DRAFT%20Minutes%20of%20the%20May%2028%202024%20Board%20Meeting.pdf

Text

Regular Board Meeting - Virtual via Zoom & In-Person (6:30 p.m.) (Tuesday, May 28, 2024)
Generated by Deborah Kohr on Thursday, May 23, 2024
1. Call To Order
A. Call to Order
President Hoover called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
B. Roll Call
President Hoover called Roll Call.
Board Directors Present:
Director Larson
Director Proctor
Director Hoover
Director Simpson
Director Kruller
Board Directors Absent:
None
C. Welcome Guests
President Hoover welcomed guests.
Guests:
Dr. Concie Pedroza
Deborah Kohr
Susie Kelly
Allison Deno
Liliana Cardenas
Jennifer Fichamba
Phone in caller
Sally Jerome
Terra Dupont
Aaron Draganov
Andra Maughan
Morgan Music
Nick Brown
Community Nember
Karen Korol
Robin Allsopp
Scott Whitbeck
Naz Rokonaki
Sarah Hendrickson
Britany
Dr. Tenesha Fremstad
Duane Meyer
Grace Saturnino
Phone in Caller
Jasmine
Katie Hugo
M. Deming
Maricel Haessig
Michelle
Nick Brow
Ring's - phone in caller
Silvia Dicus Mora
Sue Lane
Tuan Duong
Carrie Marting
Andy Rodas Mendoza
Naomi Byrdo
Kyla Crawford
Cindy Lewis
LaTanya Parker
Dalton Rockwell
Amy Fleming
Joe Camacho
Brandon Eastman

Danielle Eastman
Jose Berreras
Clint Long
D. Welcome Message - Director Simpson
Director Simpson shared the Welcome Message.
E. Land Recognition - Director Simpson
Director Simpson conducted the Land Acknowledgement.
F. Flag Salute
President Hoover led the room in the Pledge of Allegiance.
2. Approval of Agenda
A. Approval of the Agenda for the May 28, 2024 Regular Board Meeting
Director Larson made a motion to approve the agenda for the May 28, 2024 Regular Board Meeting.
Director Simpson seconded the motion.
All voted in favor of the motion.
The motion carried.
3. District 2 - Board Director Appointment
A. Oath of Office - K. Kruller
President Hoover conducted the Oath of Office for District 2 Board Director Kate Kruller.
4. Host School Welcome
A. Host School Welcome - Foster High School
Principal LaTanya Parker welcomed the Board.
Principal Parker shared a presentation. Highlights included:
Office culture - inclusive culture of trust, communication, and high expectations (restorative practices)
Increasing student safety - Social Worker, Behavior Health Assistant, Family and Student Engagement, Security Team,
Scholar Voice
Increasing family partnerships and community collaboration
Improve ELA and math success rates
Main office staff are welcoming and set the tone for building culture
Weekly staff communication - news you can use
High collaboration with the administrative team, staff, and security
Resorative Justice Practice
Arena Style Family Conference - 26- families attended - need more support with translation
Listening Session for families and scholars - more safety and academic
Parent Academy for college access
STEAM Fair - scheduled for Wednesday, May 30th - 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Young Queens Program
YWCA Teen Advocate
Urban League
Partnered with Delta Dental - Provided hands-on experience, learning about dental hygiene, and paying for a dental
hygiene license for 65 students. This will be an ongoing partnership and will have paid internship opportunities
Belong Partners - provide staff PD - connections with scholars, restorative justice, etc.
SAARS Grocery
Tukwila Fire Department
King County Library
King County Transit
International Rescue Committee
UW& Gear Up
WISF Data 2023- Dual Credit Black/African-American and low-income scholars is 7 out of 10. For our Hispanic/Latino
scholars, currently, it is a 4 out of 10. We are looking at how to engage our Hispanic/Latino community. This year we
have added Heritage History class which is taught in Spanish.
Attendance - on-time specialist, holding meetings with families,
Restructure race and equity team - half-day retreat, grading practices
Continues MLL and student engagement PD
Post-secondary opportunities
9th-grade honors classes

5. Public Comment
A. Public Comment
President Hoover called for Public Comments.
President Hoover read a public comment received via email:
Kathy Turner - Stay in School Coordinator - I apologize for not being here this evening but I had a previous engagement with my
family that I could not miss. My name is Kathi Turner and I want to make sure that you all understand what my position does
and advocate for it to be funded next year. My position as the Stay in School Coordinator is for the entire school district, not just
one or 2 schools. Since 2018 our regular attendance rate has gone from 82% to 64% (students who missed fewer than 2 days
per month). This is a national trend since the pandemic and districts across the country are working tirelessly at reengagement. Attendance and truancy in public schools are regulated in Washington state statute (Chapter 28A.225 RCW) and
the Washington administrative code (Chapter 392-401 WAC). School districts must report absences and truancy data to OSPI
through the Comprehensive Education Data And Research System (CEDARS). Also, School districts must designate and identify
a person(s) to coordinate school district efforts to address excessive absenteeism and truancy to the office of the superintendent
of public instruction and to the local juvenile court (RCW 28A.225.026). I have included this information for you to look
at. Currently, in our district, I do all of it. I run attendance reports 2x per month for all schools, schedule and attend monthly
attendance meetings at the elementary level, attend EWIS/MTSS meetings 2x month at the secondary school, and attend
monthly King County BECCA meetings and monthly state OSPI Attendance and Truancy Meetings. I reach out to families to meet
with them to discuss the barriers to school attendance. I meet with students and discuss goals, complete attendance
agreements and check in with students daily. I build relationships with students and families. I file all Truancy Petitions with the
court and start the court intervention process. This process is specific and has timelines and includes administering a WARNS
assessment, workshops, CEB’s, Pre-Trial Conferences, Status Conferences, Preliminary Hearings, Review Hearings, Progress
Reports, Contempt Hearings, Purge Reviews, and finally Dismissals. I also make referrals to community partners for alternative
educational options, and counseling, and meet with Juvenile Probation Counselors for our students. I also work on our 20-day
drop process in tracking down students to either confirm enrollment status, get them to re-engage at school and provide them
with supports they may need. Eliminating this position concerns me. Who is going to do this work? With our attendance rate at
64% re re-engagement should be a priority. Getting students back into the classroom benefits everyone. Who is knowledgeable
in the court system? Who know how to file a petition, and make sure that we are following the statute? Who knows the rules of
court proceedings, declarations of service, filing motions etc. Currently, we have 40 active petitions with hearings scheduled in
September and October. Has there been any discussion as to who is going to take the lead on this and attend hearings or file
reports with the court? I am assuming that has not been discussed as I have not been asked to help train anyone. To just
assume that my position can be eliminated and that it will be absorbed by the buildings, is not realistic. This work is very
specific and time-sensitive. I hope that you will all reconsider this position in the district as this work is REQUIRED by
OSPI. Thank you
Jennifer Fichamba - College and Career Specialist - I am Jennifer Fichamba the college and career readiness specialist here at
foster high school - in fact the college and career center is through that door! I want to share with you what the college and
career center is all about and what I do to support students. Let me share a story about one of my 10th graders, Alan. He
started coming by the college and career center midway through 9th grade. He was not on track at all. I became a person that
he trusted. You should know he loves soccer. He continued to struggle and was not able to play on Fosters soccer team in 9th
grade. He and I talked a lot about how important doing well in classes will help him be a part of the team and be on the soccer
pitch. Flash forward to 10th grade! Alan came in and asked to get a binder to keep track of all his classes! As he says he began
to cook in class! He had a great soccer season - 2nd team all-league actually! I went to as many games as possible to cheer him
on. He is joining AVID next year and is excelling! This is because of the relationship we built and because there is a space for
students to come and be supported. Alan is not the only young person there are many - I could share more! Additionally, I want
to share about what happens in the college and career center daily. It is a space that is always full of students! At the start of the
school year our seniors are busy completing college applications - I edit an average of 5 personal essays a day! 11th & 12th
grade running start students spend lots of time there before classes they have at FHS and sports. I have a core group of 10th
graders who check in daily. Many students choose to spend lunch in the college and career center. Relationships are built in the
college and career center. Financial aid season comes and students & families come to get support to complete either FAFSA or
WASFA! I hosted 3 Financial Aid nights and there was an average of 30 families that attended. I also assist families regularly in
contacting federal student aid when issues arise - even today I spoke with federal student aid to support a family. I support
students as they apply for scholarships. I work with Director Larson to provide district scholarships to our seniors. Additionally, I
partner with cbo’ s like UW Stemsub, Minds Matter, rotary, and more to connect our students to the opportunities they
provide. What makes the college and career position special is the relationships built. The students feel welcome and supported
from me and from each other. Lots of friendships have bloomed there. It is a special place for our students. Thank you.
Andy Rodas Mendoza - Student - shared his support for Ms. Fichamba. She has helped me a lot. I was a student with a 0.0 GPA,
and now I am present, learning, and thinking of my future. She helps to build communities. Her space is welcoming and warm.
Several students have shared that Foster High School is not academically challenging. Ms. Fichamba has brought in UW students
to bring more challenges to students, such as debates. This really helps. Ms. Fichamba is always mentally there with the
students. When a student has a problem she can be a counselor, mother, etc. She makes a big impact. The College and Career
Center is a piece of the heart of Foster.
Alan Zarate - Student - When I entered Foster as a freshman two years ago, I was lost, couldn't find my classes, etc. I also had
to fit in and try to be cool with everyone around me. Near the end of the year, I realized that I had to sit out due to my grades.
This did not make me look cool. I had the lowest gpa on the soccer team. Having to sit out, not only hurt me, but the whole
team. The following year, I worked with Ms. Fichamba. I realized I needed to pay attention in class, and get good grades so I
could do good for myself and have a better future, i.e. college. I would not be doing as well if it wasn't for her.

Molly Deming - Literacy Interventionist - Tukwila Elementary - Last week I received an email that stated because of funding my
position is being cut. The district claims they want to make cuts furthest away from students, however, it seems the majority of
the cuts, at the elementary level. have been to staff who work directly with our students. Is the district able to explain their
reasoning, especially since my position and others are paid out of LAP and Title? Dr. Pedroza will follow up with Ms. Demming.
Due to position cuts, President Hoover requested Dr. Pedroza to provide an updated plan to the Board.
6. Reports
A. Student Representatives Report
No report.
B. Superintendent Report
Happy end of May! Our district has had a lot of activities over the past months, we have had to deal with the impacts of our
budget from a Human Resource standpoint, while also celebrating the staff members who have been here. We are honoring our
retirees from Tukwila School District who are:
Tamara McCarthey
Diane Inez Hood
Melissa Tatum
Cynthia Cruse
Aracely Montufar
Jodi Wicks
Donna Witkowski
Racial Equity Update: I lead the district leadership team on their learning on equity analysis; we will have a final training with
Dr. Rogers-Ard and Dr. Knause in June for staff.
Other Updates:
Congratulations to Julie Herdt who was announced as PSESD Classified Employee of the Year! Julie is part of the
McKinney Vento team including MaryAnn Abdow and they have been a force in working with our families with unstable
housing. Their workload has doubled this year Julie and the team have worked tirelessly in supporting the families both
at Riverton, and the hotels and coordinating with our local districts to support any and all transitions! We will be posting
this in our family newsletter and the website.
Congratulations to the class of Tim Renz who were acknowledged in a preprint scientific journal paper, we will also be
working on a feature for our social media.
Congratulations to Clint Long, he has been offered a high school principal position at Franklin-Pierce school district, we
wish him the best in his professional journey!
Superintendent Student Advisory – We held our first in-person meeting last Wednesday led by Alex Brewster with a focus
on three topics: Safety, Instruction, and Anti-Racism/Equity. They are working on an anti-racist statement for the board
to consider.
Foster HS Listening Session – The administrative team at Foster along with our community liaisons supported families in a
listening session to gauge what is going well and where improvements can be made. The team plans on quarterly
sessions. It was attended by close to 25 people and families gave important feedback which will be discussed with staff.
High School Graduation is set for Friday, June 7th at 6pm at the ShoWare Center.
Finally, I want to express gratitude for Dr. Allison Deno, this will be her last board meeting at Tukwila and we want to thank her
for all she has done for the district over these past two years. She will do great things in Saint Louis Public Schools, they are
lucky to have you.
C. Board of Directors Report
Director Larson reported on attending the student listening session at FHS. There were a couple of items we have heard before,
along with the theater group and the College and Career Center. The theater group just finished their production of The
Lightning Thief. This was the first time they did a full-blown musical, which was quite a challenge to accomplish. They did a
great job. He shared that there is a proposal to eliminate the drama teacher position, however, he commented that we need to
really think very seriously about how to keep that position. Due to the increase in student counts, we are getting an increase in
revenue, and supporting students is crucial. There are programs available that need to be seriously looked at for retaining the
theater class. Director Larson commented on the Career and College position that is being eliminated. In the 2013-2014 school
year, our district had a graduation rate of 55%. We were a part of the Road Map Project, which received federal money with the
goal of getting more students with either a diploma or some graduation certification. FHS hired several College and Career
Counselors / Graduation Specialists. Within three to four years, the graduation rate was up over 80%. If we start removing this
program and position, there is a chance that it is going to collapse. We absolutely need to figure out how to keep this
program/position. Director Larson reported on attending the Equity Education Coalition Summit. This is an organization out of
South King County and they are working on how to change the state funding system to be progressive and based on student
needs, along with additional monies into schools like ours. Director Larson commented on the Parents Bill of Rights which was
passed by the legislature recently. This started as an initiative, partly as a reaction to current legislative curriculum changes, i.e.
LGBTQ inclusion, etc. There are a lot of districts discussing this, and the impact to schools.
Director Proctor - No report

Director Hoover reported on attending the staff appreciation event. This was a great turnout of staff. Thank you to Foster High
School for hosting. This year was scaled back, but it was still amazing. It was a lovely event and thank you to Food Services for
providing the wonderful dinner. They reported on attending a civics class at FHS. It was great to hear the students' questions
and making sure they were heard. We held a listening session and it was informative and am thankful that teachers, staff, and
community shared and asked questions.
Director Simpson shared that with the Career and College position eliminated, Highline Community College will no longer have a
point of contact. We need to find a way to protect that position. Dr. Pedroza shared the point of contact from the District level is
the Director of K12 Education.
Director Kruller reported on attending the play at FHS. It was phenomenal. She also shared that she is a professional
stagehand and complimented the students for a job well done as stagehand. She shared that she was contacted regarding
Working Connections Child Care. She will discuss more with Dr. Pedroza offline. She shared that she attended the staff
appreciation event. It was a wonderful event! She did share comments received from staff attending the event to bring back
the raffle! She commented that she had shared a grant opportunity with the Superintendent, which if approved, would provide
funding to provide meals to our athletes, etc. She shared she was impressed at how fast the staff completed the grant.
President Hoover asked the Board what we can do to support the team with grants, i.e. applications, etc. We are a small, but
mighty team. We must figure out how to be more supportive of our staff, and help where and when we can with grants, etc.
7. Consent Agenda
A. Approval of Minutes from the April 23, 2024 Public Hearing
B. Approval of Minutes from the April 23, 2024 Board Meeting
C. Approval of Minutes from the May 14, 2024 Board Work Session
D. Approval of Warrants (General Fund, Capital Projects Fund, Associated Student Body Program Fund, Vouchers
and Debt Service payments) (REVIEWED BY DIRECTORS PROCTOR and LARSON)
Director Simpson made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda.
Director Kruller seconded the motion.
All voted in favor of the motion.
The motion carried.
8. Board Discussion
A. Superintendent Contract
The Board of Directors reviewed the Superintendent's contracts. There were no additional changes. The contract will be
presented at the June 25th Board meeting for approval.
9. Questions Only - Presentations
A. Monthly Financial Statement - April 2024
President Hoover asked why is the headcount higher than the actual enrollment. CFO Fleming shared that there are two types of
counts. Headcount contains students who have to be dropped after 20 days, and students who do running start part or full-time.
home-schooled students who come in once a week, the state only funds FTE. Therefore, we get a small portion of funding for
students who spend limited time in school.
B. 2023-2024 Financial Forecast
Director Larson commented that the current projected fund balance has been going down. CFO Fleming shared that we saw
some increases again and additional funding through Title and Special Education.
Director Larson shared that there was an option of a loan to get out of binding conditions. CFO Fleming shared that the intent of
the law was for anybody that was going into binding conditions next year, the passed this temporary law was passed in order to
help districts. She shared that this was passed to help Seattle School District avoid binding conditions for the next two (2)
years.
C. 2024-2025 - Budget & Staffing Update
D. Early Learning
Director Larson asked if the school district provide space for Voices of Tomorrow. Dr. Deno shared that yes, we do provide space,
however, they pay for the space at a reduced rate.
E. Winter Weather Incident

Discussion ensued on what happened, measures in place to prevent another event, and short-term solutions until bond in 2028.
Director Larson commented that we need to do a serious analysis of this event.
10. Presentations
A. Department Update - Transportation
Susie Kelly, Director of Transportation shared a Department Update Presentation with the Board. Highlights included:
Overview of staff, routes, and needs
Saving efforts - school bus for all field trips, van use, Orca, two teams on bus, etc.
Prioritizing yellow buses to consistently serve our students generates maximum state funding thus reducing the subsidy.
TSD Bus Inventory - Most money in the TVF fund will go towards paying the loans on past buses. It is actually meant to
pay for new buses when they reach the end of their 13-year life cycle.
Partnering with Highland to write all of our EV bus grants. Still waiting on the results.
History Subsidy - The forecast is for decreased subsidy in 23-24. Increase in revenue due to MKV student enrollment,
increased SEIU labor cost, bus maintenance labor cost, fuel costs, parts cost, and repair costs.
STARS - Allocation Reporting System - student counts are the primary driver of student transportation. We are 100%
efficient since 2017-2018.
Successes
*Destinations continue to increase stronger allocation
*Student ridership slowly increasing
*Daily student counts provide the means to route more efficiently
*Wish list - qualify for 2-3 electric school buses
*No major thefts this year.
Challenges
*Expenditures have increased over the last two (2) years
*Increase labor costs for bus maintenance
*Per cost increase 50% or more
*Multi-Family housing is booming. MKV shared transportation costs to other districts are averaging $10K+ per month.
24-25 Year Planning - budget impact and mitigation plan
Department Race and Equity Goals
11. Action Items
A. Adoption of Middle School Science Curriculum
Director Simpson made a motion to approve the Adoption of the Middle School School Science Curriculum.
Director Kruller seconded the motion.
All voted in favor of the motion.
The motion carried.
B. Approval of Out-of-State Field Trip - College Tours - August 22 - 24, 2024
Director Proctor made a motion to approve the Out of State Field Trip Request.
Director Simpson seconded the motion.
All voted in favor of the motion.
The motion carried.
12. Public Comment
A. Public Comment
President Hoover called for Public Comments.
Jessica Othman - Community Member - Shared thoughts on cutting of some arts programs and struggling to find funding for
programs in general. It was mentioned during the discussion that there is not help to find these grants and process them. Will
there be or is there a plan in place to find somebody to do that who is interested in getting these items funded? This is a big
process, but we are all here to help our students succeed. I hope this will be a priority as there have already been cuts to
certain staff that have tirelessly worked with students' social and emotional health, for instance, this will be Mary Rusk's last year
at Tukwila Elementary. She was a very important person to students, parents and staff and she will be extremely missed. I know
it is a board priority to ensure the emotional and mental well-being of the student population in and out of the classroom. I do
hope that is the case and I do hope that you are able to get these grants going for the kids.
President Hoover asked the Board if there might be an opportunity to work with the PTAs to help support that effort. This is a
call to the Board to figure out how we can increase our efforts around that, perhaps get support from parents. Director Kruller
suggested that we might look into getting a grant writer.

Kyla Crawford - Librarian - Thorndyke Elementary - I am a building Race and Equity Lead and the mother of two (2) Tukwila
School District graduates who are both doing well in College and Career and who both were impacted positively by Mrs.
Fichamba. I sit here pondering the irony that we are gathered in the library while we have received notice that our elementary
library programs are being eliminated. I continue to ponder the irony of claiming to be an anti-racist district while all teachers
currently teaching library classes at the elementary level are all people of color. Libraries are places where students go to learn to
love books. Libraries are where my children learned to love reading and researching. The excitement of students coming to the
library and getting to choose their own books is unparalleled. Sometimes, the students are even more excited than going to P.E.
The library has long been a safe haven for students. Every year, I have gotten a flood of student asking if they can come have
lunch in the library. I've hosted restorative circles and healing circles with students in the library who have conflicts to resolve
and harms to repair. This year, I have had such huge successes with fourth-grade students being leaders in the library during
kindergarten and first-grade classes that I have been trying to plan for more for a more formal library assistant program. I have
also had high school students interested in becoming librarians and have come to help out in the library after they leave school
for the day. In the library, we teach technology skills and digital citizenship as well as research and informational skills. The
library classes are a place where students get to learn how to ask questions and learn how to seek information from the world
around them and have space to apply that knowledge in real-time through their accessibility to books and technology. The
library is also a place where we teach combating cyberbullying. I have seen students respond in real-time, with shutting down
TikTok accounts, and realizing they need to be 14 for Facebook accounts, etc. We are doing our students a grave disservice if we
do not seek creative solutions to avoid dismantling elementary library programs and minimizing secondary library programs. In
addition to teaching classes and being a safe space for students, hosting lunches, and operating informal library training
programs for students at multiple levels, we often provide substitute coverage in classrooms. There will be one less sub
available, which also saves the district money, Additionally, we host Scholastic Book Fairs, which raise proceeds for teachers and
student supplies and also facilitate the Page Ahead Bookup summer program which provides 12 books to kindergarten through
second grade students at a cost that has been covered by the PTA or other non-district funding sources. As we continue to keep
our comprehensive school improvement reading scores and student safety in mind, now is not the time to eliminate library
programs, especially without stakeholders who are able to contribute creative solutions. For example, in our building, we have a
schedule that may enable us to keep our library fully functioning and potentially save the district money in the process.
Additionally, I have questions around how to keep classroom teachers' planning time covered without completely overloading
specialist teacher classes, especially with our projected class sizes. I also wonder what would happen to the library collections,
supplies, space, availability, accessibility, etc. To say the least, I am concerned. I'm concerned we are not centering students in
the the decision to end library programs. I'm concerned about what will happen to students' access to high-level reading
material, tech and research skills, and safe spaces. I'm concerned that students in anti-racism and reading are not highly
considered in the decision making of eliminating library programs. As a teacher, as a mother of former Tukwila District students,
as a former Tukwila communityresident myself, I respectfully request the reconsideration of discontinuing elementary libraries.
Brandon Eastman - Parent - Tukwila Elementary - The two previous public comments covered what I wanted to talk about. I
liked hearing Director Larson and Director Kruller coming up with creative ideas on how to save some of these important things.
As a parent of an elementary student, my focus is on the elementaries, specifically the social/emotional stuff and Mary Rusk not
returning next year. I have no clue what the solution is, but getting creative and thinking way outside the box is going to be the
theme for the next couple of years. The suggestion of looking at corporate sponsorships is a really good idea. As a parent, I
appreciate the creative ideas, especially with the library, as it is more than a place to just check out a book. Losing the library
programs is going to be difficult. Working with PTAs and fundraising must be part of the solution for the next couple of years.
Katie Hugo - Teacher - Tukwila Elementary - A couple of months ago, we were told via email by District Admin that they would
need to reduce our workforce by 15% and the cuts would be the ones furthest impacting our students. So far, since they've
started making these cuts, they have cut 29 certificated employees, 21 classified employees and eliminated 14 certificated
positions. They have until Saturday to continue this elimination. Seventeen certificated employees have appealed their nonrenewals and so far, all the ones who have heard back have all been denied. Meanwhile, central Admin. only cut 2.5 positions
that directly impacted them. As of now, we will have many vacant classrooms going into next year and we were told the district
has no plans to fill them. Please explain to us how the cuts that were made will not impact our student's learning, growth, and
social-emotional well-being. In my building alone, Tukwila Elementary, we have five (5) classroom positions that are currently
sitting empty for next year and grade levels that will be starting way over capacity and that's if we have no new enrollment. In
my grade level alone, which is first grade, we have two teachers and 66 kindergarteners coming into first grade. This means we
will each have 33 students. How am I supposed to teach a highly capable class with 33 students? How are we supporting our
students, families, and staff? How do you expect to retain the remaining staff you have when this is how we are being treated
and this is what their year will look like.
13. Executive Session
There were no items for Executive Session.
14. Adjourn
A. Adjourn
Director Proctor made a motion to adjourn the meeting.
Director Simpson seconded the motion.
All voted in favor of the motion.
The motion carried.
President Hoover adjourned the meeting at 9:14 p.m.