question, make a very short statement.

We spoke at introduction of this item about my concerns of the lack of a clear through line to all of the changes that have been made in advanced learning.

and the distress of many members of the community.

Still getting e-mails, certainly, as I believe we all are.

But my most significant concern is there is no there, there in advanced learning in the sense there is no special curriculum.

It is An issue that has come up for decades.

And and I think we can do a whole lot better.

But I do not feel comfortable signing something to OSPI that we're doing a good job on advanced learning.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_19

Questions comments.

Go ahead director Rankin.

SPEAKER_27

In the same vein as no, they're there the funding that this provides the formula that The state uses is directed by well, actually, I'm not sure if it was directed by the state legislature or determined by OSPI but this we are one of a handful, I think, of states that has a state law that requires that we identify and serve students who are highly capable.

And then the state gives a decent amount of leeway for how highly capable is actually defined.

But the funding that they give is based on 5%, the top 95th percentile of students.

And we have in Seattle 11%?

11% of our students who qualify.

So already, if this funding is intended to meet the needs of students who are identified as highly capable, we already are starting off with, I mean, this is a common theme.

But we're already starting off with the funding given with the intent to meet a certain need that doesn't meet the level that we have identified as our level of need in our district.

And then there's some other, maybe Director Summers might know off the top of her head, I can't remember exactly, but there's other assumptions in the way that this funding comes about the number of students in a class, which is like, half the number of students that we actually have in a classroom.

So I mean on the one hand I'm like of course I want to vote to authorize our superintendent to to claim those funds.

In the bigger picture and kind of more I think what Director Harris was getting at.

It used to be that that money was mostly used to, and I talked about this at intro, mostly used to provide, to do the identification that required, you know, a weekend, alternative location, hiring extra staff to do it.

And that's basically where all the money went.

So I think my question is, I do have one, looking forward to next year, And looking at our policy that we control, where can we get better alignment between the resources that we're given and the direct application to the students who are supposed to benefit?

And then I would also like just to see us further identify what the difference is between service provided and funding that is being provided.

Because according to our state, this is basic education.

And so the better we can get about being really clear that we have identified X number of students based on X criteria as being qualified to receive these services, and we get this amount of money to do with and describe what the difference is, the better positioned we are to talk about the needs of our students and our district when we go through this annual process.

Oh yeah.

So so what what could we do in policy to help direct that alignment.

SPEAKER_50

Thanks so much for the question director Rankin.

At this time I'm not certain that we're going to need some policy support and let me share a couple examples with you.

One of the things that our program manager who's here with me Dean Barry's been able to do is we are fully aware that in the past a good portion of that money was going to identification.

Which in some ways does make sense, because if you're thinking about 11% of our students, it is going to take that much time to really dig through, especially using subjective measures to really get an assessment of students.

But one of the things that she's been really skilled at when she's looking at the funding is, how do we still make sure that some of this funding is impacting the needs of our students?

And so one of the things that her and her team have been working on is through her specialists that she has in her department, they're doing really tight work with our CAI team, Curriculum Academic Instruction team now, to look at our current curricular resources and support them in understanding how do you use these instructional materials and resources with students who are highly capable and advanced learning in your classroom.

And so those connections are happening now.

So some of the funding that we're getting is actually supporting that work moving forward.

And she's even earmarked some funds for this summer for some summer work to be done to further do some curricular development in those areas with our curricular teams so that our teachers can feel more prepared when and if they do have students who are highly capable or advanced learning designated in their classrooms.

SPEAKER_27

Thank you.

SPEAKER_14

I recognize this is about 22-23 school year but I am curious what changes do we anticipate in the identification process for the 23-24 school year?

SPEAKER_51

I think there will be, can you hear me?

My voice is not very loud, especially this time of the evening.

We have been working very intently with a great deal of research backing throughout the spring and summer with the input that we get from teachers, leaders, families about the process and the communication about the process.

There will be some tweaks to what the system is right now because we're not satisfied that we're able to see the students that need services fully by what we're doing.

But we are going to stay consistent.

I think last year what people felt was a big swell of a lot of trying to find kids without very much data.

And so we added a few other pieces of data.

We created a demonstrative performance tool to add to our already existing assessments in the district so that we wouldn't need to waste money on different kinds of assessments that happen at a time and place where our kids furthest from educational justice can't really access it.

So, in answer to your question, it's not going to look much different.

Our communication around what are all the pieces that are required to get this eligibility will be clearer for families.

We acknowledge that was really hard.

We were extraordinarily consistent, calibrated within our team in making those decisions, but it still was rather difficult.

So not too many changes, but they'll be upfront, clear.

We'll be finished by the end of next week.

We're not creating into the fall, and we're really excited about the work that we're gonna do on the support end, right?

We feel like we've spent all this time during COVID looking at how do we identify kids?

Well, we've gotta serve kids, and we've gotta serve kids much better.

So you'll see some exciting things happen.

SPEAKER_14

My second question is, I know there was a survey sent to families.

Is there a parallel survey that will be sent to educators and building leaders?

SPEAKER_51

We're not doing a global one, but we have been consistently sending out for feedback at each step of the process this year.

We have a lot of feedback.

We have a parent, a group of practitioner work group for families, and that group has been canvassing and reaching out every time we do something new in this different process.

SPEAKER_19

Any other questions comments.

OK.

Seeing none Ms. Wilson-Jones a roll call please.

SPEAKER_39

Vice president.

Oh sorry this is inaccurate.

Let me double check.

Director Hampson.

Aye.

Director Harris.

Aye.

Director of Vice President Rankin.

Aye.

Director Rivera-Smith aye Director Sarju aye Director Song-Moritz nay President Hersey aye.

This motion has passed with a vote of 5 yes to 2 no.

SPEAKER_19

All right.

Thank you very much.

I believe that addresses the two items that have been removed from the consent agenda.

We will now move into our action items.

All right.

For action items for today's agenda action item number one is the selection of student board members for the twenty twenty three twenty four school year.

May I have a motion.

SPEAKER_27

Yes except for that I just put the wrong piece of paper in front of me.

Thank you.

Sorry.

I move that the board select Luna Crone-Barone, Ayush Muthuswamy, and Lola Vandernute as the three school board student members for the 2023-24 school year.

Immediate action is in the best interest of the district.

SPEAKER_21

Sarju enthusiastically says yes.

Second.

SPEAKER_19

I love it.

It's all good.

As board sponsor I will be introducing this board action this evening and I am thrilled to be joined by members of the student selection committee and introduction.

We have one.

You raise your hand.

Hi.

Thank you.

Oh we have two.

Awesome.

Thank you.

This board action will approve.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So this board action will approve the finalists recommended by the student led selection committee.

There was an extensive application and review process to select the three finalists from the 21 applicants across the district.

Tonight we will be voting on the appointment of Aiyush Muthswani and Lola Vandernute and the reappointment of student director Luna Chrome-Beron.

We'll have the opportunity to meet all of the students after the vote and an oath of office celebration in the fall.

I'll now pass it over to our selection committee members to speak to the work that they did this cycle.

SPEAKER_01

So hi everyone.

I'm Took today and this is my second year on selection committee and I'm a sophomore at West Seattle High School.

And first I'd like to acknowledge that we have Ryan and Chayton who won't be able to make it here but they also did put a lot of time into it.

And I'd additionally like to congratulate our school board student members for making it this year.

It's been a tough call and I wish them success in this position.

So six months ago in the cold, rainy January, it's hard to imagine now, but we began our selection process for this year and Personally, I was really excited because it was my second year doing this.

And whether it was our first time or second time, we realized it was a chance to grow as leaders, meet new people, and learn about students who are talented and interested in this position.

So we all decided to embark on a long journey that was really different from last year with a new process and new people.

And it was really hard to make the cuts and do the decisions and having people missing, we had to be able to compensate this accurately so that all decisions were heard.

Additionally, we reviewed hours of applications and videos and interviews.

And trust me, it does take a lot of time.

And as a team, we knew that these seats were really important because they give a student's voice.

So we kept persevering through those tough times and cramming time into our school days or canceling activities.

And it's so incredible to see today how six months of progress has finally made it right in front of us.

So to conclude, being a committee member took an incredible amount of dedication, hurdles, tough calls, and sacrificing time.

Many of us chose to serve on the committee instead of being as a member because we wanted to search for this talent across our district.

And we hope that next year we can expand the amount of applicants and reach more people and make our lives a bit more tough.

But it's always worth the sacrifice for sure.

Although we may only present tonight, Once for this entire year, we hope that you remember our work and commitment to finding talented students across the district that are up to the challenge to be a school board student member.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_29

Hello my name is Annie Small and I'm a freshman from Lincoln High School.

As a member of the selection committee how we reviewed the applicants is we created rubrics with attributes and qualities that we wanted to see in student board members.

Applicants wrote made video and finally got interviewed by us.

And we here at the selection committee reviewed scored and talked about candidates Thursday after school.

Our committee kept a few attributes in mind when we reviewed the candidates.

We sought out students who showed signs of leadership teamwork and a sincere desire to better SPS.

Additionally we sought out kids who represented the diversity of SPS.

Being a member of a representative role requires a responsibility and a being able to act for the whole student body.

We wanted to be certain that we chose people for the position who are qualified for the job.

The goal for this policy is allow students to have a voice in their education creating a space where students can be heard and seen as the first step to creating a more welcoming environment where students can thrive and flourish.

Everyone in the selection committee are students students who understand the importance of voice in our communities.

Having students in the process of making and changing the services that impact them is essential for improvement.

As a team we hope that the new student board members are ready to represent us students.

We wish them good luck.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_19

All right.

I believe we now have time for a five minute recess.

Oh actually.

Yeah the student.

OK.

Fantastic.

So student finally speaking.

I'm sorry I'm confused in this point.

Oh I think I just went through it too quickly.

I'm so sorry.

We now have an opportunity to hear from our three finalists if they would like to offer comments this evening.

It is not a requirement but we would love to hear from you.

SPEAKER_34

Hello my name is Lola.

I'm from West Seattle High School and I'm a junior and I'm super honored and super super excited to work with you guys.

You guys seem like such a great and fun committee and I've loved sitting here and listening to your talks and reactions this whole time and I'm excited to work with you.

Thank you so much for this opportunity.

SPEAKER_19

I really hope we don't ruin that impression.

Very excited.

Thank you.

Take it away.

SPEAKER_00

Hello my name is Ayush Muthuswamy and I'm a junior at Lincoln High School.

I just want to start off by saying I'm so honored to have been chosen by the selection committee and I'm really excited to serve as a student school board member in this upcoming year.

And I just wanted to speak to why I chose to apply as student school board member.

And I think throughout my time in Seattle Public Schools in my almost now 15 years or 13 years in the district I've noticed just of divide between our decision makers and the students who those decision makers serve.

And that divide is present both in our classrooms at our schools and at the school board level too.

And it can be frustrating as a student to see myself and my peers be put into daily situations in which the decisions are being made without us in places with the door closed.

So I think in part that frustration and hope for a better future is what's led me to apply for this role and I'm really grateful that I've been selected and I'm looking forward to working with all of you this next year.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_19

Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Hey y'all, it's me again.

So, ooh, this thing is going crazy, so I'm just gonna pull it out.

I decided to reapply with the one central focus that I can think of as my central focus, that I said the same thing last year, is my love for this community, my love for my peers, is my driving force in all that I do.

And even though that this has been being a student school board member has been an exceedingly challenging and exceedingly sometimes frustrating process being in this system that really sucks a lot of the time.

A system that does not have space in it for student voice, the necessary space in it for student voice and to be this kind of trailblazer, the three of us, Nasira, Jenna and I, it's been rough but it has also been so valuable and so extraordinary to be able to not only create these relationships with these incredible people but to know that we are building the foundation for all the incredible work for many student school board members to come.

And so in this coming year as I talked about earlier when we were having our little celebration what I ask of you my fellow directors and superintendent is to show us.

that we are important to you and that our voices are important here.

Show us in your action that we are not just political ploys, that we are not just public speaking figures, but that we are important change makers and you are listening, not only listening, but taking all of our opinions and all of our words and the time that we are giving you as kids, we are giving you, our adults, time.

Our time and and and our thoughts and and our labor and we ask of you That you show us that you care and you show us that we are wanted here.

I was talking to Superintendent Jones the other day and or a couple weeks ago now well time passes fast and one of the things I said was a really simple way we can start this is for example if Take a moment in this process, in board meetings, even here in board meetings, take moments after consent agenda items, after things that are about to be voted on, and take a moment to check if student board members have anything to say.

if student board members have anything they need to be heard before these pieces go forward.

Because it is so important to show us that you care about us.

And it's such a vital first step in showing all of the students in our schools, and our educators, and our staff members, that you really care.

Because I know each and every one of you do.

I know you as humans now, and I know that you care.

And I and I really need to in this next year see it.

And that's what I will continue to work to do.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_19

Thank you.

Very actionable steps.

So we will work those into our talking points.

So thank you.

Really appreciate it.

All right.

Let me see.

I believe now we have time for celebration.

Well yeah.

All right.

All right.

I believe we are now at the point where we will call for the vote.

So Miss Wilson-Jones a roll call please.

SPEAKER_39

Director Rivera-Smith aye Director Sarju aye Director Song-Moritz aye Director Hampson

SPEAKER_26

Aye.

SPEAKER_39

Director Harris.

Aye.

Vice President Rankin.

Aye.

President Hersey.

SPEAKER_19

Excitedly aye.

SPEAKER_39

This motion has passed unanimously.

SPEAKER_19

Awesome.

All right we will take another five minutes recess.

Tight five.

Y'all did a good job of coming back.

I haven't even finished.

The bell does not dismiss you.

J.K.

chill chill chill.

It's just a teacher joke.

Come on.

Give me some slack.

I can't have no fun up here.

We're going to take five minutes to meet with our new student board members and then we will be back here promptly.

I'm even going to give you an extra minute at 640. So thank you very much.

See you back here in six.

Hey, y'all.

I really don't want to be rude, but one of y'all told me y'all trying to get up out of here at seven, so.

All right the board is now back in session.

And we will be moving on to action item number two which is approval of the OSPI school waiver application requesting a waiver for the 180 day school year requirement for emergency school closure selection of school board student members.

Wait that is a typo.

I'm sorry.

Approval of the OSPI school waiver application requesting a waiver for the 180 day school year requirement for the emergency school closures.

So may I have a motion.

SPEAKER_27

Yes.

I move that the school board approve the superintendent school emergency closure application to OSPI which requests permission for Seattle Public Schools to not make up one missed a school day at Aki Kurose Middle School on May 26 2023. Immediate action is in the best interest of the district.

SPEAKER_21

It's hard you seconds.

SPEAKER_19

All right, those have been moving properly seconded.

Do we have a staff member?

Hello?

Take it away.

SPEAKER_09

Good evening board directors.

I am Marnie Campbell, interim co-assistant superintendent of operations.

So I'll just give you a brief rundown.

We were notified on May 19th by King County Health that there had been a positive identification of a student with measles.

That was on a Friday evening, the student had not attended school that week but was in school the prior week.

So working with the Department of Health we notified families the following day.

Although we were able to quickly identify students who do not have a documented immunity, that is students who have been vaccinated for the measles.

We keep those records for students health King County and the Seattle Department of Health both requested or rather recommended that we also have documentation for staff.

If you've tried to look up your measles records, if you're my age, that could go a ways back.

If you're not from Seattle, if you're not from the state of Washington, we do have a system in the state of Washington that allows you to look up your immunizations if you live here.

For many people that was just going to be very, very difficult.

We tried to put a plan in place to get that information, but we also notified staff that if they were in a vulnerable state and there are just certain health conditions that make you more vulnerable to measles, We did request that they stay away from school, but it was determined that for the week's time, the following week, that we would go into remote instruction.

The school board, given when the student last attended school, I mean, sorry, not the school board, the Department of Health, felt like June 2nd would be the last day of a potential quarantine-like situation, not exactly a quarantine.

So it was determined that we would go into remote learning, but that the staff members needed a day to prepare for that, to make sure that they had lessons ready to go.

We worked with them to make sure that they felt good about the instruction that was taking place during that week.

But we also felt that we need to waive and not make up that one day, which was a Friday.

SPEAKER_19

Report.

Do we have any questions or comments on this item?

Go ahead Director Rivera.

SPEAKER_22

I have a question it's actually it's about waivers and it's an overarching question that probably nobody wants me to ask but I kind of feel compelled to ask it.

So right now we have a lot of seniors about to graduate.

They don't have school.

A lot of them aren't having classes right now this last week.

How does that work.

We have to get waivers for that.

How do they have less school instructional days than everyone else.

SPEAKER_09

We are still holding school in those schools.

So if students are taking finals I mean that is part of the assessment which is part of instruction.

So technically we are not suspending school on those days.

SPEAKER_22

And I get that.

But the seniors aren't attending the last week some of them.

Every school is a little different I understand.

But some of them are taking the seniors aren't actually in class for the last few days.

And I'm again nobody was going to ask this.

It's not.

I mean we want to let them have that time.

I get it.

I just want to understand how it works out for us to still meet our obligation of the amount of days of school all students should be.

SPEAKER_09

They should be in school on this.

The school should be held on those days.

We are not.

We there's been no agreement that we would not hold school on those days.

SPEAKER_22

Schools being held.

Yeah.

OK.

Maybe we'll talk about this off.

But it's something I'm wondering because I have a senior and it was odd to me that there's no classes at certain points in the year.

But yeah we'll talk more.

SPEAKER_09

Well I mean there's I mean there's there should be classes being held if students are choosing not to go.

I mean that's a different and perhaps there's some cultural social agreement to not go to school but that's not official.

SPEAKER_22

OK.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_09

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_19

Any other questions comments.

All right.

Seeing none Ms. Wilson-Jones roll call please.

SPEAKER_39

Director Sarju aye Director Song-Moritz aye Director Hampson aye Director Harris aye Vice President Rankin aye.

Director Rivera-Smith.

Aye.

President Hersey.

SPEAKER_19

Aye.

SPEAKER_39

This motion is passed unanimously.

SPEAKER_19

Awesome.

Thank you so much.

We will now move into the introduction items on today's agenda.

So the first on our introduction items is our public hearing on the budget.

The 2023-24 recommended budget rather.

We will now move into our public hearing portion of the meeting regarding the 2023-24 recommended budget.

Testimony sign ups.

Oh I'm sorry.

I'm in the wrong spot.

Might just be in the wrong place.

Yeah.

SPEAKER_39

Oh it's just this.

SPEAKER_19

Oh OK.

Oh OK cool.

Yeah.

Got you.

SPEAKER_39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_19

Awesome.

Appreciate it.

All of the paper.

Okay, so we will now be going into our proper introduction items.

The first one is the amendment and renaming of Board Policy Number 3201, Disciplinary Appeal Council, renamed Discipline Appeal Council, and the repeal of Board Procedure 3201BP, Disciplinary Appeal Council Procedure.

Take it away.

SPEAKER_21

This board action report follows through on commitments we made through multiple board and committee discussions to review and revise our policy for the discipline appeal council.

The board action report before us repeals our current procedure and replaces our policy with language that more clearly articulates the rights of students and their families to appeal certain disciplined actions, to be told about their appeal rights, and to understand and participate in the process.

Director of Policy and Board Relations Ellie Wilson-Jones has collaborated with me in this work.

And so now I will pass it to her to address some of the test technical aspects of what is before us now.

SPEAKER_39

Thank you Director Sargeau Ellie Wilson-Jones director of policy and board relations.

So just quick sort of orientation to the DAC or reorientation so the Discipline Appeal Council also called the DAC is the board's appointed body to hear secondary appeals for suspensions expulsions and emergency expulsions which are also now called emergency removals under state law.

Director Sarju has highlighted the need for students to have appeal rights afforded to them and also to make those meaningful for them to know about those appeal rights.

So I'll just take a moment to restate those appeal rights as is also done in the materials.

But students have a right to conference with a school leader regarding those discipline actions that I listed.

And if they disagree with the school leader's decision they have a right to appeal further to a hearing examiner which serves as the superintendent's designee essentially.

If they disagree with the outcome of that first appeal to the hearing examiner, they have a right to a secondary appeal to the Discipline Appeal Council.

So that's the body that we're talking about today.

As Director Sargi mentioned, this board action report would repeal your current procedure, your current board procedure, and then also replace your existing board policy language with a more thorough statement to families about their rights to appeal.

These discipline actions and also how that process works This policy also reshapes the composition of your discipline appeal council.

I think that's an issue that the board has focused on in your existing policy, so It's your designee and your discipline appeal council would be comprised primarily of community members under this revised policy language and Students will have their appeals decided by a three member panel that includes a member that is representative of the student's race or ethnicity if such a member is on the Discipline Appeal Council and available.

This is one piece where Director Sarju most directly channeled the board's earlier discussions about this policy and procedure.

Under the changes being proposed, the current policy and procedures presumptions are essentially flipped with respect to the council's composition.

So right now, your policy and procedure presumes that the council should reflect the overall student body, which we know that we have a disproportionality in our discipline system.

So by matching your overall student body, we are guaranteeing that students are not your policy wouldn't dictate a DAC that is representative of the students who are most impacted by discipline.

So the policy language would state that this would be acknowledged in your policy and then it commits the board to recruiting and appointing members to the council that are reflective of the students who are most impacted by discipline.

Once the board approves the revised policy the next steps would be for the board to identify a board director or board directors to participate in the recruitment and selection process and for you to then close out the next selection process by October.

SPEAKER_19

Do directors have any questions about this item.

Lit.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

All right.

Moving on to action item number two transportation excuse me.

Gosh give me a second to correct myself.

Transportation service standards 2023 24. Approval of this item.

Well I'm not going to read all that.

So we have introduction item number two.

Dr. Campbell is approaching the podium.

Take it away.

SPEAKER_09

Good evening again and I also have Director Richard here who is our Transportation Director.

So every year we submit for review our transportation service standards.

You have them before you.

There are some adjustments that you are likely aware of in terms of some discontinuation of some routes and some services.

Largely due to our effort to reduce our operating deficit, which is a deficit that is contributing to our overall district deficit.

We also have some start times which have traditionally or historically been added.

Although there's some question to that we do have 12 schools that are shifting their start time either to Tier 1 or to Tier 2 in order to as is as is requested and and recommended to be more efficient to run to transport as many students as possible with as few buses as possible which is in line with the way that the state funds us.

Any questions?

SPEAKER_19

Go ahead Director Summers.

SPEAKER_14

I'm wondering why the supplemental shuttle services for the high schools was targeted for cost savings.

SPEAKER_09

So no other high school students in the city of Seattle receive transportation.

These were seen as over and above our regular transportation service standards.

And so in looking for ways to looking for services that we're providing that don't really fall within both the letter and the spirit of how we provide transportation.

These seem like places where we could go.

We also know that Metro is now free to all people ages 18 and under in the city of Seattle and Metro has also increased its coverage.

So the ability for students to to use Metro has increased.

Did you want to add to that Mr. Richard?

SPEAKER_19

OK.

All right.

Any other questions.

Director Rankin.

SPEAKER_27

I have a question that I don't need an answer to right now but the question is what would be the better time and place to have the conversation which is about.

It's really I guess about partnership between the city and the school district about student safety.

And I've heard concerns from families just about where they change buses that in order to that if there's no longer a shuttle in order to get to school they're going to take multiple buses and there's concern about where.

Where they would need to transfer buses and safety in those those areas, and I know that that's you know It's it's metro transportation We don't have authority over that and that the city is responsible for for supporting us with safe routes to and from school but my question I guess is is How how are we thinking about student.

How do we address student safety I guess as a school district when we're having students come come to our buildings related to these changes.

Is that something that was taken into consideration or what can we do also from the board to ensure that we're supporting the safety of our students.

SPEAKER_10

And Dr. Campbell.

Do you feel comfortable talking about some of our safe route work that we do.

OK please.

SPEAKER_09

Absolutely I just wanted to say that thousands of our high school students use Metro every day.

This is how we and so we want to be clear on that.

I believe Mr. Richard has a person in his house right now who rides Metro to high school so we've talked about that certainly we recognize that there are parts of the city that are not as well served and that do require transfers.

That said, we do have a manager in our department of Safe Routes to Schools who collaborates with a counterpart in the city.

In fact, our in-house person recently moved to that position in the city and she has created some handouts that are specific to the schools that are being impacted that outline many, many tools that can be used in order to Both find routes and and increase their sense of safety There are also links on our website.

I mean, I realize that that's not Ideal always but we are endeavoring to use those resources that Metro has provided To make sure that we're empowering our students also utilizing those services that are there in our community To make sure that they do feel empowered and safe in in utilizing Metro and other means of getting to school

SPEAKER_19

Any other questions?

SPEAKER_27

I'll just add that I have a student that rides Metro to and from school every day.

Thank you.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_19

Director Rivera-Smith.

SPEAKER_22

Thank you.

I see that there's 12 schools that will be changing start and end times for the year.

I'm not seeing a correlation there in the community engagement section about engagement that was done with those 12 schools specifically.

Can you tell me what engagement was done with those families of those 12 schools?

SPEAKER_09

Absolutely.

So initially, you know, the determination of which schools would change start times was something that came about because of analysis of routes within routing areas.

So it wasn't so much a question of who, and I know you're not suggesting this, but who would like to change start times.

We tried to find those ones that would yield the maximum benefit while also not overly targeting any one part of the city.

We presented those start time changes on May 3rd to you to this body which was those were then published to the community.

We then sent out translated notifications to staff and students on May 5th that gave them several weeks of time before May 31st to submit a school choice form if that was not going to work for them.

So, we also held a town hall last week to engage.

We also have used Let's Talk so as people have submitted their concerns we have provided live and real-time feedback.

Again, more about helping to support the transition.

We also work very closely with our school partnerships office because we know that child care is critical.

So we actually reached out to our childcare school based childcare partners prior to the announcements that they could be prepared to start working on adjusting their hours if that's something that's necessary.

And we continue to provide again live responses to questions as they come into us.

SPEAKER_22

So what was the feedback from those communities regarding the changes?

SPEAKER_12

Well, not nearly as much as you'd think, and it was very welcome considering the, not as much as you'd think, and it was welcome considering the amount of feedback that we got last year for a much more substantial, albeit less cost effective, but what I found to be telling was that if our goal was to, or if our means was to move from a first year to a second, We got pushback from that, but we also got pushback in the other way, and for the same reasons.

So I drew from that that people were resistant to change overall, but that's to be expected.

Hopefully, you know, and I think in the future we'll be able to maybe drill down a little better, but these are good, demonstrably effective changes.

SPEAKER_22

I'm then from that feedback and clearly resistance to change there were not always compromises but you know were mitigation were things brought forward that could help people in the transition?

I mean what do you mean for what's going on as far as that?

SPEAKER_09

Well let me say first of all thank you for the question and thank you Mr. Richard.

We actually heard from quite a few people that this is a positive and welcome change.

I want to add that to that and that.

So for those people who engage with us I would say one of the biggest things we've heard is is child care.

And so we are working with our partnership office to make sure that if that's possible that we can make that available.

SPEAKER_22

Yeah.

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_19

Absolutely.

Great questions.

Any others.

OK.

Seeing none.

OK.

Yep.

Buzzer beater.

SPEAKER_26

Go for it Director Hampson.

Please don't feel that you have to answer this here.

I'm just curious if we're getting feedback from folks involved in safe routes to school about shifting in times.

that maybe at one point were safer or considered safe travel times and have become less safe.

That's something that has been noticed or that we're experiencing.

SPEAKER_09

I would say one important thing is that it would be last year's proposal to move to three start times which had a very early and a very late time was clearly problematic so that when you take that very early time and then you add on to that the timing of the route that seemed like a very dark and early time of the day to be waiting for a bus.

We have so we felt like this was a solution that stuck with our existing times So if if the feel is that this is too early when most elementary school students are with our first tier And so some tier two folks were unhappy about that but that is the reality for many many of our students and certainly we want to be aware of and The way winter works in Seattle, when the sun comes up, when the sun goes down, but we have been able to stick with our existing start times which we feel like are start times that we are currently working with as a community.

But that being said, we certainly are looking at and attentive to where those spots and those places that do feel less safe and that's exactly the work that we're doing with Safe Routes to Schools.

SPEAKER_19

All right.

Any other questions.

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_09

Thank you.

SPEAKER_19

OK moving into introduction item number three resolution of the 2022 23 dash 19 fixing and adopting the 2023 24 budget.

Let's go.

SPEAKER_06

Thank you, President Hersey, Brett Podesta, Interim Deputy Superintendent.

I did want to acknowledge that we're joined today by our new Assistant Superintendent of Finance, Kurt Buttleman, and we've talked a lot.

We've talked a lot about the need for multi-year planning to think about the future, funding our future as we've said, and it's really great to have leadership on board as we start that process.

As Dr. Jones noted, this is really tying a bow on a lot of work that the board has done for months.

Since October, we've had six work sessions and I'm glad that people find this to be a fun committee to join because I think those work sessions were probably the most fun you've had over the course of the last several months.

But I can't express gratitude enough for the board's interest.

Very significant challenges financially.

I think those present great opportunities, which the board has approached this with that attitude.

So, and we redesigned the budget process a bit.

We have more work to do in that those work sessions culminated in your support May 10th of fiscal stabilization plan.

Because the challenges were big we really wanted to get concrete board feedback on the big moves we had to make to try to get to a balanced budget for the 23 24 fiscal year.

And so again I want to thank the board I want to thank my colleagues across the district who really were very creative and approach the budget in a collaborative fashion and really examine things that we hadn't before.

As again we really focused.

in terms of trying to find cost reduction things that are really managed out of the central office.

There were a couple and we took measures in this year to try to control spending this year.

There were some, I don't know, References to a hiring freeze, I do just want to clarify that any hiring freeze we've done in the current year applied to the central office was not about school-based staff.

So while we have staffing issues and we have recruiting issues, it's not.

those and our process in trying to balance this budget has been to try to preserve resources schools to the best possible.

We have made adjustments that you're going to see and what our goal for this next introduction is we got direction from the board that you supported in terms of.

what kind of actions to take the budget that we're introducing now kind of represents the answer and formalizes that you've all seen the beautiful budget book that we have with our students art.

And then lastly I'd really like to thank Director Sebring the director and her budget team who have guided us through a really challenging process and I'm really glad to be here tonight.

So.

We have a short presentation that outlines what's in the budget and again reflecting the direction that we've got from you along the way at all those work sessions and in the adoption of our fiscal stabilization plan.

So I think we're here and it's showtime.

Thank you.

Kurt, any remarks you'd like to make on your, you know this is the second day so that's a big moment.

SPEAKER_23

We're going to turn over to Linda.

Thank you for having me.

It's an honor and privilege to be a part of this group and I look forward to working with you in the future on the opportunities as Fred presented them going forward with the budget and how we better serve our community here in Seattle.

So thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_10

Dr. Buddleman is being very humble about who he is and what he's going to do but he comes to us from many years doing multiple roles at Seattle Seattle colleges.

One one of the times that he was there he he had actually chief financial officer of the year.

I mean the talent and the wherewithal that he has around what we need to do is definitely applicable to our challenges right now.

So we're just happy to have.

Dr. Buttleman on the team and you all be very very kind to him.

We need to retain him We have a lot of work to do and he's gonna be right at the center of it.

SPEAKER_19

Thank you Thank you very much and with that are we ready to open it up for questions or we have a presentation sorry go ahead

SPEAKER_52

It is a short presentation.

SPEAKER_19

So by all means.

SPEAKER_52

So I just wanted to reemphasize you should have had a copy of the budget book.

And this is my favorite part of the budget book is picking out the art.

My staff actually did it this year.

So it happens when you take some time off.

So brief presentation as Mr. Podesta mentioned on the 23-24 recommended budget.

I know we've had a lot of detailed conversation on it.

So what you're going to see here is just some summary information.

You can find a lot more details in this book.

So with that, let's dive in please.

So the agenda, I'm going to talk about the summary, which is what the technical part the board approves, which is what is our total expenditures by each fund.

A little overview of where we are in enrollment and where we think we're going in enrollment.

Our general fund resources and expenditures, where they're coming from, and different ways that the state measures where our expenses and our money goes.

And that's the general fund portion.

Then we'll talk a little bit about, very little bit about the other funds.

The appendix has a couple attachments.

Thank you for pointing out that the links didn't work, but that's why we put the page numbers there, too, in case the links don't work.

I believe that was the only change to the presentation was the links should be working now.

So let me know if they aren't.

Let's go to the next slide, please.

So I apologize for the small print.

My eyes are getting old too.

But what you're seeing on there is a page in the budget book.

This is the summary of the funds the district has the general fund is on the left.

The associate student body fund the capital programs fund the debt service fund and then our total funds.

So the important line on there is line four, total expenditures, where we are getting close to $1.7 billion in total across all of those four funds.

Next slide.

So there's two different ways of looking at enrollment, as I know you all have heard over and over again.

This is the October headcount, which is traditionally the high point for districts.

There's little anomalies happening now coming out of COVID that I think May was our high point for student counts.

So headcount is the total number of kids sitting in the seats.

And the red line is an estimate of where we're at with 22 23 and then the far right one is where we're projected for 23 24. So we are still on a downward trend.

We haven't quite leveled off yet.

Next slide.

This is how we get funded by the state.

This is enrollment looking at annual average full time equivalency.

So if students are in other programs that might take them out of their traditional secondary school or they graduate early or they move or come into the district at a later date.

They don't count as a 1.0 unless they're here with us for the whole school year.

So the number is showing 23 24. You have the budget in blue and the actual in red.

So you'll notice that we had a slight uptick above what we had anticipated for 22 23. It is still below where we were in 21 22. And then there's an anticipated further drop down in 23 24. In your board action report and the resolution you'll see the four-year forecast of where we are planning on for enrollment as well as how that might affect our revenues and expenditures.

Next slide please.

Next.

So this is the general fund.

This is our major source of resources.

And what you're seeing, again, these are subsets of document information that's in your book.

On the far left, you have your actuals.

So what did we get for actual state revenue, local taxes, federal revenue, other revenues?

other resources, and then fund balance use.

Then we go into the budget for 22-23 and the budget proposed for 23-24 and where you're seeing significant changes.

So the line I'll call to your attention is probably the second to last one where it says fund balance.

And remind everybody that this is some of our bigger conversation.

We built the 22-23 budget planning to use a large portion of fund balance.

So going into 23-24, we don't have that level of fund balance still available.

to use.

So there's a reduction in our draw on the fund balance because at some point it will be going away.

A couple other things to point out is federal resources there is a combination of ups and downs, but that's affecting our ESSER funds is one of those things.

Next year is the last year we will have the federal ESSER funds.

Next slide.

So now into expenditures.

There's three different ways the state looks at expenditures.

One of them is by program.

So regular education, special education, multilingual learners, food services, transportation, these are all considered programs.

This slide is set up the same way as the others where actual expenses adopted budget and recommended.

What you'll see on this is some of the conversations we've been having about we're shifting our special education program.

It is the largest increase that we are showing between our budget for 22-23 and 23-24 of a $44 million, $44.5 million increase for a total of $248 million for special education costs.

So I know we had some conversation earlier about wanting additional resources.

There are a lot of resources going into next year and I know we have some challenges finding all those capable people to work with our students but we are putting a lot of resources in there.

You'll scroll down through some of those and look at them and you'll recognize We have we're counting on people transportation changes Food services is down slightly because the federal government is no longer paying for everybody to have free food so now that it's shifted into a Not free for everybody.

There is a reduction in food services as it realigns with pre kovat types of quantities of meals served Next slide.

This is just a visual of what I just went over.

You see the biggest blue is our regular instruction.

It's 43.4 percent of our total budget.

Special education has moved into 21.2 percent and then support services at 18.9 and then the categories get smaller as you go along.

Next slide.

Expenditures by activity is this is kind of a compressed view of this but it shows that teaching is our of course our biggest expenditure we are in that business followed by teaching support.

The principal's office is the people in the building.

The principal assistant principal and those staff.

Other student supports, utilities, central admin.

The big point I'd want to have as a takeaway here to reemphasize all the conversations we've had in budget work sessions is central admin is having the biggest percentage reduction of all the costs.

When the superintendent asked us to go look for costs and ways to redo our workload it was central admin where we looked first.

It doesn't mean that that isn't going to impact some services to schools but that is the biggest reduction.

And I probably should have taken another decimal place there because it's 5.8 percent.

So it is below 6 percent which puts us in a very low percentage compared to other school districts in the state of Washington.

So next slide.

shows you the visual and you can see that that percentage of central admin is significantly lower.

Next slide.

This is just at your leisure if you have questions about what's in the different categories of the state activities.

There's a lot of different things that is put in other support and what's in central admin.

People have had questions in the past.

Next slide.

Spenditures by state objects, so this is the way of looking at the type of expense, so certificated staff, classified staff, and employee benefits.

Now we have moved into that's 85% of the district's budget.

That is pretty common for other districts, but our transportation program falls under the contract purchase services.

So those staff would normally be in our classified.

So our cost of people and services is probably actually higher because we have a lot of people serving our students.

The reductions in their supplies and materials, a lot of that has to do with, you know, reductions that were made at central office to try to cut some corners and reduce some supplies and materials, and also our food costs.

When we serve less meals, you need less food.

Next slide.

Just a visual.

Again, all these are in the budget book if you want to look at them in more detail later.

Next slide.

So MSOCS, maintenance supplies and operating costs.

The district gets funding from the state based on our student student number of students and the characteristics of our students.

We get staffing units where they give us a certain number of teachers or custodians or nurses based on what's called a prototypical school model.

We get non-staff funds through a source called MSOCS, which is the Maintenance Supplies and Operating Costs, which you see on the screen here.

So what this is is a state for every student we have, they give us a certain amount of money and they put it in these different categories.

It's broken out into these categories to try to give us leverage, I think, is how I look at it.

So when we talk to the legislature and say that's not enough money to pay for that, that we can have a legitimate conversation instead of lumping it all together.

And that these types of costs inflate at different amounts.

This is a funding allocation.

It is not a here's your money spend it on this category.

So for Seattle things shift around on us.

Some years we do more curriculum than others.

Some years we do more technology.

And in years like this where we're anticipating for 23 24 the allocation from the state is slightly more than what we have anticipated spending in these categories.

One of the state's requirements is that if that happens, we need to identify what we're spending those funds on.

And I think based on the previous slides we looked at, its first category is going to go to special education.

Because that's what happens when you have extra money in non-staff is you're using it to support your programs.

Next slide, please.

So that's the general fund in a very quick summary.

The other funds that we are also going to be asking you to vote on on July 6 is the students associated student body.

So it's getting back to the pre COVID level of about six point nine million dollars of expenditures across our secondary schools.

And there's a couple elementary too that have associated student bodies.

Next slide.

Debt service.

So debt service is payments on the bonds that were used to finance the remodel of this building long ago in 2000 1999 2000. This 23 24 that we're going into will be there will only be four more payments due.

So 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 and then all payments on this building will be fully paid.

So I know everybody's excited about that.

And once that's done we have no other debt service at the district level.

We are blessed to have property tax levies to fund our capital activities and our general fund.

Next slide.

The capital fund.

So the capital fund is planning on ramping some things up.

They are a very similar budget expenditure request as this year of 491 million dollars.

And again there's a section in the back of the budget book.

I know we spend a lot of time on the general fund but there is a section in the back with an awful lot of details on our capital programs and where they're planning on doing a lot of that investment next year.

So next slide.

These are the links that we discussed to a couple interesting places in the budget book district wide staffing summary.

And what a lot of people like to start with is the school funding allocations with individual pages for each of the schools.

So with that I present the superintendent's recommended budget.

SPEAKER_19

Thank you very much.

Directors.

Questions.

If you have them please raise your hand.

Director Rankin.

SPEAKER_27

I have.

Yes question.

Um.

I'm I'm looking at my notes here because I have actually a bunch of questions but you don't want to take 45 minutes just talking.

Would you like me to come back.

Yeah actually could you.

SPEAKER_19

Yeah for sure.

Director Harris.

SPEAKER_27

Thank you.

SPEAKER_08

Welcome aboard.

Happy to see you.

I hope you're happy to be here a year from now when you're presenting the 24 25 budget.

My very consistent concerns over the years has been the weighted staffing standards and the perceived pendulum swing between central office top down funding and school based funding.

And I'm wondering how do we get to a place as the pendulum swings between CEOs of our buildings all 106 of them system a school school system to where we are not faced with losing Washington Middle School's extraordinary jazz band that's a feeder into the national Jazz program at Garfield and what we saw here again tonight the Franklin mock trial program that is one of the best in the nation.

How do we how do we balance that.

How do we do it with transparency and and how do we make darn sure that our BLT's that ostensibly the weighted staffing standards go through are in fact being operated fairly and with our labor partners.

But I am and I know that our colleagues here and I believe that our colleagues on the wall are gutted that we're losing some of these programs potentially.

How do we get there from here.

SPEAKER_52

Well I will start and then I will probably hand this off to Dr. Jones because he has proposed some changes to how our support services for the schools operate.

So that would be our first line would be supporting our principals and schools.

We are also doing some training I know from our human resources perspective with the building leadership teams.

I believe I'm speaking correctly on that.

But the combination of trying to do some of that reorganization of how you do support.

So when decisions are being made that may not have been as well thought out or people may not believe they're as well thought out it will give another layer of support.

SPEAKER_10

I'd like Deputy Podesta to respond, but I do think there's an opportunity here for us to define where do we want that pendulum.

And what I've said numerous times recently around central office exists to support schools.

In so doing, we just can't talk about it.

We have to make sure it's relevant and meaningful, timely, and those things.

As we're reorganizing at central office, we're reorganizing with that sole purpose in mind.

When the decisions are being made at the buildings, we need to be able to support them with information, data, context.

even political context around what they're doing.

And so instead of being in an evaluative state or judging the principal's decisions that they're making and the BLT's decisions they're making, we need to be assisting them along the way with the decisions that they're making.

We know we're not at that place where everybody's a CEO of their own building, but a lot of local decisions are being made.

We need to be able to support that.

We believe in solving issues at the closest to where the action is, closest to where people are going to be impacted.

But central office, what we need to be doing is coming alongside, understanding the context of that school building, of that community, and providing, again, assistance.

I don't know if we've done that consistently or on a regular basis but that's our intent as we as we move forward.

But Mr. Podesta if you have anything to add please do.

SPEAKER_06

No that was one of the points I definitely wanted to cover.

I think not necessarily making this part of the formal staffing standard but we'll continue to look in the central office of direct services to schools so some of that When when we say you know we're taking cuts or making adjustments in central office versus schools there's a lot in the central office that's really school based.

So we're going to get more sophisticated about understanding so what's the direct impact to schools regardless of where that budget line item appears in the central office or in the schools and then I think provide better supports because schools don't always spend their budgets.

Some of the choices that we've talked about and have gotten a lot of attention could be accommodated in school budget.

So I think that kind of support that Dr. we need to be more collaborative and work on that process not just the central office but supporting schools as they make decisions as the leadership structure that supports schools to look at some of those decisions and to see if there are unspent funds you know because they're not always.

painted in as tight a corner as some of the discussion would lead you to believe.

And so there's room there to support better decision making.

SPEAKER_08

Thank you.

SPEAKER_26

I actually just want to say thank you for answering my question in anticipation with respect to the collaboration that you spoke of and supporting schools.

It has long been a frustration of mine that our current structure is built so that it's really easy to assign blame when.

Our students and our staff are at a loss for how to address really major concerns that they have.

I hate to quote a Rolling Stones song but you can't always get you want but you know you got to be able to get what you need.

And and our.

We're so far apart in that discussion right now.

They're not even you know between the board and the and our student actually who's our new students school board member whose name I would mask if I try to say it right now because it's not stuck in my head but spoke so eloquently to which is that divide.

And one of the between the building what happens in between the students and staff right.

And in buildings and then also between buildings and central office between the board and the superintendent between the board and students.

And one of the biggest reasons why I was so excited about policy governance and student outcomes version of policy governance was the notion that we don't the buck stops with all of us.

And we need to figure out how to model that collaboration and that's a solution that we need to be able to come to.

And we don't have that culture we don't have that practice.

And so you spoke to that and I appreciate it because it was an anticipation my question of what are we going to do in this next year to start to break down some of those barriers and those walls so that when decisions are heading south from one set of the community's perspectives particularly our students.

How do we collaborate around that to come up with a solution that's actually equitable and doable and not putting us further into a deficit spending model which is I think part of what we've done historically.

So thank you for making that shift in thinking.

SPEAKER_27

Yes thank you.

It's actually directly connected to my my previous colleagues here and I actually wrote down what you said which was talking about the him wanting to increase the connection between decision makers and what happens in classrooms.

And so I think connected to what Superintendent Jones was talking about with heading into this idea of well-resourced schools and what that means.

That that is our opportunity to talk about what it takes to provide education what we want for our kids how we acknowledge that we can't we can't just keep adding money.

We have a finite amount of dollars to work with and we have to figure out how to best support our students within that finite amount of dollars.

But I've been hearing a lot about you know people love to talk about transparency and All of our meetings are public.

All of our materials are posted online.

All of our discussions we have to have in public.

It's incredibly transparent but it's not very clear which is I think where this confusion comes.

So when we have students come to us about a decision that has been made at their building asking for the board to.

repair their decision that wasn't a decision that we made to begin with, that's just creating more and more confusion and frustration.

And so I think it's not that we lack transparency, it's that we lack that clarity and understanding of what's connected to where and how the decision.

I mean, there's, I think, one person signed up for the budget hearing.

This is a budget hearing.

This is what impacts everybody, and there's nobody here.

One person.

One person.

Thank you.

And I think it's just because people know it impacts them.

They know it's important, but it's not clear and understandable and accessible.

And that's on kind of everybody in the system, because I think when it's It's like Director Hampson was saying it's really easy to sort of pass the buck and point blame and say oh we don't want to make this decision but we have to because budget cuts.

And that's not not necessarily what the decision is.

Sometimes it is there's a reduction and there's a choice to be made but sometimes also it's just that a difficult choice was made.

And so my ask of you Superintendent Jones would be that in going into this.

Multi-year planning that we try to really focus on educating everybody in the system from and you know I commit to trying to demonstrate and lead in that way, and I know everybody else up here is Supports that as well, but how we get how we make sure that people between from here into classrooms and everybody in between can understand enough about the budget to be able to know who's making that decision what goes into that decision who has a say when and how and where's the opportunity for me and my position whatever it might be as a as an educator as a parent as a student.

Where is my opportunity to have to have an influence.

And I think that's we talk about transparency and I think that people actually just want to understand.

Where do I have a say and how do I engage in that process before it is?

You know a month before the budget's going to be approved when?

You know proactive instead of reactive.

So how do we support our principals in understanding what their role is in making sure that they have all the tools that they need, BLTs, that they have the information that they need to be able to make good decisions for their building on behalf of their community, et cetera, et cetera.

That, I guess, is more of a request and also a personal commitment to let's help people understand what it means to approve a budget and where decisions get made.

And then I have two very specific questions, which you don't have to answer right now.

One is about transportation.

I've asked this in the past.

I have no idea if it's possible but would there be cost savings and is it even feasible if the drivers were employed by us and we leased the buses.

I'm just you don't have to answer that.

I'm just what would happen if if if that staff was union represented employed by SPS.

and we leased the buses.

I would love an answer later.

And then the other question I have is in response to a question I asked previously and it's in the meeting materials about the misalignment of projected enrollment.

A lot of what we heard from educators talking about special education staffing.

That the answer I got about it was that enrollment planning provides updated student data to the budget office and then that's evaluated for if there are needed adjustments.

Where is.

Is there an or does that include actual not from enrollment planning but from the buildings themselves.

Hey we've approved this many more IEP since February.

We know we have these students.

Is that part of that equation or is it still projections from enrollment planning.

And that is the answer that I would like right now.

SPEAKER_52

Thank you, that is a question.

So the first answer was related to regular education enrollment students.

The second question is related to special education students and individual education program.

That is based on real numbers now.

So the special education department is tracking any students that are getting evaluated and identified for services.

They're also identifying students who may be leaving our system and aging out and graduating.

So they're keeping track of all those numbers and that's why when we did the June adjustments for special education there's some increases and there's some decreases happening there.

So those are not projections.

Those are what they believe is based on what we're seeing right now of student counts.

And let me take that back about projections and what might happen after we start school because students are constantly being evaluated as they come into our system if they may need services.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_10

I might add to that one of the things that we collectively have to be mindful of as we go to this concept of needs needs not numbers.

Those needs can change often and we don't have necessarily special education students.

We have students that have special needs that they're that they're going to that we need to serve.

And so those needs can intensify or they can go away.

But.

It's hard to count or predict what the needs are of our students, but we have an obligation legally to serve our students.

And so when we talk about it from a singular student, a special education student, that's almost not accurate.

And so as we think about how we're evolving in our understanding of serving students with special needs, it's going to be a challenge for us collectively to understand how we how we move forward with that.

And so when we start talking about projections and whether they're conservative or not I think when we again when we're talking about special education it's it's different now.

And we talk about inclusion.

There's a different way that we're going to be looking at looking at our students and how we and our service model.

So I know I cut you off I'm sorry.

Back to you.

SPEAKER_22

Hi thank you Linda.

I want to first appreciate that Superintendent Jones you're presenting a balanced budget to us and that wasn't done easily because as stated previously in months ago that everybody was going to feel the cuts.

And this is and this is what we're seeing and we're hearing.

And our job up here as you know is to is to approve a budget that reflects the values of community and the vision of community.

So for us to do that obviously you know we have this amazing big book which is which is full of information.

And as my colleagues were saying earlier it's still not a lot of this is still very clear to a community.

And part of that community is students.

And I'm I'm not clear how students who are going to bear the brunt of these cuts and all these all the budget we approve or don't approve.

How are they engaged in this process.

And I I want to be able to know that we took their voice into account and that we had there was a process and this is already passed.

We need to prove this in a week or whatever weeks.

But going forward and I know with the help of our student board members.

that will be more you know it will be more front and center for us I hope.

Because as we do create these budgets over the year not we the board but you staff our district.

There has to be some sort of systematic way that we are looking to students for whatever input they can give that is of value to the process.

Because as Luna said earlier you know They need to know that we are centering them in these decisions that we are looking at them like hey what is your thoughts on this.

What do you how do you see this.

How is this going to affect you.

How will this.

How will the how can we help this.

You know how can we mitigate the effects.

And I know that's a big that's a big lift but it's something we are committed to do and I believe as a board bringing that to you.

So again I appreciate the work that's gone into this.

I still think there is more to learn on our side.

I know directors probably still have lots of questions and we have an opportunity to present those to you coming up here soon and public testimony will happen here shortly.

I just again like the best for us to do our job.

We need to have a clear understanding of all these these different moving parts.

Go for it.

SPEAKER_52

No, I think you've reiterated or re-emphasized what our belief is, is why we're talking about multi-year planning.

We acknowledge this last, you know, putting together the 23-24 budget was very challenging.

The district had to pivot from, you know, what we've been doing in the past and as we came out of COVID, we had a lot of challenges and we were struggling to put together a balanced budget.

When we do that, sometimes we don't have a lot of lead time on some of these decisions because we have to go through a staffing process, which as we said is 85% of our budget, and then we move into, you know, what's the minor pieces that are left.

So if we move into a multi-year budget planning, and if we start earlier, On the 24-25 we will have we strongly believe we will have more opportunities to not just engage students but engage our community as we go through these conversations.

So that that's our our commitment I've heard is that's why we want to do multi-year planning.

SPEAKER_14

This is maybe more of a rhetorical question.

I'm struggling to reconcile how 21 percent of our budget is spent on special education.

It's where we're seeing an increase in spending.

I'm trying to reconcile that with some of the public testimony that we got earlier this evening around our special education teachers who are really strained.

I am you know I I'm trying to compare it to other districts in terms of how much of their budget is spent on special education.

And it does seem a bit outsized so.

Collectively, I think we need to reconcile both of those things.

We are making a tremendous investment in special education, and yet we are not getting the experience and outcomes that I think our community wants.

So this is just a rhetorical question for all of us.

And I have asked at various points for more data and for more information to help help me try to understand how I can as a individual director reconcile both of these things.

I think this is the perhaps the most important question that we can try to answer especially as we go into multi-year planning because I don't think that this is going to get easier until we have more information.

So thank you.

SPEAKER_10

Yeah, so to be frank, inclusion is not linear.

Inclusion is, I would say, it's more circular, going from issue to issue, from strategy to strategy.

And I think, collectively, our organization is young, very young, in understanding this concept of inclusion.

Are we cost efficient?

Probably not.

Do we need to decide where we want to be in terms of an organization when we say inclusion?

I think there's some reconciliation there, and I say this often.

I think we all agree on where we want to be.

I think we're entangled in discussing how.

And so once we reconcile the how, I think we're there.

But to be completely frank, inclusion is going to take us a year or two or three or 10 to get it right.

And so it's not going to be cost efficient for the first couple of years.

But I think as we grow together with our labor partners, with our frontline, our IAs who are providing services, our educators, Once we start to reconcile those pieces, I think we'll be all right.

But I don't want to act as if we all collectively understand the largesse of the issue.

I think we understand pieces.

But I think we're about a year or two or 18 months away from having a really cohesive approach, not just us agreeing on inclusion, because I think we all do.

But how we're going to do that, it's going to be important that we we do that reconciliation.

So I just want to announce that.

I want to be very clear that it's not exactly a linear path to that.

We're going to have some fits and starts but we have to keep our eye on the prize and that's providing services to students.

And so I think Dr. Torres has a way forward and the way he's thinking about it.

A three year plan Dr. Pedroza put some things in place for how we're going to get get get in line to do this but we struggled at the beginning of this year if you all remember with talking about how are we going to work through inclusion.

So it's a challenge right now.

And I think collectively with this new governance model with this focus on well-resourced schools what services and programs we're going to have in our schools that are ideal we can get there.

But we're not there right now.

SPEAKER_26

I apologize to our new CFO.

I've already forgotten your name.

Kurt.

Well.

Buttleman.

All I could think of was scuttlebutt.

See we are fun.

Buttleman.

Buttleman.

OK.

Mr. Buttleman.

I believe this doctor.

Dr. Buttleman.

My apologies.

This will be I agree with Director Song-Moritz this will be your very large challenge.

It struck me.

I don't know why Linda more so than any other time but to see the special education line item at a full 50 percent of our regular instruction.

is astounding.

And at the same time given everything that Superintendent Jones just brilliantly said in thinking of moving to not thinking of we're moving to inclusion.

Another pendulum that has swung from no acknowledgement of a spectrum of need among students to hyper focus on difference and segregation and segregating by ability.

It just suddenly struck me like this is no longer special education.

This is regular education.

And we've just failed to recognize it until now.

It shouldn't take getting that number that high.

But I if we don't start viewing it that way fiscally I believe it will contribute continue to it sort of like the buildings Director Rankin I think would always bring up about the buildings having the names of the different.

categories of student receiving special education services and not naming rooms after those things those are not.

You know the resource room the access rent like that is not that's not a way to represent children.

And so.

Again.

That is your challenge and to get us to a point where.

That's all just one.

Instructional.

number because they're all whole children with a whole set of needs.

And you know at some point hopefully we will have a robust.

needs analysis have the systems in place to have enough of an analysis of our student need.

That again I'm just coming back to the Rolling Stones.

So that they're getting what they need anyway.

But yeah that was that's a.

I just wanted to underline that.

SPEAKER_08

Agree with all of this.

Agree that that is.

Beyond challenging.

But but I guess part of my frustration in when we talk about this we talk about it in terms of numbers.

We haven't heard from this task force with our labor partners that are working through this morass of information.

And you've heard me carp about lack of information on a regular basis.

Lack of communication but.

And I appreciate we have a CBA and I appreciate that I respect the CBA but we're up here to make really difficult decisions.

And I got nothing from this task force that's been working for over a year and a half.

And you know our special education PTSA apparently I'm told broke the confidentiality clauses to tell us where we were last fall.

So how is it that we can be responsible here understand what's going on if it's not reported out.

I don't know if you all are meeting on a regular basis.

I don't know if we're making progress.

I sincerely hope so because I know everybody sitting at that table cares deeply.

But I do think that there is an obligation to let those of us here know what the hell's going on.

And I implore better communication and I'm looking at you president matter as well because you guys are sitting at the same table.

But this this lack of information is is not OK.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_19

Any other comments questions concerns.

All right.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

All right.

That was our final intro item the board will be holding a public hearing on the twenty twenty three twenty four recommended budget following introduction during this meeting.

That's the wrong talking point.

I'm exhausted.

It has been a week already and it's only Wednesday.

We will now move into the public hearing portion of the meeting regarding the 2023-24 recommended budget.

Testimony sign-ups have been accepted online for those testifying remotely.

We also have a sign-up sheet here tonight for those with us in person.

We will begin with those in-person testimony sign-ups and then move through any additional testimony remotely.

We had a general public testimony section earlier in tonight's agenda, and this portion will be for testimony related to the 2023-24 recommended budget.

Speakers will have a maximum of two minutes of speaking time.

As a reminder, written testimony is also accepted as stated on the agenda.

If you are unable to finish your comments, we invite you to provide those in writing.

Once your name is read, staff will begin a timer and a beep will sound when your time is exhausted.

Ms. Wilson-Jones will read off the speakers.

SPEAKER_39

We have one public testimony sign up for in person and that is Chris Jackins Also, if there's anybody watching on YouTube or listening on the phone and you wish to provide testimony right now is the time to go to the agenda and click on the link under the budget public hearing to sign up on the form we otherwise have no signups for remote testimony, so First and likely only speaker is Chris Jackins

SPEAKER_19

Take it away.

SPEAKER_53

Thank you.

Thank you.

Nice to see you all here again.

My name is Chris Jackins Box 8 4 0 6 3 Seattle 9 8 1 2 4. On the associated student body ASB fund it is not proper student fundraising to take fees to allow commercial advertising at school.

On the debt service fund, the headquarters debt was supposed to be paid for by operational savings, not from the capital funds.

On the general fund, four points.

Number one, I appreciate the nice layout of the information and the careful explanatory text.

Number two the current district funding approach pits public schools against each other through a mechanized model of competition between schools for enrollment and funding.

Some groups and some schools always lose in this process.

The school district needs to return to paying attention to what each school needs to succeed.

Number three the budget would use all of the current economic stabilization account forty two point two million dollars.

The budget document does not seem to make this clear.

Number four with regard to deaf and hard of hearing services DHH please provide a separate ASL teacher position at Tops K-8.

On the capital fund three points.

Number one the superintendent's letter emphasizes quote not spending beyond our means unquote.

Instead the Rainier Beach project proposes to saddle a future school board with an additional cost overrun of 10 million dollars.

Number two Alki Montlake and Rogers projects should be halted and dialed back.

Number three please halt artificial turf projects that install plastic grass which is contaminated with forever chemicals PFA's.

Please vote no on the budget.

And I have a number of other pages of details that I've handed in to you too.

Thank you very much for your work and for being here.

SPEAKER_19

Thank you.

Any last minute signups.

SPEAKER_39

Refreshing the page for online signups.

There are none.

So that concludes the budget public hearing at sign up list.

SPEAKER_19

Thank you very much.

All right.

I believe if I am not mistaken.

that we have reached the board evaluation.

I have had to call in backup for this because I now have April, May, and June.

So Director Hampson is going to work with me to complete that and we will discuss it at our next meeting.

Moving to informational items, we have two written updates attached to tonight's agenda.

The first is the compilation of questions submitted in advance of today's meeting by board directors and staff responses.

received and posted earlier this week, and the second is the 2022-23 superintendent evaluation.

The posting of this final evaluation document completes this year's evaluation cycle.

We will next work to develop the evaluation instrument for the 2023-24 school year for the board's review in August.

There being no further business to come before the board, the regular board meeting is now adjourned at 7.59 PM.

Thank you very much.

Be safe and we will see you soon.