2021-06-21-minutes.txt

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Puyallup School District
Regular Board Meeting
Pioneer Park Pavilion and Teams Live
Monday, June 21, 2021
    1. Opening
A. Call to Order
President Kathy Yang called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. In addition to President Yang, in attendance were Directors Maddie Names, Turan Kayaoglu and Joseph Romero, as well as Superintendent Dr. John Polm. Director Michael Keaton attended virtually.
  B. Pledge of Allegiance
President Yang led the Pledge of Allegiance. 
  C. Approval of Agenda
Dr. Polm said there were no modifications or changes to the agenda and he recommended approval.
  A motion was made to approve the meeting agenda, as presented.
  Motion by Joseph Romero, second by Michael D Keaton.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Turan Kayaoglu, Michael D Keaton, Maddie D Names, Joseph Romero, Kathy Yang
  2. Superintendent's Report
A. Superintendent's Report; Dr. John Polm, Superintendent
Dr. Polm said we wrapped up the 2020-2021 school year last week. The circumstances of the past year have been incredibly difficult. He has seen this year through the eyes of a superintendent and those of a grandparent. Like many, he has experienced awe at the technology skills acquired by students, staff, and parents and also felt the emotions of many who have expressed their fears and frustrations.

He mentioned a few things he is thankful for:
The Board and the clear direction provided from the beginning of the pandemic.
Retirees - All of the folks whose last year serving in Puyallup School District was probably the most difficult, yet hopefully also very rewarding.
Staff members: So many staff members who have worked so hard to create and support quality learning experiences for students. This includes our many substitutes who stepped into many of our positions.
Families, for partnering in your child’s education truly like never before. Grandparent of a young elementary student who lives in his home. A challenging year, and he certainly understands.
Our students, for your resilience and resolve.
Dr. Polm said we do anticipate changes to the most recent (May 24, 2021) DOH guidance for schools this summer. We cannot make definitive statements about what those changes may be, but we are optimistic that the most restrictive requirements will be removed in the fall. However, at this time, we are mandated to have all students age 5 years and older, staff, volunteers, and guests wear cloth face coverings or acceptable alternatives in K-12 settings.

He also noted that after consulting with the TPCHD, the district issued new rules for face coverings in non-student sites. That also aligns with the county and City of Puyallup. As of June 17, we will allow fully-vaccinated employees and adult individuals to have a choice of face covering in non-student sites. This change aligns with Pierce County and the City of Puyallup policy.

Finally, Dr. Polm asked everyone attending or tuning into this meeting to please consider becoming a bus driver or food service worker. We need you this coming school year!
  3. Communications
A. District Highlights; Sarah Gillispie, Director of Communications and Public Engagement
Sarah Gillispie said an enormous amount of work has gone into the planning of the district’s very first Summer Learning Academy. This is the first year that Puyallup has offered a student summer learning experience of this magnitude and this team of administrators has worked tirelessly to ensure it’s success. The team is comprised of the following employees:
Alyssa Donohue, Stewart Elementary Principal
Sari Burnett, Spinning Elementary Principal
Derrick Pete, Hunt Elementary Principal
Theresa Taft, Special Education Specialist, and
Anne Mummert, Woodland Elementary Administrative Intern
In addition to their regular district assignments, this team has taken on the responsibility to do everything necessary to launch a successful program by July 6. She said this team has done an exceptional job of hiring staff, enrolling students, and communicating to families. In a year where everyone is stretched, they have stepped up and given more. Gillispie thanked Alyssa, Sari, Anne, Derrick, Theresa and Anne for their work this year and laying the important groundwork for future Summer Learning Academies for students and families.

Next, she congratulated Alice Tang, a junior at Rogers High School who presented her final project as part of the Architecture, Construction and Engineering (ACE) Mentor Program of Washington State. Alice represented Puyallup School District and joined more than 160 students representing team members from high schools throughout the Puget Sound area. The students presented a public STEAM technology classroom/laboratory for high school students.

The student presentation night focused on key sectors of the design and construction industry to raise the awareness of high school students and possible careers in the fields of Architecture, Construction, and Engineering (ACE). The teams met over Zoom for a total of 20 sessions, learning every step of the building process, from the initial architectural designs to the final construction components. Each team responded to an “RFP” (Request for Proposal) and tackled a design challenge. This year’s project was a public STEAM technology classroom/laboratory for high school students. Although Tang was not a part of the PSD ACE program, she was in the CAD & Drafting course and Graphic Design, which has ties to the Architecture field.

Gillispie said the Puyallup School District prides itself in combining athletic accomplishments with academic achievements and introduced Athletic Director, Jim Meyerhoff to provide a review of Season 3 for Tennis, Basketball, Wrestling, Bowling, Gymnastics, Water Polo, and Competitive Cheer for all three comprehensive high schools.

Jim Meyerhoff thanked the board for allowing him some time this evening to recognize the achievements of the Season 3 high school athletic teams which consisted largely of the normal winter sports. He explained that on the info sheet you will notice many TBD or blank categories. The season just ended last week, and some all-league teams are still being determined. We will get those updated when the teams are released.

In South Puget Sound League competition three of our schools captured division championships including the Rogers Boys Wrestling Team and Both the Girls and Boys Basketball teams from Emerald Ridge.

In gymnastics, Emerald Ridge senior Elizabeth Muche was the SPSL champion on the uneven bars, floor exercise, and Muche captured the All-Around championship.
  At the SPSL Wrestling Tournament five PSD wrestlers won their weight classes. Chase Powers from Emerald Ridge and Puyallup’s Cody Bolstad, Madison Coulter, Praline Werner, and Mia Cruz.

In boys tennis competition, the doubles team of Austin Eagan and Drew Iverson were named south division Doubles Team of the Year, while coach Kim DeVries was named Coach of the Year. The Puyallup boys tennis team was also voted as the Sportsmanship Team of the Year.

In competitive cheerleading, the cheer squad from Rogers High School competed in a virtual state competition where they brought back some awards. The Rams cheer squad placed fourth in the Game Day category, and won the STATE CHAMPIONSHIP in the Traditional Team category. Congratulations to the Rogers Cheer Team.

Director Meyerhoff said he would like end athletic highlights by honoring our student-athletes, focusing on their performance in the classroom: 26 squads earned scholastic honors from the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. 16 teams earned a Distinguished Academic Award, with a team GPA of 3.0-3.49. Ten of the season 3 squads earned an Outstanding Award, which is an average team GPA of 3.5 and above. We are proud of all the student-athletes that participated in Season 3.
  Next, Meyerhoff updated the board on an event that brought out a tremendous amount of community support.  He explained that when Season 3 started Pierce County was in Phase 2, which meant indoor high-risk sports could practice, but could not compete indoors. Water Polo did what they could during practice, and wrestling matches took place outside with mats placed on the turf fields. But basketball was stuck with the only option of competing was traveling to Centralia or Chehalis. Through some creative thinking and the contributions of many in the community the idea of playing basketball at the Washington State Fairgrounds went from concept to a reality in less than 10 days.
  From their initial meeting with the Fair, they did everything possible to make this happen for our student-athletes. Every interaction with Fair personnel demonstrated how much they wanted to help our school teams. The Arena at the Fair qualified as an outdoor venue as both ends were open. This allowed basketball to take place on covered outdoor courts. Other organizations that made large contributions include Looker Asphalt, that worked with the Fair to lay down 600 tons of flat asphalt over Mother’s Day weekend. Columbia Empire Volleyball Association out of Portland rented us a sport court surface that allowed for three full-sized basketball courts. Bartelson Transport drove to Portland to pick up the court, and delivered it back to the CEVA today. HD Fowler donated 24,000 sf of plastic sheeting to put under the court surface. Baskets were acquired from the WIAA, Dakine Volleyball Club, and the Yakima Sundome.
  Multiple school districts came through with items like tables, chairs, clocks, cleaning supplies. Athletic directors, coaches, and family members from 15 different schools in the South Puget Sound League and Pierce County League contributed to the labor necessary to put everything together. After the floor surface was constructed the challenge of laying down the lines for three courts became the focus. Dane Looker and Greg Barrett did most of that work well into the night prior to games being played.
  It all came together on Wednesday, May 12 as the first games took place between Emerald Ridge and Rogers. The sound of squeaking shoes was a welcome one as teams took the courts for warm-ups. Eight games were played that first night.
  The next day it was announced that Pierce County would be returning to Phase 3, meaning basketball could return to their own gyms – which was the right decision. Teams from the SPSL and PCL completed their games scheduled for the week with 56 total games played on the three courts over 4 days.
  With a large empty floor available we decided to move wrestling mats down there and it is a great wrestling venue with the warmer air of May instead of the normal December and January temperatures. Five double duals were held in the Arena, along with the culminating tournaments for three different leagues.
  With 24 schools sharing the costs, materials and labor involved in making this happen, the Arena became a source of pride for our schools. The collaboration involved was inspirational and gave hope to our student-athletes when many saw the possibility of a lost season.
  Director Meyerhoff expressed a huge thank you to the Washington State Fairgrounds, Looker Asphalt, Bartelson Transport, and everyone else involved in making this a reality. It truly was a community effort.

President Yang thanked everyone and said it is always great to celebrate our students, our community and our schools, but especially this year during the pandemic when it's been such a challenge.
  4. Consent Agenda
A. Board of Directors - Board Meeting Minutes (June 7, 2021)
B. Board of Directors - Special Board Meeting - Executive Session Minutes (June 7, 2021)
C. Equity & Secondary Education - Puyallup Digital Learning ASB Constitution
D. Equity and Achievement/Athletics - Coaching Stipends to Rogers HS coaches for 2021 Basketball Season
E. Executive Administration - Resolution 231 2020-21 Athletic Eligibility Waiver
F. Business Services - Bid No. 21-B1944, FNS Drop Ship Items
G. Business Services - Bid No. 21-B1945 FNS Perishable Items
H. Business Services - Bid No. 21-B1947 FNS Dairy Products
I. Business Services - Surplus
J. Business Services - Vouchers
K. Business Services - Contracts
L. Operations - Operations Department's Public Works Resolutions
M. Human Resources – 2021-22 CMT Salary Schedule
N. Human Resources - Department Activity Memo
O. Consideration for Approval of Consent Agenda
  A motion was made to approve the consent agenda, as presented.
  Motion by Michael D Keaton, second by Turan Kayaoglu.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Turan Kayaoglu, Michael D Keaton, Maddie D Names, Joseph Romero, Kathy Yang
  5. Second Reading of Policies
A. Equity and Instructional Leadership - Second Reading and Consideration of Select Policies: Policy 3112 - Social Emotional Climate, Policy 3122 - Excused and Unexcused Absences, and Policy 3241 - Student Discipline; Dr. Vincent Pecchia, Assistant Superintendent of Equity and Instructional Leadership
Dr. Pecchia presented the following policies for second reading and consideration. These policies were presented for first reading on June 7, 2021. He reviewed proposed updates:

Policy 3112 - Social Emotional Climate - new policy recommended by WSSDA and is referenced in our updated Policy 3241 - Student Discipline. The goal of this policy is to support and promote district and individual school action plans that will create, maintain, and nurture positive school and classroom environments.
Policy 3122 - Excused and Unexcused Absences - updated to align with HB 1113 concerning school attendance which was signed into law April 26, 2021. Updates include truancy petition requirements, remote learning absences, and Migrant Students verbiage.
Policy 3200 - Rights and Responsibilities, this policy has been incorporated into Policy 3241 - Student Discipline, so recommend by WSSDA to be retired
Policy 3241 - Student Discipline - revised to align with WSSDA's model policy and provide clarity for more family involvement. Policy 3241 now also incorporates Policy 3200, which, if approved, would be retired.
  A motion was made to approve the recommendations to Policy 3112, 3122, 3200 (3200 to be retired), and 3241, as presented.
  Motion by Joseph Romero, second by Michael D Keaton.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Turan Kayaoglu, Michael D Keaton, Maddie D Names, Joseph Romero, Kathy Yang
  6. Reports
A. Mental and Behavioral Teletherapy with Hazel Health; Michele Bledsoe, Asst. Director of Equity and Social Emotional Wellness
Dr. Polm introduced Michele Bledsoe. Director Bledsoe said it feels like several years have passed instead of several months, since she spoke with you last at the November 16th board meeting. This has been a school year like no other with students, families, and school staff working incredibly hard to overcome the challenges that the pandemic has brought our way. The end of the year is typically the time to reflect and begin making plans for the next school year. You might remember the survey that families and staff completed a few months ago to help district leadership identify the focus areas for next school year. With over 3,000 responses, almost 85% indicated that they agreed or strongly agreed that the school district should provide mental health services and supports. This data contributed to the resource allocations that Dr. Pecchia recently described in the Student Wellbeing and Support Plan.

As you have heard before, our nation is facing an unprecedented mental health crisis. Before the pandemic, 20% of children lived with mental health conditions. Our local Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital saw a 400% increase from 2014-2018 in the number of children admitted to the emergency room for mental health emergencies. The National Institute of Mental Health states that on average, the time between the onset of mental health symptoms and intervention is 8-10 years, which is concerning when you know that early intervention is best.

During the pandemic, twice as many teens are experiencing greater symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. According to the Spring 2021 MultiCare Foundations Journal, from March of 2020 to February of 2021, Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital saw a 67% increase in medical admissions for mental health reasons.

When we welcome all students back to school in the fall, our schools and staff will need to be prepared to support students as they readjust and refocus on academic learning.

She shared with the board how Hazel Health can provide mental health services with highly qualified licensed mental health clinicians for Puyallup School District students. Hazel Health began as a telehealth service to offer medical services in schools. With their data collection system, they quickly realized that many medical concerns also had a connection to mental health, and this prompted the addition of mental and behavioral health services locally. The availability of tele-mental and behavioral health as a service delivery model breaks down the barriers that can keep students from accessing quality mental and behavioral health services locally. Families have shared that they are experiencing wait lists as long as one year or can’t find service providers who are taking new clients. By providing teletherapy, the difficulties of transportation, missing school and instruction, and lack of access to providers in the community can be eliminated.

Hazel Health has developed an early assessment, response and treatment protocol that can be offered to all students, in addition to assistance that school counselors are already providing. This program operates the same as our Employee Assistance Program whereby the district would pay a flat rate per student and every Puyallup School District student would be eligible for services with no additional cost to families. A referral can be made by a school counselor, administrator, or a parent, and a student will have an online appointment with a qualified licensed mental health clinician in 3-4 days. The first step is a behavioral health assessment, and then up to six teletherapy sessions and scheduled visits will take place with evidence-based counseling, stabilization and treatment planning.

She explained that under FERPA and Hazel’s internal policy, if students ask the clinician about sexual health or pregnancy related questions, Hazel will let the student know that they are not authorized to continue the conversation about either sexual health or pregnancy.

Case managers will provide period ongoing monitoring for up to six months or help transition a student to a long-term provider locally. School staff can also call in an on-demand mental health professional for a crisis consultation. Hazel Health will provide analytics about the number of students accessing the services and the reason for the referral to help districts align tiered interventions, which will be essential to measure the success of our school recovery plans.

Hazel Health will work with Puyallup School District to create district-wide communication and gather parental consent. After students participate in sessions, Hazel Health will communicate with parents and guardians via text message that will link parents to a secure online messaging portal. Hazel providers and case managers will also call parents as needed.

One of the benefits of virtual sessions is that parents may attend as well. It should be noted that according to RCW 71.34, in the state of Washington, any minor age 13 years or older may receive outpatient mental health services without the consent of the minor’s parent or guardian. School staff and Hazel Health will make multiple attempts to reach families, and in the event a parent or guardian cannot be reached, students who are 13 or older may refer themselves for an assessment and evidence-based counseling and stabilization.

One of our secondary counselors said that one thing the pandemic has done is reveal just how many students and families rely on schools for basic needs. Going back to that initial local youth data – it shows a 400% increase in emergency room admittance for mental health emergencies before the pandemic and a 67% increase in medical admissions for mental health reasons in the past year. Students with mental health challenges are coming to school and a partnership with Hazel Health and their highly qualified licensed mental health clinicians is one way that Puyallup School District can show up for students and families in the 2021-2022 school year. She asked if the board had any questions for her at this time.

Director Keaton said one of the advantages of doing mental health with Woodcreek was they were local. He asked where this call center is based out of. Director Bledsoe replied they are based out of Texas. She said the physical clinicians have provided services previously but the behavioral health is a new service that they are expediting getting ready because lots of school districts are trying to figure this out just like we are. If directors have any specific questions about that she said she would be happy to get them connected or answer specific questions. Director Keaton said he is worried about a big call center not really understanding the kids up here as well as kids getting someone different next time they call, so the continuity of care. Bledsoe replied that qualified licensed clinician serve the call center and their job is first to listen - they are not going to be giving specific advise but rather listening and helping them figure out a long term plan. They can stabilize and keep something from becoming a bigger problem when all it needs is being addressed early on in early stages.

Director Romero asked if Hazel Health would be working in concert Woodcreek at ERHS with them as well? Bledsoe replied, no, it would be an additional option to offer and said one difference is Woodcreek requires a referral process and there's still a waiting period until there's an opening, whereas with Hazel Health, students can make an initial appointment within 3-4 days. That is much faster; it just depends on how many clients are on the list and how long the wait list might be. Director Romero asked at what age will kids be able to utilize the Hazel Health system? Bledsoe replied this will be available to all students K-12 and even our students who are in our digital platforms. She added it looks different for our younger students, obviously.

Director Kayaoglu said it is great we are paying attention to mental health issues and feels as a society we are not paying enough attention and COVID made things much worse. He said he is still trying to understand what problem we are trying to solve here, and how Hazel Health can to help us. He thinks the ideal would be we provide this service and support in our district. Are we currently unable to provide mental health support in our district so we are outsourcing it to Hazel or are there some groups or types of issues that students are not necessarily comfortable coming to their counselor, or comfortable discussing issues in person one-on-one with a counselor or a nurse, and we want to make sure they know there is this other option available? He is trying to understand the exact problem that Hazel Health will solve, and also he worries that using an outside company as the source of your wellness system. Maybe we should look for local solutions in the district or the area that can help us solve the problem?
  Bledsoe explained that one of the biggest benefits of having a partnership with Hazel Health is they have more providers than what are available locally. One of the challenges they have heard from families is they would like to get help from their student but they cannot get appointments or find anyone available. Either providers aren't taking new clients or there is just no one available. Some of those repeated appointments don't fall into the scope of what a school counselor can do. We had a great addition with getting a full time counselor at every elementary school this year, but there is way more work than what our staff are able to do. The biggest problem that it solves is accessibility to a licensed mental health clinician in a very short turnaround period. One of the things we'll have to do is look at our current partnerships and flesh out our referral process to make sure that the right service is connected with the student for their particular situation.
  An immediate crisis probably won't be referred to Hazel Health in that moment but is better suited to a counselor in the building. But a student going through a particular difficult situation, a change in their family structure, their home life, how they are feeling about themselves, where six appointments with someone who can really help them think about what they need and how to ask for what they need can make a big difference in getting kids to feel stable, then and then the long term benefit is that they're able to access the academic learning. 

Director Names has questions about the younger grades. She knows we have the Woodcreek partnership which has been necessary and she appreciates that this is a way to expand our to all grades of students as that was part of our initial concern that we were only looking at the high schools as we know students other grades also have mental health concerns. Director Bledsoe said one of the benefits of having licensed mental health clinicians is they are trained to work with children of all ages, and so their strategies are going to look different for our younger students. But our younger students are just as susceptible to stress and anxiety as our older students, it just looks different because of their age.

Director Romero asked for clarification that parents can refer? Bledsoe said that is correct.  Director Romero asked if students can self-refer to Hazel Health? Bledsoe said yes, if the student is 13 years or older. Director Names added that is the state law, correct? Bledsoe agreed that is correct.

Director Keaton asked her to elaborate on the documents previously provided regarding limiting the discussion to just mental health and not other areas. Could she describe that? Bledsoe said the purpose would be to help students find strategies to manage stress and anxiety. When there are medical connections, like sometimes students have headaches or stomachaches, there might be some conversation about that, but that is as far as the medical side of the conversation will go; they will not be discussing any other physical health symptoms unless it is related to the stress or anxiety they might be experiencing.

Director Romero asked if they will see data around the number of referrals? Bledsoe said the analytics they provide can be customized to the information we would like. We would not see the names of the students but we could get a read for what age groups of students are accessing the services most, what are they requesting assistance with, so that will give us some really great info moving forward on where we might need to add some additional supports in the building and it gives us some time to build in those supports and investigate how we can do that in house.  Director Romero asked if mental health was second out of three of the most desired services for our recovery plan? Yes, she said second only to safety. 

President Yang asked if there will be a designated area in each school for them to be able to do this telehealth but also could make appointments in the evening and have parents present if that is what they desire? Director Bledsoe said their therapists are available from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. and if families create an account with Hazel Health then they would get the meeting link and those students would be able to access that from home or from a personal device. If they are meeting with someone at school, Hazel Health provides an iPad in a stand, so at school, each building would have to provide a private space for that meeting to happen and just a point of contact to help them log in, verify parent permission, ensure it is the correct student who has come for an appointment. So each building will need a point of contact.

President Yang thanked her and said she knows there is a great need and her therapist friends tell her there are just not enough therapists to meet all the demands so to have someone available for our students to speak to within a short period she thinks would be very helpful.
  Dr. Polm noted that if the board members had any additional questions to send them his way. This was an informational report we'll have opportunity to look into some of the questions and bring back more clarity in the next presentation.
  7. Action
A. Instructional Leadership – Core Instructional materials for PK - 5 Elementary Science; Heather McMullen, Director of Instructional Leadership, PK-12 Math and Science
Dr. Heather McMullen said she is here to present to you the second reading of the proposed elementary science curriculum starting in the 2021-22 school year and recommend that the Board of Directors adopt the curriculum as presented.

The rationale for selection of TWIG Science PK – 5 include: alignment to the Washington State Science Learning Standards at each grade level including pre-kindergarten, a rigorous coherent sequence from PK-5th grade ensuring that science learning progresses each year in a cohesive manner, high engagement for both the student and teacher, many options for differentiation and accommodation including closed caption and translated text, and diverse representation in text and visuals.

TWIG Science implementation includes books and digital licenses for each student, teacher editions and digital licenses for each teacher, four robust teaching units per grade level with hands on classroom kits for each unit, and magazine style leveled readers for each classroom. TWIG Science is provided in English and Spanish.

In response to adoption of this new curriculum, we have a professional learning plan designed to support teachers from day 1 to the end of the 6 year contract. For those teachers who like to think about school in the summer, we offer a training after school gets out in June and teachers get to know the new curriculum prior to summer break. For those who prefer it, we offer training in August on Supplemental Day 3. We will offer a series of timely and practical classes this coming school year called, "Digging into TWIG," where teachers will learn tips and tricks from teachers using the curriculum. One huge benefit of adopting TWIG science are the short video tutorials available on the platform. In addition, the vendor provides ongoing professional learning for the extent of the 6-year contract, allowing our team to support new and experienced teachers at differing levels.

After seeking feedback from elementary teachers about adopting a new curriculum for the 2021-22 school year, she said she heard teachers say things like:
  "I'm excited to have an updated curriculum that focuses on modern science skills for elementary students."
  One of our second grade teachers said, "Our previous curriculum was adopted before the standards were officially accepted, so it was challenging to provide consistent coverage of the standards. TWIG has been very helpful and thorough as far as providing online grade level materials videos and components. This will help our students better envision themselves as scientists now as well as later."
  And from a 5th grade teacher, "I'm excited about the adoption of our new science curriculum that is aligned to standards, hands-on, visually engaging and current. The timing could not be more perfect, as we're entering an age where science is the foundation of tomorrow's careers.

Dr. McMullen thanked the board for their time and said she is excited to for the board to hopefully approve TWIG Science as the Core Science Curriculum for PK-5th grade, starting during the 2021-22 school year. She asked if the board had any questions. Director Keaton said they were all answered at the previous session.
  A motion was made to adopt TWIG Science as core science curriculum for PK – 5th grade classrooms, as presented.
  Motion by Maddie D Names, second by Turan Kayaoglu.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Turan Kayaoglu, Michael D Keaton, Maddie D Names, Joseph Romero, Kathy Yang
  Director Kayaoglu thanked her for the presentation and said he particularly appreciates the quotes from teachers. Sometimes in these meetings we have parents, we have administrators and school board members, but the teaching happens in the classroom and getting students' perspective and teachers' perspectives are important, and he appreciates knowing that the teachers are excited and I hope to hear that our students will be excited about it as well.
  B. Equity and Instructional Leadership - Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook Revisions; Dr. Vincent Pecchia, Assistant Superintendent of Equity and Instructional Leadership
Dr. Pecchia explained this action item is a follow-up to the report given at the June 7, 2021, regularly scheduled school board meeting. As a reminder, that report focused on our district’s annual review and revisions to the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook. This action item is considered a second reading of the revisions to the handbook and the Board of Directors will be asked to consider acting on approving and adopting the revisions for the 2021-2022 school year this evening.

In alignment with current School Board Policy 3200, which, as a reminder, will be retired and incorporated into Policy 3241, the Student Rights and Responsibilities and the proposed incorporation of 3200 with Policy 3241 - Student Discipline, the superintendent or designee will annually develop handbooks pertaining to student rights, conduct, and discipline, and make the handbooks available to all students, their parents, and staff.

Since our district already has an established Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook, changes in laws, policies, social trends, and best practices in school discipline require that the district review and revise the handbook annually. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has been designated as the agency to update the Washington Administrative Codes addressing student discipline. The focus continues to be on closing the opportunity gap for all students and decreasing the disproportionality in exclusionary discipline.

As shared two weeks ago, in a normal school year absent of a pandemic, the process of reviewing and revising the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook is displayed here on this slide. The process involves convening a Rights and Responsibilities Handbook Committee that includes school district administrators and staff, a legal review by district council, an opportunity for parents to review proposed changes prior to board consideration to approve and adopt, and a presentation with updates to the board of directors.

Several of the traditional activities aligned with the process of reviewing and revising the Students Rights and Responsibilities Handbook did not occur this year because the revisions made to the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook in spring of 2020 were not fully implemented because of the remote and hybrid instructional learning models that the district was in because of the pandemic. In addition, the handbook changes that are recommended for 2021-2022 align with the Washington Administrative Code (WAC), Revised Code of Washington (RCW) and recommended model policy provided by the Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA) thus there was not a need to conduct a legal review or convene a parent committee. The community at large received access to the proposed changes to the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook when the meeting notification for the June 7 board meeting was sent two weeks ago.

It’s important to stress again, that the proposed changes to the 2021-2022 Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook align with WAC, RCW, and WSSDA. The foundation of our handbook is built around many of our school district policies and some of those policies were revised and presented as a second reading, and approved earlier this evening. It’s important to not look at the handbook in isolation and instead view it as an extension to some of our policies such as Student Discipline and Excused/Unexcused Absences.

Dr. Pecchia displayed slides showing the proposed changes to the Rights and Responsibilities Handbook that were shared on June 7th.

At this time, the Equity and Instructional Leadership Department asks the Puyallup School District Board of Directors to consider acting on approving and adopting the Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook for 2021-2022 as submitted. Thank you.

Director Keaton said as we spoke about earlier today about some COVID-specific language, and the fact that these are some pretty big changes to the disciplinary actions that we do within the district. He wants to make sure we keep this one close at hand because we might find out as we start to get into it that it is really not working the way we want it to, because we weren't able to do the parental review, so we may want to watch this and if we have to bring it back and do some modifications to it then we can do that.
  Dr. Pecchia replied that the good thing is the Rights and Responsibilities Handbook is revised every school year so there will be a guarantee that that is reviewed on an annual basis in accordance with the policy.
  A motion was made to approve and adopt the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook for the 2021-2022 school year, as presented.
  Motion by Joseph Romero, second by Turan Kayaoglu.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Turan Kayaoglu, Michael D Keaton, Maddie D Names, Joseph Romero, Kathy Yang
  C. Operations - Safety Advisory Committee Charter Update; Brian Devereux, Director of Facilities Planning, and Elizabeth Fisher, Director of Transportation
Elizabeth Fisher began by saying they are here tonight representing Puyallup School District’s Safety Advisory Committee (SAC). She highlighted the Walk to School Day event at Karshner Elementary in October 2019 by showing a photo of a group including representatives of our community, the City of Puyallup and the Puyallup Police Department. This is just one item that our subcommittee does which is the Safety Advisory Committee. Brian Devereux and herself represent the committee as co-chairs. The SAC committee was established in 2009 to conduct risk assessments within our walk zones, Schools loading and unloading zones and our district bus stops.

The SAC Committee was established as a 13-member committee and as we have dwindled in membership over the years we would like to take this opportunity to re-establish this committee to coordinate with our local and county officials as we review the safe walk to school. We will maintain the bus stop appellate process and support our schools with traffic and pedestrian planning.

She introduced Brian Devereux. He said the Safety Advisory Committee charter update includes 13 voting members consisting of:
Four community members, with a target to have at least one member residing in each Region 1, 2 & 3.
Two Elementary principals and one secondary principal
And six district staff members, which were listed on the slide he displayed.
In addition to our voting members, the committee includes non-voting Resource representatives from local law enforcement as well as city and county planning and traffic engineering staff. Committee co-chairs will work this summer to fully staff the committee once again in preparation for the 2021-2022 school year.
The next school year is scheduled to be a busy one for the committee. The work schedule includes the Review of Transportation Board Policy 6600; more specifically to review the maximum walk distance criteria. Currently, board policy refers to a maximum RADIUS distance of 1-mile for Elem, 1-¼ miles for JH, and 1-½ miles for High School. The radius distance is equivalent to “as the crow flies” but doesn’t correlate to an actual walk distance. This results in some students that are asked to walk a distance between 2 to 3 miles to/from school. The committee will be asked to evaluate a change in policy to maximum walking distance, in coordination with Transportation staff to ensure that any recommended changes are sustainable over the near and long term. The committee will provide an update to the board, with any recommendations, later this year.

A 2nd item relates to a $48,000 grant the district was approved for last month from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission to update its school walking route maps for its 11 elementary schools with the highest free & reduced lunch enrollment percentage. The Safety Advisory Committee will be supported by a transportation consultant to lead this work over the course of the 2021-22 school year. It is the intent of the committee to complete the work for all schools in the upcoming years.
Lastly, the committee will continue its work to review bus stop appeal applications.

Devereux asked if the board members had any comments or questions prior to the board’s consideration of this action item.
  Director Keaton thanked him for doing the walk review. He said this is something the board has brought it up a few times and it is important that it is done right, so thank you.

President Yang said they will be tackling the elementary schools first, correct? Devereux said correct; this grant is Specific to 11 elementary schools but we feel like that process will set us up well to finish the other schools as a committee over the next coming years.
  A motion was made to approve the updated Safety Advisory Committee Charter, as presented.
  Motion by Michael D Keaton, second by Maddie D Names.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Turan Kayaoglu, Michael D Keaton, Maddie D Names, Joseph Romero, Kathy Yang

D. Human Resources - 2021-24 Security (IUOE) Agreement; Amie Brandmire, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Employee Relations
Tonight, Amie Brandmire presented for the board's consideration, the first of eight collective bargaining agreements for our 2021 bargaining season. This agreement is with our Security group. She said we have 18 Campus Security Officers and three Night Patrol Officers who provide outstanding service and support to our many school campuses and District facilities all year long.

The parties’ current agreement expires on August 31, 2021. This new agreement is for three years, beginning on September 1, 2021 and concluding August 31, 2024.

She said the board has the full agreement of this item recommended for action but she offered to answer any questions board members may have.
  A motion was made to approve the 2021-24 Security Collective Bargaining Agreement, as presented.
  Motion by Michael D Keaton, second by Joseph Romero.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Turan Kayaoglu, Michael D Keaton, Maddie D Names, Joseph Romero, Kathy Yang
  8. Communications
A. Public Comment
In person speakers:
Evan Findlay - 2021 PHS graduate, PSD should be inclusive so all families feel welcome, honored and safe. 
Britt Coleman - PSD parent, appreciates PSD supporting equity and inclusion.
Gretchen Miles - PSD parent, feels other groups are not getting their equitable time compared to Pride.
Melanie Stilli - parent and PSD employee, does not want a mask mandate.
Alec Paul - pastor, disagrees with Pride flag at Zeiger Elementary.
Kenneth King - Concerned about HB1113 and how changes will affect students with poor attendance.
Carrie Creed - PSD parent, supports the board and agrees with the wearing of masks.
Mary Boben - PSD parent and educator in another district, appreciates PSD supporting equity and inclusion.
Brittney Davidsen - PSD parent, wants mask choice in the fall.
Jim Stewart Allen - guest teacher in PSD for six years, spoke regarding the need for in-building guest teachers next year.
Marcie Davis - wants mask choice in the fall.
Janee Pugh - doesn't want kids to have to wear masks.
Maliki O. - student, wants mask choice in the fall.
Nicole J. - doesn't want critical race theory in our schools.
Dawn Land - homeschooling parent, disagrees with Pride flag and library display at Zeiger Elementary.
Shannon Moeck - RHS graduate, PSD parent, speaking on behalf of some teachers who feel they can't have a dissenting opinion, and do not want masks to be required in the fall.
  Virtual speaker:
Kristy Pitts - PSD parent, disagrees with Pride celebration at Zeiger Elementary

Two additional remote speakers not able to speak due to technical issues and were encouraged by President Yang to submit their comments in writing to the board. One individual requested in advance to comment but changed their mind after hearing other speakers make the same points.
  9. Board Comments
  A. Individual Board Member Comments
Director Romero thanked everyone for joining us tonight. He appreciates all the passion and engagement in our board meetings and he appreciates that so many had the courage to speak from varying backgrounds. They hear their frustrations and feel their passion and understands their convictions because they are theirs as well. He asked what if we can't get our funding? Who makes up for it? Where does the money come from? Our state's constitution ties our state's responsibility to our schools so directly that it is one of the most restrictive constitutions in the United States. It is the state's paramount duty to provide an education to all students. When he asked those questions of OSPI and legislators, etc., they replied no one comes to your rescue. We are faced with a $325 million budget. In order to attain 85% of our funding from the state we were told we had to have multiple plans, to bring kids back to hybrid and distance learning, and a lot of mandates came with those instructions, including safety protocols and mask mandates. We are still under an emergency mandate from the state that tells us that while it is a guideline, we have to wear masks. We are also told that the Pierce County Health Dept can make decisions contrary to what the state decides that would allow us to move forward without wearing masks. If we were to put our kids in the position where we had to close every school, it is a hard decision and that is a lot of weight that rests on their shoulders. They hear what they are saying. The public may not know that Policy 3122 came up in April of last year to ensure that kids were safe. We sought emergency waivers from the state to ensure policies were not hurting our students or our families. No policy is perfect. That is why they volunteer their time at every board meeting to listen and understand, because policy is meant for change based on circumstance. We will continue to listen, to advocate and most importantly, to represent. Again, he said he appreciates hearing all you had to say.

Director Keaton said he appreciates everyone being here on such a beautiful night, and to have everyone still here paying attention just shows the investment we have in the community and in our kids, and it is great to hear everyone's opinion. They just attended graduation. They did ask over a month ago for a waiver to remove the mask mandate but were denied. He feels their pain, too. When Dr. Polm took over, the board charged him with being a lead district and we have led. We are not where we want to be yet; the governor didn't even think we could open up schools and do a hybrid until he visited Firgrove Elementary and saw it could be done safely. The district has done a fantastic job of taking care of at-risk individuals. He wants to put this last 1+ years in the rearview mirror and focus on what we can do moving forward. We have been talking for months about opening in the fall without masks or with mask choice. They have been talking about it a long time. He heard just this week that L&I started reducing some of their mask mandates. He is also hearing the CDC is looking at their data and he is hoping that their mask mandate changes in the future as well. Kids don't seem to spread it to teachers and that is based on the viral load. He is hopeful that mask mandates will be go away and we will have mask choice in the fall. Because of that low viral load there has been no discussion about mandating the vaccine and he wouldn't vote for that. Let's look forward to the future.

Director Names said she has always advocated for us coming together as a community and expressing different opinions. Paramount leadership is about representing all of our community and that is difficult because we need to respect everyone and all our children. Sometimes we need to own mistakes. The Zeiger community is not a reflection of our entire community but that may be something we need to reevaluate. That is how we move forward and bridge gaps. She supports all communities and all kids, and wants everyone to be successful when they leave these K-12 walls. It comes with paramount leadership and to her that means listening to all sides and really thinking about it. She listens to what everyone has to say and whether she agrees or not, she follows the rules. When she walks into a store, she wears a mask because at the moment that is what the CDC has said. She doesn't want mandated vaccines. She believes there should be mask choice but when the CDC says choice for everyone except for schools that is challenging. Why is a 12-year-old safe at a Costco without a mask but not safe at school? She agrees some of those things don't make sense but here they sit as a board with leadership and guidance and we have to bridge that gap. She appreciates that people were more respectful to allow everyone to speak tonight compared to the last meeting. We accomplish more when we do listen so thank you.

Director Kayaoglu said it has been two years since he was elected to this position and the last few meetings were challenging, to say the least, but at the same time he knows this is how democracy works and he has always been a big supporter of freedom of speech. That is why he chooses to live in the United States and raise his kids here. However, saying that, he also wants to turn to our community members who identify as LGBTQ communities. Some of the things he heard today here, whether it is intended or not, it will have the impact to tell the members of that community they don't belong here; tell that community that your presence doesn't matter; use some examples that are over-sexualized and use that to tarnish your presence and your whole identity. He wants to turn to that community and tell them he loves them. He loves the creative energy they bring and the diversity you bring to our community. Our communities are rich because of you and each and every one is valued and loved as a community. He sees you and loves what you are doing in our communities. He wants to recognize that community because of the things said here have an impact, whether intentional or unintentional, about the notion that they don't belong here. 
  When he woke up he realized it was June 21 but he didn't think about that it is the longest day, or that there is a school board meeting. He said it has been two months since he lost his mother and he went to his country for her funeral. Going to his home country is always a challenge because of the type of discourse, the things he hears: anti-American, antisemitic, antichristian, homophobic, etc. He hears these things even from his brother, his nephews and his uncles, and it deeply hurts him. But he realizes one thing, and that is he used to be like them. He grew up in that society for his K-12 education and his college education in Turkey. He came to the United States in seeking his life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, and ended up here. But what changed him? He changed because of the people with whom he interacted here. It is not his Ph.D., it is not his tenure, it is the people he surrounds himself with, his Jewish friends challenged his antisemitism, his gay friends challenged his homophobia, his Black friends challenged his racism. He is still recovering. He questions his inherent bias but said he struggles every day to try to better himself. He also realizes that many of the people with whom he interacts may have been their first time to come across a Muslim. He hopes they learn things and challenge their assumption of what a Muslim think like, look like, act like.  What does that mean about the education in the Puyallup School District? His kids' mother and he discussed sending his kids to private school but decided to send to PSD because of the diversity. Yes, his children may be the only Muslims in their school and that may be a challenge, but, at the same time, this is a place where our identities are appreciated. If people bring their authentic selves to their positions, if his kids interacted with not just Muslims but non-Muslims, not just brown kids like them but also white kids, black kids, etc., they will be much better people not only in the future but in terms of who they are as people. He is looking forward to and he is committed in this district that his kids and all of the kids will experience not only having a black kid in the class but having a meaningful relationship with that person. Or not only the kid whose parents are George and Michael but to have a meaningful relationship with that kid who is coming from such a household. There is a strength of America and a strength of Washington State that he hopes there is a strength of the Puyallup School District. That is where he stands.

President Yang thanked everyone and said she appreciates everyone who spoke. She knows she hears people say their comments fall on deaf ears because they didn't do anything about it, but really they are listening to everyone, and as you saw tonight, there are varying viewpoints and we have to work through all that because we want every child to feel welcome and for them to grow and thrive in this school district, whoever they are. It is easy to say that but it is a very complex thing. We are all here because we care about our children. It would be good for us to remember that, about each other, and give each other respect and grace because we are truly trying to help every child here. It has been the most incredible year, not in a good way, but she thanked our students who worked so hard, were resilient and persevered through so much adversity. She thanked our staff, administrators, teachers, support staff, tech people, and everyone who got so creative and worked so hard to try to make the best of this situation this year. She looks forward to things going back to normal as we all do. She checks the health department case data every day and it is encouraging that it is dropping pretty rapidly and hopefully it keeps getting lower. She thanked everyone for joining us tonight.
  10. Closing
A. Adjournment
President Yang adjourned the meeting at 8:28 p.m.
        _________________________________________         _________________________________________
Dr. John Polm, Superintendent                                       Ms. Kathy Yang, Board President