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Gambling, Homeless Kids, Costa Rica on May 14 School Board Agenda

      by Penny Chambers

     The May 14 meeting of the Eatonville School Board began at 7 p.m., conducted by Vice Chair Donna Mettler as Chair Robert Bass was scheduled to arrive late. Although public input on the spending of Initative-728 funds (gambling proceeds) was encouraged, there were no non-school district affiliated community members in attendance.
     The meeting began with the unanimous approval of the Consent Agenda, which consisted of the following items:

A.                Approval of the April 23 regular meeting minutes.

B.                 Consider the following Certificated Personnel Action:

1.      Sandra Jordan, EES fourth grade teacher, extended maternity leave request, through end of 2003-2004 school year.

2.      Accept the resignation of Lewis Reese, EHS Dean of Students and Athletic Director, effective end of 2002-2003 school year.

3.      Employ Cathy Longpre, WES first grade teacher, effective 2003-2004 school year (Michelle Frink resignation).

4.      Employ Linn Ames, EES fifth grade teacher, effective 2003-2004 school year (Jennifer Bosnick resignation).

5.      Employ William Nation, EMS math teacher, effective 2003-2004 school year.

C.                Consider the following Classified Personnel Action:

1.      Accept the resignation of Tanya Nelson, EMS teacher assistant, effective May 9, 2003.

D.                Consider the following Extra Curricular Assignment Recommendations:

1.      Sallie Myton, EMS Parent Involvement Coordinator (grant funded position), May 15, 2003 – June 31, 2005.

    Symphonic Band’s Overnight Trip to Bellingham

      There was no public comment and Mettler moved to the first order of new business, the Symphonic Band’s overnight trip to Bellingham May 21 – 23.  EHS Principal, Garth Steedman explained that the trip would entail two overnight stays with one performance at Western Washington University and one at Blaine High School. Mettler commented that it was great to see the progress the band has made and to provide them with the opportunity to perform at the two schools. The trip was unanimously approved.

“Target” donation of $10,000

     The second order of new business was to consider a “target” donation of $10,000 to the EHS library, made by local resident Tina Laramie. Laramie won the $10,000 to be given to a library of her choosing. Superintendent Ray Arment explained that the school board must approve a donation of that size, as Legislative Director Ron Springer exclaimed “no problem” and the board unanimously approved the donation. Steedman commented “it’s great, we’ve known for about three months but weren’t sure if it was real; it sounded too good to be true.”

Policy 4260 (Community Relations)

      Arment explained that the third item of new business on the agenda was a request by him to consider the intent of Policy 4260 (Community Relations). Arment asked for the board’s input on a portion of the policy pertaining to “school and child related groups and other government related agencies using school facilities”. Examples of child and governmental groups defined in the policy are Scouts, Campfire, PTA, 4-H, city or county sponsored recreation programs, polling places, political caucuses and governmental groups.  Fire District 15 had requested to use the high school physical training facilities, specifically the weight room, for job related training.
     Arment’s question was whether it was the intent of the board’s policy to allow FD15 to use the facilities in this way, and if so, should the same courtesy be extended to all fire districts, police and other emergency services in the Eatonville School District? Arment stated that if the answer was “Yes,” his recommendation would be to limit the use to physical training that is work related conditioning and testing.
     “Those fire districts up the line as well as locally, and the police department provide a tremendous amount of services to our school district and the kids, whether it be helping to park cars at Columbia Crest or Weyerhaeuser, help with open houses and shows. But I don’t believe it would be in the best interest of the school district to provide health club type services to individuals and family members employed by these agencies.”
      Board Director Rick Thompson stated he would support the use of gymnasium, as there are no other gym facilities in town. However, he expressed concern over the impact  the additional use would have on the already strained school facility. Director Darold Holden said he would support use of the school facility if it were for kids, but not adults.
     Springer asked if the additional use would entail more hours worked by school district personnel; over-seeing the activities, cleaning up or merely unlocking and locking up the buildings, to which Arment replied “No.” EC4 Committee (Extra Curricular/Co-Curricular) co-chair Phil Nordstrom said in his opinion “it wouldn’t be a bad idea if they would somehow propose in their budget to somehow maintain or upgrade the facility which is in dire need of upgrade,” otherwise he would not support the additional use. Mettler commented that she would support the facility use in the interest of improving community relations as “schools belong to the public,” but also felt the aging equipment and schools could not bear the additional use.
     Steedman noted the many ways the fire districts and police department have lent a hand at the schools, supporting the idea for use during non-school hours if the group(s) would be willing to help in some way, such as purchasing at least one new piece of equipment each year. Lucy Fountain, district Director of Curriculum, said last year the district was able to add two new pieces of equipment to the high school weight room, but noted the weight room is used five periods a day and expensive, top of the line equipment must be purchased in order for it withstand the heavy use it already bears.
     She continued, “If we look at wear and tear, I would agree that we need to look at the fact that we’ve got to keep our existing equipment, look at the age of our equipment and how much more wear and tear can it take?” Arment said he had his answer and the board proceeded to the first order of business under the “work study” portion of the meeting, EHS math teacher Judy Hills and Spanish teacher Sharon Aguilar’s student trip to Costa Rica.

                                       Student trip to Costa Rica.  

     Along with students Travis Ashe and Derek Harris, the two teachers gave a fascinating presentation on the trip. The teachers were very impressed with the safety, culture and government of Costa Rica which has two female vice presidents, it is the only country in the world that has no military, twenty five percent of their eleven percent sales tax goes to education, giving them the highest literacy rate per capita of any country in the world, socialized medicine with outstanding medical facilities available to all and the absence of a high and low class society.
     The students put together a spectacular photo display showing the various flora, fauna and Costa Rican landscapes they experienced. The two teachers prepared a delicious “buffet” for all those at the meeting and the board took a ten minute recess while sampling the Costa Rican food and beverages, complete with palm hearts, black beans and rice, various fruits and “waters”, refreshing drinks made from available fruits blended with water and sugar. 

“Title X” -  Homeless Students  

     Chair Robert Bass arrived and the meeting reconvened, although Mettler continued to act as chair, with an update on “Title X” presented by Laura Christian, EMS Special Education teacher who is completing her administrative internship. While state law, Title X is an un-funded program mandating that students who are “homeless” have the right to attend their school of origin (the last school they permanently attended), regardless of the district in which they are sleeping.
     The state has identified “homeless” as being anyone who doesn’t have fixed, permanent, adequate housing with plumbing, electricity and ample sleeping accommodations. If a family sells their home and moves in with a relative while a new house is being built, they fall under the umbrella of being “homeless.”
     If the students (or parents) choose to maintain enrollment in their school of origin, it is that school’s responsibility to bus the student to and from, what the state defines as a “reasonable” distance, while the two districts share the cost. There are kids from Kent and Roy being transported to Sumner and at this point, Christian stated, Tacoma School District transports over three hundred students per day.
     Eatonville School District is transporting three students, one of them being a half-day Kindergartner. The intent of the law, Christian explained, is to keep kids in one school, providing a more consistent education. Another student recently returned to our district after living in a car for a month, not attending school at all, who will probably have difficulty passing their classes and advancing to the next grade level. One problem Christian said is that the public is not aware of the law and students have to “self-identify”. Posters have been ordered and will be hung in all schools in our district informing parents and students of their rights under Title X.

Health Grant Fund

      Linda Moffitt, district Health Services Coordinator, provided the board with an update on plans being developed on how to implement the six component health grant fund. The three-year grant was awarded in Oct. 2002, with the district actually receiving the funds in April 2003.  Moffitt explained, “Use of the funds came from a collaboration from folks in the district; our high school core team discussed some of the options, I met with the Parent Advisory at the middle school, so we had some input from other folks.”
     One component of the grant is mental health care, which has been up and running since April. One day a week our district is provided with a therapist from Good Sam, who based on referral, provides “Brief Solution Focus Therapy” for students on site or in their homes, at the parent’s choosing. Moffitt continued to explain the district is really targeting students who are in crisis situations and the grant is centered on violence prevention.
     The district is most interested in the therapist working with kids who are victims of violence or potential perpetrators of violence. “We max-ed out her (the therapist) capacity very quickly. Our district has many kids who fit the criteria and one of the challenges has been to decide which kids go to the top of the pile. I’ve struggled with who’s in greater crises when you have a limited amount of service; we could use her every day of the week and keep her fully busy. It’s a wonderful addition to what we’ve been able to offer, it really is intense therapy for these kids.”
     Moffitt continued, “The first component of the grant is ‘Safe School Environment’ we used that money to purchase radios for the high school security needs that we have. The second element of the grant is Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug and Violence Prevention; we have hired a parent from EMS to be given a stipend to coordinate parent involvement there.
     “Again, this is in the development stages so we don’t know exactly what it’s going to look like. The third element is the mental health, numbers four, five and six do not come with funding directly to the district; however we’ll be able to do some training with our pre-school program and early childhood development. The last element, Safe School Policies will provide Safe and Civil school training for high school staff.” Mettler asked Moffitt if the DARE Program at Columbia Crest and Weyerhaeuser Elementary had an influence, to which Moffitt responded most definitely. Mettler commented that Ranger Stevens, who ran the program at Columbia Crest had transferred from the area and she hoped the program would be able to continue there.

Methamphetamine Awareness

     Mettler asked Moffitt about the community Methamphetamine Awareness meeting held last April. Moffitt mentioned that EYSA had made a very generous donation of  $500 to the Meth Awareness campaign, fully funding the event. She continued, “I don’t see any additional money coming as a result (of the meeting); I do see wonderful community collaboration that has grown out of it. It was exciting to see that many citizens come out and be interested in learning about Methamphetamine and Meth labs and what’s happening in our community.
     “In the follow up meeting last week there was an opportunity for citizens to ask a panel of professionals questions about Meth. One of the things that struck me was the interest in what are we doing in schools, what are our education strategies and prevention techniques. I was so pleased to have community members ask those questions and we were able to get some group responses and share with them what we are doing.”

I-728 Proposal - Gambling Proceeds

     The fourth item on the Work Study agenda was the I-728 Proposal, or how the funds from gambling proceeds should be spent. The district has not yet received this funding and does not know exactly what the dollar amount will be. Arment gave a Power Point presentation explaining the state mandates that the funds will establish a “Student Achievement Fund”, calling for responsible decisions that support learning improvement for students. Authorized uses for the funds include class size reduction in grades K – 5, extended learning opportunities in grades K – 12, professional development for educators, early childhood programs (birth – age 5) and improvements to buildings for class size reduction.
     Arment continued, explaining that due to timelines this year, the district office used the recommendations from last year, developing a package for faculty review and recommendations. He further explained, “The key word here is substantially improve student achievement”, listing various programs that have been found through Meta-Analyses Research to substantially improve, modestly improve, programs with mixed or controversial results and programs that rarely or never show improved achievement. Arment noted that one mandated program, bilingual education, fell under the “mixed or controversial results” category.
     Secondly, themes brought forth from the 1999 Community Climate Survey and School Improvement Plans and Faculty Recommendations were examined. The proposals included sustained learning in various classes, class size reduction, tutoring, extended school year and staff development.
     Linda Ames, district Business/Personnel Manager, stated that currently the state projects the district will receive approximately $205 per student which is $30,000 less than the district received last year. However the exact amount will not be finalized until the State Legislature finishes their session this year, if gambling sales are not at the level projected, the amount will be less.
     Lucy Fountain mentioned that a parent who teaches in the Bethel school district and has children in our district asked if it was thought that Eatonville class sizes would change due to cuts in funding. Bethel currently has larger class sizes than we do and faces large funding cuts and even larger class sizes. Fountain noted other school districts are very envious of the class sizes we have here in Eatonville.

EC4 Committee

     The fifth and final item on the Work Study agenda was to provide direction to the EC4 Committee on their thirty-two recommendations to the board. There was some confusion among the board members as to what Bass had directed them to do during the previous meeting; examine and understand the thirty-two recommendations. As some of the board members were not prepared, they discussed the recommendations in general and gave the EC4 Committee the go ahead to develop proposals centering around athletic issues, such as a statement of athletic philosophy, a mandatory parent code of conduct for athletic events that includes behavior expectations and defines procedures for communicating with coaches and administration, evaluate the usefulness of the WIAA (WA Intramural Athletic Assoc.) “Just Play Fair” program and adopt a policy that gives the responsibility for overall direction of any sports program (at all grade levels) to the high school head coach.

Cheerleader Tryout

      Mettler called for the “board comments” portion of the meeting, as Thompson inquired about the interest level for cheerleader tryouts, scheduled to take place on May 19.  Reese responded saying that of thirty original applicants, only eight high school girls were eligible to tryout due to the high, cumulative GPA (grade point average) requirement set by the ASB (Associated Student Body).
     There are twenty cheer positions that need to be filled. A lengthy discussion ensued concerning the strict requirement. Reese stated that when he approached the ASB about the GPA requirement they said it was the responsibility of the cheerleaders to change their own constitution and only half of the current cheerleaders wanted to change the requirement in their constitution.
     Mettler commented that, “I just heard a sort of Catch 22 in that we’re telling students that they’re ineligible due to their GPA but on the other hand the ASB isn’t going to re-write this. However, the cheer squad can re-write their own constitution. There’s something wrong with this picture and I think we better fix it now so that we don’t leave out students that once this constitution is changed could have participated.” Phil Nordstrom added, “We’re trying to encourage students to participate, it gives them something to do and be associated with, be on a team. As long as they’re passing in school there’s no reason they shouldn’t be on the cheer squad.”
     Reese reminded the board members that during the pervious meeting he broached the subject and said he had recommended to the ASB that the requirement be lowered to be inline with athletics (a 2.0 GPA).
     Springer clarified that the GPA requirement was cumulative, not current and said, “It’s wrong, it could take a Freshman who had one bad class two years before they would meet the requirement; they should use the current GPA.”
     Mettler inquired about how much power the ASB holds, to which Steedman replied it was his understanding the administration has the final say on what the ASB approves, but the school has tried to foster an ASB that does have some power. Arment explained that auditors and state law protect the ASB as they are funded significantly. Linda Ames added that unless illegal or in violation of board policy, ASB decision prevails.  
     Thompson said that he didn’t believe the final say in direction of programs should be left to fourteen through eighteen year olds. Nordstrom added that our boy’s soccer team had the highest GPA in the state and being a part of a team is an incentive to do better, “To say to a student you have a 3.2 GPA but need a 3.5 is a real kick in the rear.”
     Bass said he was struggling with how to repair the damage at this point. Reese suggested holding two try-outs; one after the GPA requirement was lowered. Mettler offered that the board could give “direction” to the cheerleaders to change their constitution, while Springer suggested that they allow the girls who don’t meet the requirement to tryout anyway. This idea was defeated as it’s against the cheer constitution. Arment said he encourages the administration to move forward in changing the constitution to provide the most students an opportunity to be involved.
     Thompson stated, “Whoever is running the program today is running a failed program; so do we say there’s nothing we can do about it or do we step in and fix it?”
     Bass asked Steedman to provide a close comparison of other clubs or groups at the school who have a constitution with a GPA requirement. The only others were academic groups such as the Math Club, and the Knowledge Bowl. There were no closely aligned non-academic clubs or groups with similar requirements.
     After an hour-long discussion, Bass said he was fine with handling it within the realm of the cheerleaders and the ASB adding, “If you want to send Reese back to ask the current cheerleaders if they want to change the requirement, I’m fine with that.”
     In his closing comment Bass thanked Reese for all he’d done in his short time with the district, and expressed that he was sorry to see him leave. Bass added that he saw a lot of positive changes and always saw Reese’s presence at the football and basketball games.
     Mettler said she certainly agreed and mentioned the After Hours Program at Columbia Crest was putting on the play “Alice In Wonderland” and that the Columbia Crest Kindergarten Graduation will be held Wed., May 21 at 7 p.m.
     Bass then mentioned that as part of the board and district goals he and Arment have started visiting all the schools and staff in the district.
     Springer updated the board on legislative activities in Olympia, saying the Driver Education Funding bill was sent back to the House and is still alive. A bill was passed allowing children of school district employees the option of attending school in the district where their parents work.
     Holden apologized for not being able to participate in the “Walk A Bond” and asked how it went. Bass said he thought it was really nicely done and well attended.

Investigation Process & Bomb Threats

     Arment stated he wanted to call the board’s attention to the investigation process, saying “We had the dogs in the school on Monday who found a couple items in the parking lot; one was some tobacco found in a car and some old bullet casings. We also had two bomb threats, which are a felony in the state of Washington. Sooner or later the person(s) who are doing this are going to be held accountable; the police are working hard on that. There was a difference between the two bomb threats; the board is aware of some of the evidentiary items involved. Monday we evacuated and today (Wed.) we did a lock down, search and walk through; that was after consultation with the Police Dept. They (the threats) were different in nature”.

 Administering Medication At School

     Arment next brought up Policy 3416, Administering Medication At School. He explained that a situation arose at the high school in which a student with a leg injury who was using crutches was prescribed a narcotic to take while at school. In the professional opinion of Linda Moffitt it was not safe to administer a “class three” narcotic to the student while in school and that such a student should stay at home.
     Class three narcotics are those that impair judgment, cause dizziness, loss of balance and could cause a person to need assistance with walking. The parent requested that the student be sent back to class under the influence of the narcotic. Moffitt explained the problem was that the board’s policy did not support her position, as it does not contain an exclusion for administering narcotics. The board decided to address the issue during a future meeting.
     The meeting adjourned at 9:55 p.m. as the board moved into a “short” executive session to discuss a personnel issue.
     The next scheduled meeting of the school board is Wed., May 28, beginning at 6 p.m. rather than 7 p.m. in order to discuss the EC4 Committee’s athletic proposals. The meeting will be held in the district conference room at 208 Lynch St. The public is encouraged to attend.
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Planning and Cheerleading on April 23 School Board Agenda 

     by Penny Chambers         

     The April 23 meeting of the Eatonville School Board began at 6 p.m. with a “Strategic Planning” discussion, presented by Monte Bridges from the Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD). A definition of strategic planning as provided by Bridges is “a structured effort to develop future-oriented decisions and actions that shape and guide what a school district is, what it does, and why it does it.”
     Bridges began by addressing the board, “I applaud you for coming forward and taking this on, taking a look at strategic planning and what that will mean for some of your next steps; it can be a real cumbersome process or it can be pretty smooth and quick. You have the opportunity it make it whatever you want. This is a cycle. 
     “We should start with where the district is, where the district wants to go, how the district is going to get there and how the district is going to measure the progress. Pulling that information together creates the cycle; if it’s not continuous there’s no need to go through with this, it should be a continuous process of improvement.”
     A matter of high priority for the board, last year they had originally discussed development of a plan next year, beginning the pre-planning stages this year. 
     Bridges’ agenda began with a discussion on the needs of the plan. He posed the questions, what is the status of the existing plan, are the goals being used or have they been set aside? Superintendent Ray Arment answered that the existing plan was developed during school year 1995-96 and is still being used. Bridges continued, “Is there any need for an interim plan? What do you hope to accomplish and what are your questions? What internal resources do you have to assist with strategic planning and what external resources will you need? What is the scope of the process you want to take on?”
      Board Director Donna Mettler stated that due to the time and effort that went into the development of the current Strategic Plan, she would hope that many of the goals contained therein are still viable and perhaps could be tweaked or readjusted. After looking at the current plan, Bridges felt that it was well crafted in terms of the general goals, that the goals were strong and many could continue to apply or be readjusted.    
      The second topic on Bridges’ agenda was change and leadership. He stated “the reason that you’re taking this on is because you want to provide leadership for the community and school district and ultimately for the students.” Bridges presented the definition of productive change (taken from a book “Total Leaders” by Schwan and Spady), or as he continued to explain, “this is the test of what it really takes to affect productive change.” 1) The things that matter actually change. 2) Results improve - it leads to consistently improved outcomes. 3) Functions improve – it involves more effective ways of operating. 4) It enhances – it motivates and benefits all involved. 5) It lasts – the improvements keep on improving. 
       Five pillars of productive change Bridges explained are 1) Purpose – it has meaning for me. Without purpose the district lacks the reason to change. 2) Vision – it’s clear and exciting. Without vision the district lacks a clear road map for change. 3) Ownership – “I want to be part of it.” Without ownership the district lacks the commitment needed for change to succeed. 4) Capacity – “I can do it.” Without capacity the district lacks the ability to succeed. 5) Support – “Our leader is helping us do it.” Without support the district lacks the opportunity to succeed. 

Strategic Planning Overview

      Third on his agenda, Bridges presented an overview of strategic planning. The first step is a firm understanding of the “State-of-the-District;” where are we as a community and a district? What’s been accomplished? We need to be able to take stock of the accomplishments and know exactly what our challenges are. Secondly, strategic plan direction must be established asking the questions, “Where are we going, what do we want to achieve and what do we want to be?” Thirdly, strategic alignment must be determined. The board must define their blueprint for action and decide how to achieve that blueprint. Finally, strategic accountability must be established, posing the questions “How do we know if we are on track and how do we measure our progress?” This leads back to creating an understanding of the “State-of-the-District” and the cycle of continuous improvement goes on.
     Bridges stated that an important question is “How do we involve our community and its’ constituents in this process?”
     Further defining the strategic planning process, Bridges continued, “We start with 1) an internal and external assessment, looking at the accomplishments in the district, student achievement, the systems from facilities to budget to curriculum to community partnership to student learning and ultimately the needs of the students. Make sure that the budgeting and resources are allocated for your plan.”  2) Mission, Values and Principals; valuate the current goals, “Does the community still hold and value some of those goals?” 
     The values of the community should be imbedded in the broad and comprehensive Mission Statement. Establish a vision; combined with the mission and principals, this identifies the district’s uniqueness and should offer a compelling image of the desired future. 3) Goals and Strategies; looking at the desired result after three or more years and at the general approaches to achieving the goals. 4) Objectives and Action Plans; should be adjusted on an annual basis and contain detailed work plans. 
     5) Budgeting and Resource Allocation; should align with the strategic plan and assist in achieving goals and objectives. 6) Performance Measures; methods used to measure results, ensuring accountability and continuous improvement. 7) Monitoring and Tracking; develop a system of monitoring progress to ensure that the plan is being accomplished, thereby compiling management information which provides an ongoing assessment of what’s happening in the district and keeps the plan on track, supplies information to communicate the district’s progress to the community and assists in determining the next steps to take for the following year.
     Bridges finished by stating, “I do recommend that you keep this as simple as possible, it doesn’t have to be objective after objective. I think it needs to be some key goal areas with some very powerful strategies that we can match with the resources you have.”
     Director Rick Thompson asked Bridges to provide an example of the resources needed, to which Bridges responded, “There may be internal staff members combined with Ray (Arment), or with folks in the community who are able to take on the planning process, you need the budget and time. What’s it going to take in terms of people, time and money to pull the plan together.”
     Chair Robert Bass questioned the general time-line for developing a plan. Bridges replied that a short, interim plan could be developed in approximately a few days time, while a full plan could be completed during the next year. “It takes consistency in community value and direction.” 
     Arment suggested it might benefit the district in the short term to review and update the existing plan to determine, “What areas are enduring that we want to continue to work with, that at one time had a significant value to the community and move forward from there. That way we won’t be treading water while this process takes place and we’ll have something we can really bite off and really work on; that would be helpful.” Bass commented that some of the district and board goals might be applied, saying, “We might already have the bridge in place for now.” 
     Director Ron Springer expressed, “My take on this is the difference between our board goals, short term and long term. The strategic plan is how far in do you want to go, our board goals have been established (to be met) short range and long range (3 – 4 years). To me this is our plan and if you want to go years ahead of that you would consider it a strategic plan, but to go five to ten years in the future won’t work. But our goal is the education of the kids; that is our plan. Year by year we are amending.”
     Thompson stated that a lot of work went into the existing strategic plan and “I don’t think the community values have changed that much.” Bridges suggested that once the board has pieced a plan together, they could very easily put it out in the community for input and feedback.
     Thompson added, “We have a great tool (the strategic plan) and our board member turn over is large, during the next election there will be four board seats up. It would be nice to have a road map for the new board members to follow.”
     Bridges offered to prepare a summary and his recommendations based on the night’s discussion.
     The board took a five-minute recess and resumed the regular meeting with Bass stating  the board needed to provide some direction as to the Strategic Planning process and how the board wants to proceed. He expressed his appreciation for PSESD’s approach and thought the board should choose to work with them.

Consent Agenda

     The next order of business was approval of the Consent Agenda. Bass requested that item C, “to accept the resignation of EHS Cheer Advisor (coach) Julie Clark,” be removed and addressed later in the meeting. Springer asked that the minutes of the March 26 board meeting be removed as he noted an error in the recording of the approval of a motion. The Consent Agenda, consisting of the following items, was approved pending the amendment of item A and with the removal of item C:

A.      Approval of amended March 26, 2003 regular meeting minutes.

B.       Approval of April 9, 2003 board meeting minutes.

C.       Consider the following classified personnel action: Resignation of Julie Clark, EHS Cheer Advisor (coach), effective April 11, 2003

D.      Consider the Extra Curricular assignment of Linda Moffitt, District Mental Health Coordinator, effective 5/1/03 – 8/31/03.

E.       Financial Items:

1.        March, 2003 Payroll - $954,449.35

2.        April, 2003 General Fund - $225,178.23

3.        April, 2003 ASB Fund - $13,355.57

4.        April, 2003 Capital Projects - $1,645.00

5.        February, 2003 Financial Report

     At 7 p.m. the board moved into an unscheduled Executive Session with Superintendent Arment, EHS principal Garth Steedman and EHS Athletic Director Lewis Reese to discuss a personnel issue.

Much More About Cheerleading

     The regular meeting resumed at approximately 7:30 with “Hearings of Individuals and Groups.” Bass noted the subject listed for discussion was cheerleading and presumed it related to the resignation of the Cheer Advisor (coach), which had been removed as a “Consent Agenda” item and moved to the regular agenda. Bass continued saying “We need to set the stage for that. If public comment is in support of the cheerleading program, then we would like to hear it in public. If it’s a statement against or for personnel or an individual, then the board would like to move that into Executive Session.” 
     The board heard from EHS football and basketball cheerleader Crystal LaRance, who first addressed the recent trip to state finals with the basketball team. Apparently there was some confusion as to when the cheer squad was to return home. Bass asked Athletic Director Reese to clarify, “The instructions I gave to the head coach was that because the cheer fund was in a deficit, if we were to lose at a time early enough that would allow them to get home safely, the cheerleaders were supposed to be retuned back to school that day because of the cheer fund being in the condition that it was, in the arrears $4,200.” The cheer squad stayed an extra night, the cost being paid by the athletic department.
     Crystal next asked why there were no guidelines and rules for the Cheer Advisor and why the Cheer Advisor should be punished for something she had, or hadn’t done, when there were no rules governing them.
     Bass asked if there were any specific guidelines to which Reese responded, “I am not aware of any written specific guidelines, but the cheer contract outlines certain things the cheer squad is required to do. Conversely that would mean the person who ran the program would have to oversee those activities.”
     Crystal pointed out that there had been many discussions as to whether cheering is an activity or a sport, and it seems the rules bend and sway back and forth depending on convenience. Reese replied, “The cheer constitution sets specific guidelines and it’s up to the cheer coach to enforce those unilaterally.” Crystal, accompanied by EHS cheerleader Kelly Brady, stated the EHS Cheer Constitution does state that if a cheerleader misses a practice she is not allowed to cheer in the event.
     The parent of two EHS cheerleaders in attendance, said she didn’t understand why cheerleading is different from all other sports, which also are considered extra curricular activities, i.e. if a member of the football or volleyball team misses practice they’re punished, why not the cheerleaders? Reese responded, “The WIAA (Washington Intramural Athletic Assoc.) does not recognize cheer as a sport, they acknowledge the fact it is an activity in support of a sport, but they do not have guideline control over cheer activities. They do have over site control of our own guidelines and could put us on probation for being in violation of our own rules.”
     Reese continued, “The issue I’m hearing is the attendance thing and that’s one of the issues I implemented to be done, so I could verify everybody who should or should not be attending events based on attendance issues.” Steedman added the WIAA supports the Cheer Constitution and while the WIAA’s guidelines are the backbone of athletic activities, the Cheer Constitution is the backbone of cheer activities and that constitution is supposed to be written with the input of the kids involved, the coach and the Athletic Director. It’s a living document and can be revised.

Phil Nordstrom Speaks for EC4 Committee

     Phil Nordstrom, speaking on behalf of the EC4 Committee (Extra/Co-Curricular Activities) noted that in the Committee’s recommendations to the school board regarding coaching, they did not include the word “advisor” and would like to do so also. He asked that the issue be brought back to the EC4 Committee for further review so cheering would be more in line with the other sports in the district. The EC4 recommendations to the board include rules governing coaches, hiring/firing procedures, grievance procedures and a plan for improvement. 
     Bass clarified with Crystal that her concern was with the Cheer Constitution not being adhered to. Reese said, “All infractions that were brought to my attention were dealt with by my asking for documentation, such as attendance records. That’s why I implemented the attendance issues and the discussion I’m hearing is about something that happened back in Sept., this is the first time it’s been addressed to me in this way, in front of the committee (board). 
     So I’m a little remiss on exactly what I did at that point, but there is a particular instance where I over rode it (the constitution) because there wasn’t overwhelming information to prove what had happened. I exercised my judgment on that particular instance where a cheerleader was allowed to cheer and talked with the advisor (coach) and explained why we need to have attendance records as support, because we’re trying to be fair to everybody else.”
     Crystal’s father asked exactly who is in charge of the cheer program. Arment offered that the Cheer Constitution which the students, and the ASB have agreed to, is in charge of the program. We would look at the Advisor and the Athletic Director for checks and balances to ensure the constitution is being adhered to. Steedman added, “We would look for leadership from the Advisor first and foremost to make sure that the constitution is being implemented under the spirit and the letter that it was written.” Bass said “There’s a chain of command there and it comes up to the superintendent and ultimately the board.” Mr. LaRance responded, “So when my daughter has tried three or four times to talk with Mr. Reese and gets no response at all, she has to go to the school board in order to meet with him?” Bass interrupted, asking LaRance if he’d like to go into Executive Session, while Steedman tried to explain the chain of command, saying it’s like rungs of a ladder and one should start with the lowest rung or the place closest to the issue.

Cheering Not Sanctioned Like Athletics

     Springer clarified with Reese that the WIAA did not recognize cheering as a sport, to which Reese responded they are recognized but not sanctioned the same as athletics. Springer said, “In that case it would seem to me several school districts should get together and make a concentrated effort to get that changed.” Reese answered, “There was a big movement this year to get it changed to a sport. When they went through to do that, and the cheer advisors realized they were going to be held to the same standard as a sport, they pulled out because they don’t want to have to have try outs every season. Be held to the same GPA requirements under WIAA and do separate seasons for everything. They realized they wouldn’t be able to practice year round because of the sports standards and when you can practice. It would effectively shut down all cheer programs.” Springer ended, “In other words they killed their own argument.” 
     Reese addressed the board saying that his recommendation to the ASB during their meeting the previous week, was to lower the GPA requirement for the cheerleaders making it the same as other sports, “But the ASB overwhelmingly voted to keep it as is, I thought it was wrong but unfortunately the ASB saw it that way.” Bass asked Crystal if she or Kelly had attended the ASB meeting, to which Crystal answered, “I think we can go at any time, but we didn’t know that was going to be brought up.” 
     Bass asked Crystal if she’d like to move into Executive Session and at 8:20 the board, along with Reese, Steedman, Arment, the LaRances, Kelly Brady and her mother moved into private session to discuss the personnel issue and complaint.
     The regular meeting resumed at 9 p.m. with Thompson moving to accept the resignation of Cheer Advisor Julie Clark, which was seconded by Springer and unanimously approved by the board.

Committee for Advanced Academic Achievement Dissolved

     The board heard the April Enrollment Report from Arment, who said the numbers were very encouraging at 1,981.35.
     The first item of unfinished business on the agenda was to provide guidance for the CAAA (Committee for Advanced Academic Achievement). Formed four years ago, the committee felt they had done everything they could to this point and were looking for a “sunset” date from the board, unless the board and the district was willing to consider a special Advanced Academic Achievement program, or independent class. 
     Lucy Fountain explained that being a board appointed committee, that it was never meant to be an ongoing, permanent committee. Fountain addressed the board, “We started with the elementary schools, went to the middle school, then the high school and now this year are back at the elementary level. We felt that we made a lot of recommendations and did a lot of research, learned a lot and brought some good ideas to the buildings that teachers can use. 
     “If the committee is to continue, we need a job to do. The committee is concerned over the fact that there will always be something to keep gifted kids recognized in the district. We discussed how to bring that into the Strategic Plan and into the School Improvement Plan and making sure that those kids are recognized and cared for. 
     I want to be an advocate always for gifted education and making sure those kids are not forgotten in the system, as we try to serve all kids. And that’s hard for me too as I believe all kids are gifted, you have to look for the gifts in all of them. I think it would be nice if the committee could come together as an outside support group, involved in extra field trips, scholarships, etc. We have many highly motivated kids who don’t fit in the state’s defined three percent like the John Hopkins level. But we have a lot of strong students who’ve been recognized through advanced placement and honors. We’ve done grouping and brought higher-level courses down to those students who could handle it, at all schools in the district and in classes across the board. The district has supported it, if anyone says they don’t, they do support those higher-level students.”
    While expressing their appreciation and hopes that the committee would continue as a support or advisory group, the board voted unanimously to dissolve the CAAA at the end of this school year.

EC4 Committee's Thirty-Four Recommendations

     The second order of unfinished business was discussion of the EC4 Committee’s thirty-two recommendations to the board. In attendance from the EC4 Committee were Chair Dan Fountain, Athletic Associate Phil Nordstrom and Performing Arts Advisor/Director Jason Hunter. Bass began by saying some of the recommendations will take more effort than others, some need more answers and framework from the EC4 Committee, some are Executive Session material as they deal with contracts, others are in progress and being completed.  The committee said they were looking for direction from the board in prioritizing the recommendations. Phil Nordstrom felt the inconsistencies in the Athletic Department should be one of the first issues worked on. Arment suggested  the principals and athletic staff at the high and middle schools draft an athletic code to be given to the EC4 Committee for revision, who in turn would bring it before the board. 
     Steedman stated he and Reese had planned to review at least the “grade check” portion of the current athletic code. Arment said a code needs to be drafted and the matter should not be let go for another school year. Jason Hunter said the current code combines athletics and activities and is too vague and confusing. There was a discussion about separating athletics, activities and clubs, which will involve the sorting of many different components and aspects. Steedman said we don’t want to put so many restrictions on clubs and activities that the students won’t want to get involved, we want as many kids as possible to get involved. 
     Bass made the commitment to the EC4 Committee that during the next school board meeting the board would let them know which recommendations they would like the committee to work on first. Steedman requested the committee address the athletic and activity code issues as soon as possible so that they would be in place for the next school year.

Superintendent and Board Relations

     The third item of unfinished business was Superintendent/Board Relations. Bass said he’d put a copy of all the policies that apply to either the board or the superintendent in the board director’s manuals and asked that they read through them and understand them for discussion during the next meeting, as one of the Management Review recommendations was that they clarify the board/superintendent rolls and relationship.

Nike Basketball Clinic 

     The board next addressed the first order of new business, consideration of the girl’s basketball coaches’ attendance of the Nike basketball clinic in Las Vegas, Nevada. Steedman explained that it’s a great camp and they are going to advance their skills. The coaches would pay for the trip out of pocket and by using their “idea money.” which is intended to be used for training purposes. After a short discussion the board unanimously approved the trip.

School Year Calendar, Trip to Yakima & Tech Plan

     The second topic of new business was to consider the School Year Calendar for the years 2003 – 2004 and 2004 –2005. Arment explained this is a component of the bargaining agreement between the EEA (Eatonville Education Assoc.), the school employees and administrators.  The board unanimously approved the calendars as they were for school year 2002 – 2003.
     Thirdly, the board considered the Math Team’s trip to Yakima. The team requested  the board approve an overnight trip in order that they be fresh in the morning for the competition. Bass noted his only concern was that math teacher Mrs. Hills intended to use her idea money for the trip and he expressed that he hoped she wouldn’t have to do so. The trip was unanimously approved.
     A request for the extension of the Approved Technology Plan to June 30, 2004 was the fourth issue of new business discussed. Arment explained that next year technology is coming up as a “curriculum review” item and they must have a Technology Plan in place. The board unanimously approved the extension of completion of the plan.

Citizen's Oversight Committee Charter

     The final order of new business was the Bond Committee’s request for a resolution adopting a Citizen’s Oversight Committee Charter, designed to ease the minds of those in the community concerned that if passed, the bond dollars will not be spent as intended. The Committee will be comprised of a minimum of five community members (one representing each school) and one member from the business community. Springer commented, “Over the years the skepticism in the community about how has the district handled bond money is still lingering out there, I hear it quite often. This is important, showing the public that they will be involved in this, not just the district.” Bass said, “I’m all for whatever it takes to pass the bond, but the irony is that the elected officials the voters approved aren’t the ones that are trusted in the bond issue.” After making a few minor changes to the draft, the board unanimously approved the charter adoption. (Please see Front Page)

Superintendent's Comments - Board Discussion

     Under Superintendent’s Comments, Arment announced that during the next board meeting the use of I-728 (gambling funds) will be open for public comment. Secondly, Arment said that last year Eatonville was the only school district in the state that had an Army Science Lab from the National Science Center at EES. Thirdly, he said, “We had a wonderful gift from Ohop Grange who gave each third grader, at all three elementary schools, a personal copy of a dictionary with each child’s name in it. The Grange intends to do this for the next three years. “I watched one group of boys at a table comparing dictionaries and looking up words as if they were playing Nintendo. One little girl just sat and hugged and cuddled her dictionary. Some of the teachers pointed out that for some of the kids this was their first book of their own.”
     Under Board Discussion, Springer mentioned earlier that afternoon at EES the fifth graders had put on a “delightful” senior’s Tea. The tea is an annual affair held for the senior citizens in the community and “we really look forward to and enjoy it.”
     Thompson inquired about how cheerleading try-outs would be handled. In the past the cheer coach/advisor and senior cheerleaders have selected the cheerleaders. This Reese said, “Creates the air of major favoritism.” Reese continued, “I’ve got some outside cheer advisors from other organizations that will be coming in and actually doing the evaluation process, I will be part of the committee, the senior cheerleaders if they want to be present, nothing has been set officially. We’re working through this process, but what I want to have in place is a cheer squad that’s not chosen with the appearance of favoritism. That way the appearance of impropriety that has lead to the circumstances  we’ve talked about the last couple of hours is alleviated.” Thompson asked if the students would have a vote. Reese responded the students will have a vote as well, but the committee will be large enough they will not be the determining factor as in the past. The tryouts will be held Mon., May 19, in the high school gym. The public is welcome to attend.
     Mettler mentioned how much she enjoyed the Columbia Crest student newspaper and what a great learning experience putting a newspaper together is for the students.
     Bass brought up (www.)EatonvilleNews.Net, commenting that if you ever want to know what we say during the meetings, pretty much verbatim, just check them out.
     The meeting adjourned at 10:20 p.m. The next School Board meeting is scheduled to be held Wed., May 14 at 7 p.m. in the district conference room at 208 Lynch Street. The use of I-728 funds will be open for public discussion. All community members are encouraged to attend!

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SRO at School Board Meeting

      by Penny Chambers

      The school board met before a standing room only audience Wed., March 26.  The meeting began at 7:30, following an executive session that started at 6 p.m. during which a “personnel issue” was discussed.
       The first order of business was the unanimous approval of the Consent Agenda, consisting of the following items:

1. Approval of Feb. 12 Work Study meeting minutes
2. Approval of Feb. 26 Regular meeting minutes
3. Approval of March 12 Board meeting minutes
4. Consider the following Certificated Personnel action:

• Approve retirement of Bert Morrison, EMS math teacher, end of 2002-2003 school year.
• Accept resignation of Michelle Frink, EES first grade teacher, end of 2002- 2003 school year.
• Accept resignation of Jennifer Bosnick, EES fifth grade teacher, end of 2002-2003 school year.

5. Consider the following Classified Personnel action:

• Accept resignation of Patricia Jensen, Support Services Assistant, March 4, 2003.
• Approve retirement of Karen Woodward, Support Services bus driver and driver trainer, end of 2002-2003 school year.
• Employ Kathy Hugh, Support Services Assistant, March 13, 2003.
• Employ Sheila Hoyer, Support Services custodian, March 7, 2003.

6. Financial:

• Feb. 2003 payroll - $935,910.82
• March 2003 General Fund - $269,594.42
• March 2003 ASB Fund - $33,302.44
• March 2003 ASB Fund - $7,450.00 (For Senior Prom)
• March 2003 Transportation/Vehicle fund - $87,222.35
• February 2003 Financial Report

Bond First Order of Business

Consideration of Resolution 473 – General Obligation Funds (the school bond) was the first order of business discussed by the board. Approval of the resolution is the first step in putting the bond up for public vote again. Gwen Judd, Facilities Committee co-chair, gave the board a brief recap of their March 24 meeting saying the committee had a long discussion about what to do now that the school bond has failed. Judd said that ignoring the problems at our high school and middle school will not make them go away and these issues must be addressed. Judd further stated that the Facilities Committee “pretty much unanimously” decided to run the same $24 million bond again on May 20, 2003 via an “all mail-in election.” 
        Board director Donna Mettler opened the discussion suggesting the election be conducted with polling locations as well as mail-in ballots. Legislative representative Ron Springer added he prefers going to the polls rather than mailing in election ballots. Directors Darold Holden and Rick Thompson both said they like the idea of polling locations, but they would stand behind the people who put so much time into passing the bond, the Facilities Committee, and their decision as to how to conduct the election. Chair Robert Bass noted there was a better “Yes” margin with the recent “all mail-in” ballots than in the previous, Feb. 2002 general election when a $38 million bond was put before the voters.
        Judd added the number of “Yes” votes were double those received during the 2002 general election. Holden raised the question of cost associated with conducting an open poll election and Superintendent Ray Arment confirmed the costs are significantly higher and suggested the board and Facilities Committee consider the use of a drop off box as used in the recent March 11 election. Moving for the adoption of Resolution 473 Chair Bass expressed his support of the Facilities Committee and their recommendations. Resolution 473, to request a special election of the Pierce County Auditor to be held May 20, 2003, was unanimously approved by the board.

                        Senior Prom in Seattle

       Under “Hearings of Individuals And Groups” Arment enthusiastically introduced EHS history teacher Davina Serdahl, Amy Bowden, ASB Vice President, and Senior Class Advisors, who were in attendance to ask approval of $7,450 in ASB funds (approved earlier in the Consent Agenda) for this year’s Senior Prom, to be held at the Experience Music Project (EMP), an inter-active music museum in Seattle. Serdahl began by explaining the students had put a lot of effort into the prom, working on the arrangements and conducting fund-raisers since last summer.
       Our Eatonville students will have full use of the EMP facility (other than the bar), which includes a large hall surrounded with big screens for the dance, the museum exhibits, studio and sound lab where the public can play different musical instruments and make use of the best in today’s audio technology, and a virtual music library. The students were bubbling over with enthusiasm as Tara Foust exclaimed, “It’s so cool, it’s like a movie prom!” The prom will be held on April 26, the cost per couple will be $75 for seniors and $85 for all others.

     Teacher Tira Hancock Makes Academic History 

Next Tira Hancock EEA co-president and EHS biology and chemistry teacher, addressed the board, “I’m here tooting my own horn.” Hancock recently achieved National Board Certification in the field of chemistry, a major accomplishment for any teacher. She is the first teacher in the Eatonville School District to achieve this honor.
       EHS principal Garth Steedman brought two trophies to display to the board members, earned by the “Knowledge Bowl” team for taking second and third place in recent competitions.
       Dan Fountain, EC4 chairperson, reported the committee has done really well and the break up into subcommittees has worked very well. “We’re pretty happy with how the process is done.” During the next board meeting the EC4 Committee will present thirty core recommendations to the board. 
       Linda Ames, district business/personnel manager, presented a report of district “levy expenditures” to the board.

                           District 404 "Management Review Report

       The completed “Management Review Report” (see Jan. 22, 03 school board story below) was presented by consultants Mike Boring and Eldon Lonborg. The purpose of the study was to examine the management and organizational structure of our school district. Boring explained the study was approached from two levels. One examining documentary evidence which would indicate how the district is functioning, such as budget, audit reports, policies, contracts and job descriptions. Secondly, Boring and Lonborg looked at how the district is allocating funds in terms of programs. This information is compared to that of other similar school districts in our state in order to determine how Eatonville district is functioning.
      The study found our district, as are others in our state, is facing a reduced financial level of support. In addition to cuts in state funding, school districts are being strained as they are charged with more and more responsibilities at the state and federal level.
      Boring stated that if we were to summarize the efficiency of the district, one of the standard measures would be fiscal efficiency, “In other words, does it appear the district is using it’s funds in a typical way that satisfies legislative requirements and preserves an operating cash basis. The study found that the district is not heavy in terms of administrators and has a typical ratio of administrators to students.”
      “Columbia Crest is somewhat inefficient in terms of fiscal measures due to its small size.” Boring continued to explain, “as with anything else, there is a reduction in efficiency if you get too small because you have smaller groups generating funds to run the school. However, there are good things going on there and reasons why it’s a viable school.”
       Personnel assignments appear to meet the requirements, the study found that people who are employed by the district fit well in the jobs they were hired to do.
      The fund balance, which must be maintained by the district, is appropriate but is declining a little, a fact which Boring says many districts are facing. He cautioned the board that fund balance must be sustained at a reasonable level in order to have the ability to draw on their reserves when necessary.
      Enrollment has been stable in our district, while declining in many others throughout the state. 
      Allocation of revenues between major programs looks very typical. Boring explained, “In other words, the balance in terms of, for example regular education vs. special education, is very desirable for Eatonville School District. The revenues that come in for Special Education are indeed supporting the cause. Special Education programming does not have to rely upon the general budget in order to subsidize what they’re doing, as is the case in many other districts. The percentage of students that the Special Education program is serving appears to be typical.”  
     As far as organizational management effectiveness, the district is operating effectively; “…not top heavy and in compliance with the normal standards of measurement. There are things that people think could be done better. However the areas we would measure in terms of documentary information looks very, very sound.”

              Perceptions of Staff and Taxpayers 

     Interviews of people who are either employed by the school system, or are served by the system, were conducted and comprise the second portion of the study results. Boring continued, “Looking at the interview information gathered, is the perception that people hate us in terms of programs, how things are running, how efficiently they think things are running, problems in the district, things that need to be included and so forth. I want to make very clear that concerning the perceptions that people have, the board needs to be cognizant that when people present their view or perception of reality, they may not have all the information. No one person knows exactly what’s going on everywhere all the time.”
     Information gathered through the interview process of the study showed educational achievement and the well being of students was clearly at the top of everyone’s agenda. “There’s a rich tradition in this district that we found evidenced virtually in everyone we talked to. People have great regard for the school district and for the programs that go on. They’re grateful for the contribution the district makes and they support the schools. 

         Weak Morale and  Strained Communication
    “Communication is an area that appeared to be strained. There were a number of ways we thought communication could be improved. One of the areas would be to enhance or build up a systematic program of communication with the community. People welcome hearing what they can about the school district. One thing you need to do is listen to the people in the community and try to have communication going out on a regular basis. 
      “Some staff members feel like nobody really knows what they’re doing or that they’re doing so many great things and they wish more people could see that and they (the staff) could feel as if that work is being recognized. We suggest you consider some different possibilities in terms of staff recognition; it’s a universal need and pays incredible dividends in the end."
      “The board expressed to us initially that they felt the topic of communication was important; we think that communication is a priority. Communication within the community and within the staff is most valuable when it focuses on people or students and what they’re doing; it’s the example that tells the story and gives people a real sense of what’s happening. 
       “Within the staff there doesn’t seem to be a consistent newsletter or bulletin or regular vehicle for communication. It’s not that the district isn’t communicating, but if it were a more conventional plan it would reach further, be more complete and people would begin to look to that for information on a regular basis. It would enhance the sense being part of the whole district.”
        The issue of morale came up in a number of the interviews. “Some would say that morale in the district is weak and maybe isn’t quite so good overall. The district needs to create district awareness and a sense of district togetherness. There are fears of isolation, and although that is not an unusual phenomenon, it is worth addressing. It’s important that the superintendent try to be in the schools as much as can be and that the visits be productive for the folks you’re visiting as well as for the superintendent to learn.

                                 Long Range Plans

        “The issue of a long range, or strategic plan, was mentioned in many of the interviews. Not many people were aware of the older strategic plan; I think most people would say it’s time to revisit and review or create another plan. It provides an opportunity to bring a lot of the stakeholders together in a positive kind of a project; looking ahead at what it is we want to accomplish in the next several years.
       “We discovered that universally, the principals and staff members are interested in what is discussed at the district level in the administrative meetings that occur. And yet they weren’t always sure they got a complete report nor were they sure the issues they were interested in made it up to that level for discussion. The administration should be somewhat organized about how information gets out to the staff.
        “Both evidentiary information and information gathered through interviews indicated that in the area of business and administrative personnel function, the district is administered very carefully and prudently.
      “The transportation program appears to be operating in a very normal fashion in terms of budgeting and the way the vehicles are maintained. The maintenance department is challenged, no doubt about it. There’s not a lot of money to use to maintain or repair facilities and some of them are getting older and older. We concluded the staff feels the buildings are under tremendous strain. Their challenge is to continue to listen to and receive requests to improve things knowing there’s a limit as to how much they can do. We would council the people involved be as patient as they can and still do what they have to do and live within the means that you have. 
        “Curriculum and instruction appeared to be functioning very efficiently from what we observed. You’re moving along well with the version of your curriculum to the framework the state requires and you’re mapping that curriculum in a way that will fit in the areas that you must teach and you must test.
         “There were many, many comments about the amount of contact the superintendent provides in the community. He’s out enough that it’s noticeable to many people and that was one of his first tasks as superintendent. There has been a change in the board make up over the last five years. We feel the board needs to be sure to continue to refine the understanding of what the board does, what the superintendent does, what the school administrators do and that’s not an easy task.

Board Improving -  Questions about Executive Sessions

          “Universally people said they think the board is moving forward in a more organized fashion, that it’s improving and strengthening. Building trust is an extremely critical area. The atmosphere at the board meetings seems to be improving. The question was raised about the proper use of executive session. What we’ve done is include in our report basic requirements or restraints of the use of executive sessions”. These requirements can be viewed on the Washington State website under RCW42.30.110.
         “In conclusion we would point to that tradition, it’s clear there is a legacy here of values in your education program and I think that’s continued to be supported and identified in what we’ve seen.”
         A copy of the fifteen page Management Review Report is available for public viewing or may be purchased at the district office at 208 Lynch Street.

                         Changes in Field Trips

        Following a short recess, the class trip to Spain this April was discussed. It was decided that the class go to Costa Rica rather than Spain. The board unanimously approved the change.
        Eatonville Elementary School Principal Diane Heersink requested the board approve a change in the fifth grade Outdoor Education Camp from Camp Indianola to Camp Colman. Also, there was a change from fourth grade to fifth grade attending the camp as Heersink explained the focus will be on cooperation and team building to help prepare the students for the important transition from elementary to middle school. The camp curriculum will follow the aquatic focus that begins in fourth grade and will carry on to fifth grade. Fund raising for the camp will begin at the fourth grade level. Ours will be the only school at the camp and the cost is less. The board unanimously approved the change.

                 Retiring Surplus Vehicles and New Courses

 The board next discussed the issue of retiring surplus vehicles. Arment pointed out that the three busses and two vans, ranging in age from 1979 to 1993, are on the edge of the state mandate to retire all busses made prior to 1977 and they are no longer cost effective to maintain. He also pointed to the fact that as the state has already paid the district depreciation on the vehicles, regardless of what price the vehicles fetch at auction, the district must pay back that money to the state. 
        Dan Dawkins, Support Services Manager, explained one of the three buses has been used as a “parts” vehicle for several years, the other two have become too labor intensive to maintain. The 1980 Dodge van suffered a fire this school year and the 1993 Chevy Astro van has nearly 300,000 miles on it and is worn out. The board unanimously approved the retirement of the vehicles, which will be put up for auction.
       Three proposed new courses, Technical Science/Mathematics Core, Advanced Health and Golf Course Management, to be offered at the high school was the next topic of discussion. Arment began by introducing Lucy Fountain, the district’s Director Of Curriculum and Instruction Assessment. Also Eatonville High School principal Garth Steedman, Bob Fincham ninth grade Biology instructor and Mark Dawkins high school Health instructor were in attendance awaiting the board’s decision.
       Fountain began by explaining the Science/Math classes are designed for students entering high school with lower level math and science abilities. The class will also have the component of mentoring for students who would like to become teachers. Arment noted that although Fincham is a resident of our school district, he is a “new hire” this year at the high school and has done a tremendous job. Tira Hancock added that he was a fantastic “score” for our district and advised that people should go visit his classroom to see the tremendous job he’s done. She complimented Steedman for hiring him.
       Fountain explained that while Mark Dawkins is not new to our district, he is new to the high school this year and “has brought a lot of energy to the health program and is very popular with the students. There are those (students) who like his program so much they would like to take health as an upper class elective.” Fountain further explained this supports the path for those students who would like to pursue a career in health.
       Golf Course Management, Fountain explained, has become very popular and many high schools are now offering this class and community colleges are offering degrees in this field. Fountain feels “it’s a great career opportunity for kids.” There is now a text book for the course and it would offer hands on “cross” training in areas such as grounds maintenance, tying in with the Horticulture class.
       The board unanimously approved the three classes be offered at the high school next year.

            Resolution 472 and Increases in Property Taxes

Consideration of Resolution 472, delegates district authority to the WIAA (Washington Interscholastic Athletic Assoc.), which is a rule making and monitoring body for athletic programs in the state was discussed. Arment began by explaining this is an annual, recurring resolution and states the district will abide by the WIAA rules and regulations.  If the district were to decline, we would not be allowed to participate in state tournaments. The board unanimously adopted Resolution 472.
        OSPI (Office of the Superintendent of Public Education) has proposed a statewide increase in property taxes to fund public education. Springer began by stating the proposed increase of $107 per $1000 would kill the chances of school districts passing a bond for school improvement. He put a motion on the floor that the district oppose the proposal by notifying state and education department officials. Mettler noted the state is required to fund public education by law and that not only is she is opposed to the OSPI proposal, but also opposes Governor Locke’s proposed 36% levy lid. 
        Arment stated he didn’t think it advantageous for the district to be on the record with a letter of opposition for a proposal that “doesn’t seem to meet the common sense test.” He felt the board should request the Director of Legislative Affairs keep an eye on the proposal as it moves through the system and reconsider opposition if it looks as though the proposal is building momentum. 
         Springer disagreed with Arment as he stated the proposal will be coming up in the process very, very soon and the legislature is in the later part of their sessions now, with budget currently being discussed. Springer urged the board to express their concerns to the legislators now. Arment conceded a letter to our legislators would be prudent, but not to the state’s offices of education. Springer agreed and the board unanimously approved the motion to send a letter of opposition to the OSPI proposal to our legislators.

           Gambling funding down - Bomb Threats

 Under Superintendent’s Comments, Arment mentioned I-728 (gambling revenues) funding. The district was recently informed they would not be receiving as much funding as they had planned at the beginning of the year. They are losing a total of $40,000 as gambling revenue has been down for the second year in a row.
         Arment noted what a great year it’s been for Tira Hancock and her achievement of National Board Certification.
         Board comments began with Rick Thompson who expressed his appreciation of the staff and senior class advisors who were in attendance.
        Mettler asked about the recent bomb threats occurring at the middle and high schools. Arment responded that each threat is taken very seriously and the safety of the students and staff is paramount. He stated a couple of students involved in the threats at the high school have been expelled and are no longer in our district. Arment noted that in the history of American education numerous bomb threats have been received by schools, but none have ever resulted in a school being blown up. 
         But, he continued, there are a couple of real risks about which he is concerned. One was an instance where students were properly evacuated from a school only to be shot by nearby snipers awaiting the evacuation. He expressed that this is a real risk and goes into the decision making of staff and student safety when they evacuate or remain in the buildings. Where the students and staff stand when evacuated must be considered, they can’t be near any danger of flying glass and other debris. 
        The second concern is an improper evacuation, which he witnessed at the high school a couple of years ago. Some students ran to their cars or trucks speeding off recklessly carrying too many passengers, some of whom were in the backs of pick up trucks. The staff and students now have been instructed as to how to conduct themselves and the staff stays with the students throughout the ordeal. Arment said that he, the school principals and local police are working together closely. Arment stated the music class at the middle school calculated that a total of 250 hours was spent on each bomb threat. The culprits may be caught through peer pressure, mentioning another student had written on one of the bathroom stalls “bomb threats are nerdy.” 

                Roger Bush Votes "No" on School Bond Bill

Springer updated the board on current bills still “alive” in Olympia. And he brought particular attention to the fact our legislative representative, Roger Bush, voted “No” on a bill that would have allowed school bonds to pass with a “simple majority” vote. The bill is now out of the house and in the senate. He added there are three bills concerning retirement before the legislature.
        Holden expressed his disappointment the school bond didn’t pass and that he’s glad the district is putting it before the voters again.
        Bass mentioned the next board meeting, scheduled for Wed., April 9, will begin at 6 p.m. rather than 7 p.m. as PSED (Puget Sound Educational District) will be giving a presentation on the Strategic Plan. The meeting will be held at the district office at 208 Lynch Street, the public is encouraged to attend. 
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Your School Board in Action

       by Penny Chambers

     The February 26 meeting of the Eatonville School Board began promptly at 7 p.m. and was once again held before a full house, consisting mostly of union trade workers who had come to offer their support in the passage of the school bond and to advocate their “Apprenticeship Utilization” program. (See below Jan. 22 School Board Meeting story)

The first order of business was approval of the following Consent Agenda items:

1. Approval of January 22, 2003 regular meeting minutes.
2. Approval of January 29, 2003 special meeting minutes.
3. Consider Classified Personnel Action:
1. Accept the resignation of Leslie Goodman, Support Services, Custodian effective 3/31/03.
4. Consider Extra Curricular Assignments:
1. Geoff Olson, EHS Head Track Coach, 03/03/03 – 05/15/03.
2. Mike Moeller, EHS Head Baseball Coach, 03/03/03 – 05/07/03.
3. Dave Mettler, EHS Assistant Baseball Coach, 03/03/03 – 05/07/03.
4. Chris Hunke, EHS Assistant Baseball Coach, 03/03/03 – 05/07/03.
5. Rollie Arthur, EHS Head Boys’ Soccer Coach, 03/03/03 – 05/09/03.
6. Rick Roof, EHS Head Fast Pitch Coach, 03/03/03 – 05/07/03.
7. Erik Danielson, EHS Assistant Fast Pitch Coach, 03/03/03 – 05/07/03.
8. Ken Zentz, EHS Assistant Track Coach, 03/03/03 – 05/15/03.
9. Mary Ann Baker, EHS Head Girls’ Tennis Coach, 03/03/03 – 05/05/03.
10. Jeff Ames, EHS Assistant Girls’ Tennis Coach, 03/03/03 – 05/05/03.

E.  The following Financial items:

1.        January, 2003 Payroll - $936,077.71

2.        February, 2003 General Fund - $261,153.56

3.        February, 2003 ASB Fund - $14,237.05

4.        February, 2003 Capital Projects - $1,563.50

5.        February, 2003 Transportation Vehicle Fund - $72,806.33

6.        January, 2003 Financial Report

      Rick Thompson motioned, seconded by Ron Springer and the Consent Agenda was unanimously approved, other than the abstention of Donna Mettler from item number 3 under category D.
     The board heard firsr from audience member Chris Winters, a union representative who stated the union members were in attendance to assist in getting the bond levy passed. Winters offered to answer questions and brought with him supporting documentation for the Apprenticeship Utilization program.    

Rollie Arthur Retirement SNAFU

      Secondly, the board heard from Rollie Arthur, middle school teacher, who, after handing a copy to each board member, read aloud a letter he had written to the board in response to a letter Arthur received from Superintendent Ray Arment dated 2/12/03. Arthur explained his letter concerned an issue he has been dealing with for approximately two years, regarding his placement on the district’s pay scale and his retirement. 
     Arthur stated that in the 1987/88 school year he was told by the “district’s agent,” Linda Ames (district business/personnel manager) that he had two years in which to obtain credits necessary to be placed at a higher pay scale. Arthur paid for, and completed, the fifty-two hours of college courses necessary to gain the credits by the fall of 1989. Beginning Jan. 1, 1992 the state ruled these additional credits could no longer be earned. Eleven years later, in June 2001, Arthur was notified that the state auditor had determined some of his (Arthur’s) hours, which had been accepted in 1989, did not meet the state’s guidelines and that he must be placed back at the lower pay scale.  Arthur cannot resolve this issue now as the credits necessary to be placed at the higher pay level had to have been achieved prior to Jan. 1, 1992. 
     Arthur read, “Everything that I’ve done for the past twelve years has been based on the misinformation that I was given by Mrs. Ames. It did not make sense to pay dollars for credits that would not benefit me financially. I was taking computer courses (for knowledge), not for credit, as I had no knowledge at the time they (the credits) were needed. In a nutshell, we (teachers and certificated staff) buy our raises through the course classes that we take. Had I had the correct information at the time, this would not be an issue.
     “The irony of this whole matter is Mrs. Ames requires the employees of the Eatonville School District to document everything they do, but on this issue she has no documentation for the situation in which she’s placed me. I’m held hostage by her mistake and there’s nothing I can do about that situation. In the twenty eight plus years I’ve worked for this district, I’ve made numerous unsolicited contributions; in 1982 I helped establish the first technology courses in the high school and middle school, 1986 I initiated the Honors Program in the middle school, in 1988 started the first electronic bulletin board in the district, engineered and ordered materials for, and installed the computer network in the middle school in 1995, and up until four days ago was the middle school’s trouble shooter for technology problems.”
     His voice shaken, Arthur continued, “after receiving the superintendent’s letter (of Feb. 12), I will no longer be performing any extra duties in this district. I’ve learned that my efforts in this district are not appreciated and that one’s effort means very little. This decision by the superintendent not only affects my pay now, but will also have a detrimental impact on what I receive from the state when I retire (in one year). I have to basically beg for something that I have earned from this school district.”
     Arment responded, reading part of his letter to Arthur, which stated “Eatonville School District did not accurately report the teacher’s experience and education to the Office of The Superintendent of Public Education.” Arment next said, “He’s (Arthur) exactly right and one would believe that is a quote from me. That is not a quote from me. That was in the letter I wrote (to Arthur) but was a quote that I made from the State Auditor.” 
     Arment continued explaining that through an audit by the state, it was discovered the district office had made a mistake classifying Arthur along with six other staff members at a higher pay scale, based on college credits, effective Sept. 1, 1989 through August 31, 2000. This error resulted in the district overpaying the seven staff members a total of $77,391. Continuing, he stated the error was initially addressed “appropriately” as a grievance during contract bargaining talks with the EEA (Eatonville Education Assoc.) and said “I had a meeting on Oct. 3, 2001 with Mr. Coates the district attorney, Mrs. Hancock (EEA co-president) and Mr. Petro, the EEA’s Uniserve representative to discuss how the district can move forward.
     "At that time Mrs. Hancock provided a draft agreement, “red lining” those above the salary schedule and how to continue paying them there. Mr. Coates said that would be a gift of public funds and that the district could not do that.” Although the individuals could have been made to pay back the money, Arment said the district decided to do several things, “One, the district chose not to require the teachers to reimburse the district, rather the district reimbursed the state from their cash reserve fund, and two, continued paying the salary at the higher level for the 2001 school year. Third, we offered stipends for working on student academic achievement. We offered to assist packaging, or gathering credits available to carry forward; there is a significant amount of credits inside the personnel files right now. The district’s pledge to you and all the teachers involved is to work closely with you to review and validate all credit documentation.” 
     Board member Darold Holden asked Arthur what could be done to “make it right.” Ron Springer stated, “Obviously Mr. Arthur is in a situation over which he had absolutely no control. The district goofed, we did not accurately report to the state for salary reimbursement. We have to find some way to make this right with Mr. Arthur because he had no control over this at all and I think he’s acted in good faith for twenty plus years and now it’s our turn.”
     Chair Robert Bass said the board’s consensus was to look at additional information and reach a decision during the next regularly scheduled meeting.

Traffic Safety Funding 

     State Traffic Safety Funding was the first issue of new business discussed by the board. Alex Hansen, former EHS Traffic Safety (Driver’s Ed) Teacher who currently teaches seventh grade at the Middle School, asked the for board support for the Driver’s Ed program, for which he strongly has a passion. Hansen explained that Washington State has had one of the best traffic safety programs in the nation since it’s inception in 1963, partially funded by the state from traffic ticket revenue. In 1991 the state cut funding for the program, however public response was so overwhelming that funding was restored the following year.
      During the last decade the state has gradually cut program funding, reaching a point in 2002 of zero funding. Thirty-five school districts in our state have discontinued their traffic safety programs since that time. Hansen stated that he’s proud of the Eatonville School District and the board for maintaining the program, however fees now are $310 per student, regardless of their families’ income, costing more than some of the commercial driving schools. Hansen is concerned for the students such as those living in more rural areas, not being able to commute to the nearest driving schools in Graham or Spanaway.
     Reiterating how he strongly feels the need to keep the program in public schools, Hansen asked the board members to help our community by calling OSPI (Office of the Superintendent of Public Schools) asking them to support the program and by calling the legislature, asking to restore funding to the level it was before, not just for low income families; and that the funding should come from the Public Safety/Education account, rather than from the General Fund. Hansen stated, “In my opinion that money should come from traffic tickets, not from taxes.” Hansen added OSPI told him unless they receive phone calls from parents and community members stating they want to retain Driver’s Ed programs in our high schools and want the state funding back, OSPI will not lobby hard in Olympia in support of the program. If you would like to contact OSPI, their phone number is 360-725-6000 or TTY 360-664-3631.
     There are several bills being heard in Olympia concerning the traffic safety program. Hansen testified at a public hearing before the Transportation Committee in favor of the proposed Funding Bill, HB1796 on Wed., Feb. 19^th. The bill would restore funding to students of low-income families only, via a $2 surcharge added to license tab renewals and new vehicle registration. Hansen added that Senator Marilyn Rasmussen is a co-sponsor of SB5572, which also has Representative Tom Campbell’s support, and Roger Bush did not vote for the funding last year and has not returned Hansen’s calls or emails concerning the current bills in Olympia.
         Springer, school board legislative representative, proposed the board adopt a resolution in “utter support of SB5572 and HB1796 and instruct the superintendent to relay our resolution to OSPI, WASDA (Washington Assoc. of School Administrators) and to our legislators, instructing them to actively support this bill also.” Springer put the resolution into motion and the board passed it unanimously.

Safe and Orderly Learning

     The second order of new business was the first reading of Policy 4200P, The Safe and Orderly Learning Environment Procedure. Springer reported he had heard from a couple who had received a letter telling them they were “not allowed on school grounds and if they violate the intent of that letter, they will be arrested for trespassing, end of conversation.” Springer requested a copy of the letter from the parents and asked the board to conduct a second reading of the policy when he had the copy of the letter in hand. He was concerned that the policy didn’t make it clear to parents they do have the right to appeal such a decision and stated such decisions should not be left solely to the school administrator. Although he said he thought the wording was okay, Chair Bass conceded to Springer’s request for a second reading during the next board meeting.

Use of School Facilities

     Next was the first reading of Policy 4260, The Use Of School Facilities. Bass observed that most of the changes appeared to concern accident and liability insurance. Thompson noted the policy stated fees charged for the use of school facilities could in some cases be waived, and said as a board member he would like to waive the fees charged to the Senior Surprise Committee. Donna Mettler asked if the Senior Surprise group didn’t fall under the category of school groups who would not be charged for use of school facilities anyway. Tira Hancock, EEA (Eatonville Education Assoc.) co-president, pointed out that the Senior Surprise activities were separated or divorced from the school do to huge insurance liability issues.
      From the audience Colleen Arthur, last year’s Senior Surprise chairperson, confirmed the group did have to obtain their own insurance. Thompson asked Linda Ames how much money the committee donated to the new reader board at the high school, to which Ames replied $2,000. Mettler agreed with Thompson, saying the committee works for the benefit of the kids and to charge them for the use of school facilities is “ludicrous.” The fee rate schedule attached to the policy had not been updated since 1991; therefore Springer said he would like to compare the school’s fees with those of other similar facilities in town.
     Arment pointed to a section of the policy which states that non-profit groups such as churches, who wish to use district facilities may do so for no more than two years and average no more than twelve hours of use per week. He further pointed out the fact that we do have groups who have used the facilities for more than two years; there are churches meeting at almost every school in the district. Bass asked if an exception needed to be added to the policy, to which Arment stated he would check the WAC’s  (Washington Administrative Code) to insure the “district would not be in violation of board policy.”

Puget Sound Purchasing Agreement

     The final order of new business was the “Puget Sound Joint Purchasing Agreement,” an agreement among different school districts in the Puget Sound area to collaboratively purchase cafeteria supplies in bulk quantity at a lesser price. After a short discussion the board voted unanimously to become part of the agreement.
     Under “board discussion” Springer followed up the topic of timber money which he had brought up at the previous meeting, saying Ames had reported to him that the government takes away other funds to compensate for the money the district receives from the timber industry, the net result being no extra money for the district.
     Thompson, concerned about athletes collapsing from heat exhaustion, asked Rollie Arthur how the soccer player’s drinking water needs were being met on the field. Dan Dawkins, Support Services Manager, replied, “I just put a line in last week. The bubblers aren’t in yet, but it’ll be right under the score board in the north end of the soccer field and there will be several drinking fountains.” Currently Arthur supplies the teams’ drinking water.
     Springer commented on how good the parking lot in front of Special Services looks saying, “The city finally got around to paving it and it looks great.” He was quickly corrected by Arment and Dawkins who stated the school paved the parking area so students in wheel chairs wouldn’t have to go through rocks and gravel to get from the ADL building to the high school campus.

K-9 Contraband and Drug Assessment

     Bass asked if all the board members received notice of the K-9 Contraband dog demonstration at the high school auditorium, held on Feb. 28, and noted his latest issue of  “Bethel Pride” made mention of use of the dogs. Arment said  the results of a youth survey are being looked at which indicate the “Students are very enthusiastic about having the dogs come to the school, they liked the idea of the assembly. There were concerns about what’s next, how will we use the dogs inside the schools. We decided to pause a little and get input from the parent advisory groups at the middle and high schools before we move forward to the next phase.”
     The superintendent read the highlights of a memo he received from the Drug Assessment person, Brian Storie, who also works for the Orting School District. Storie said that last year in Orting he conducted approximately fifty drug and alcohol assessments compared to thirty in Eatonville and most were generated from disciplinary infractions. Arment explained that another way the assessments can occur is from a “Core Team” (students working for other students) referral. Storie noted that this year at Orting High he is assessing students at the same rate as last year, however in Eatonville he’s only conducted three assessments. This time last year he had conducted approximately twenty-five in Eatonville.
     Arment read aloud the memo from Storie, “This raises the question, are we being diligent enough in our identification of struggling kids or are kids using drugs in the community to avoid school use? I believe that the combination is this, kids are using less around school, and yes, we can encourage the staff to be more diligent. In the terms of safe and drug free schools, I feel that our schools and our kids are in better shape than last year, at least during the school day. I briefly analyzed the “Healthy Youth” survey and quickly found some encouraging numbers among the more distressing ones. 
     “By comparing each grade, which is sixth, eighth, tenth and twelfth, from 2000 to 2002, the use of alcohol and marijuana, still the main drugs of choice, has gone down in most cases. Alcohol use in the sixth grade, during the last thirty days prior to the survey, was 9% in 2000 and 4.8% 2002 while marijuana use was 0.7% in 2000 compared to 0% in 2002. In eighth grade, during the last thirty days prior to the survey, alcohol use was 22% in 2000, and down to13% in 2002, however marijuana use increased from 6.6% in 2000 to 12% in 2002. Among tenth graders during the last thirty days prior to the survey, 46% had used alcohol in 2000 compared to 42% in 2002, while marijuana use was 27% in 2000 and 29% in 2002. In twelfth grade 59% had used alcohol in 2000, 52% in 2002 and marijuana use decreased from 37% in 2000 to 33% in 2002.

Upcoming Community Meth Forum

     Arment mentioned the wonderful meeting held in the boardroom for planning the upcoming Community Meth Forum, saying the turnout was fantastic. He further mentioned that the forum, which is slated to take place at the Community Center on April 8, may be moved to another location do to the large number of community members expected to attend.
     Arment shared an email he received from Margie Bonzer, reading aloud, “Ray, I just wanted you to know and appreciate the integrity and hard working attitude of Louis Reese. In a small town it’s refreshing to have someone who works by the book rather than caving into pressuring sides, difficult as you know that is. I haven’t liked every decision he’s made, but I will respect them. Thank you for encouraging people like him and others in the future to help our school district. Respectfully, Margie Bonzer.”
     

     Enrollment Report

     Finally, the superintendent provided an enrollment report. The total number of students enrolled is 2,068 and total FTE’s (Full Time Equivalents) is 1,996. In Sept. of 2002 the total number enrolled was 2,081.
     Bass wanted to make sure the board members and Arment knew that a packet they had all received included a summary of the questions the board had about the librarian and included information from the Committee For Levy Equalization. (see School Board story Feb. 12^th) Bass asked that the levy issue be discussed by the board during their next meeting and expressed that he would like to see a letter to Governor Locke stating School District 404 is not in favor of his proposed levy lid.
     A Union representative who was slated to speak to the board had not shown up. Bass asked another union member, who was in attendance, if he could be scheduled to speak at the next board meeting to answer questions regarding the Apprenticeship Utilization program.
     At 8:30 the meeting adjourned as the board moved into a scheduled executive session to discuss a personnel issue. The next regular meeting of the school board is set for Wed., March 12^th at 7 p.m. in the district conference room, located behind the high school at 208 Lynch St. All members of the community are encouraged to attend!

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School Board Covers Major Issues

     February 19, 2003
     by Penny Chambers

     The February 12 work-study meeting of the Eatonville School Board was held before a full audience at Weyerhaeuser Elementary School. The meeting began with a delightful walk-through tour of the school hosted by various fourth and fifth grade students, accompanied by school principal, Pam Burke and fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Hansell.  Students demonstrated model homes they had built complete with working electricity, a beautiful model of the Wright Brothers airplane and letters with photos from Japanese pen pals.

      The first order of business was the unanimous approval of the Consent Agenda, consisting of the following item:
      1.    Consider Extra Curricular Assignment of Larry Barber, EMS Head Wrestling Coach 1/29/01- 3/24/03.

Dire Need for a Librarian

      From the audience, Sonja Ford EES Library Assistant addressed the board expressing her feeling that our elementary schools are in dire need of a librarian. In more recent years there was one librarian who rotated between the three elementary schools, but after leaving the district she wasn’t replaced. Ford pointed out the district has found the funds to hire various athletic assistants and should therefore find funds to hire at least one librarian.
      One full classroom of students uses the library at a time, without the supervision of their respective teachers. Part of a certificated, or professional, librarian’s job is to monitor students while in the library and teach students how to use the standard library Dewey Decimal Classification System, while helping them to find books for reference or of interest at their reading level.
     A library assistant helps by checking out the books, entering new books in the computer and shelving them, keeping the library clean and assisting students. Ford stressed how important a library is to the school and students, and how one person cannot handle it all and still provide students the optimum assistance they need.
     Lisa Winter, substitute librarian, spoke on behalf of Ford declaring what “an amazing job Ford has done having to wear so many hats.” Adding that the library assistants have been unfairly asked to perform two full-time jobs, but the ones who are really suffering are the students. Winter continued saying when she substituted at the EES library, she observed the fourth and fifth graders had little or no concept of the Dewey Decimal System and didn’t know how to access information from the library properly.
     She stated, “Without a trained librarian in the elementary schools, students are not equipped to use the library at the middle school level.” Winter concluded, “In talking with many PTA members and parents this year, we feel like the library has been put on the back burner long enough; it’s the student’s education that is the top priority in our schools and we need to find funds to put qualified librarians in each and every one of our elementary schools.”

Librarians and Assistant Librarians

 
     Winter’s comments were followed by those of  Nancy Myers. Myers has worked for many years in the Elementary Education Department at EES and was PTA President. She stated that although we are in the “information age with computers and video games, there is no substitute for having a book in your hand and the kids need guidance to learn how to make use of a library.”  Myers read a quote from the former Washington Commissioner of Education, “What a school thinks about its library is a measure of what it thinks about education.”
      Rhoda Papajohn, Middle School librarian and EEA (Eatonville Education Assoc.) co-president, offered her support of having a librarian in the elementary schools. Papajohn, who attended Ashford Grade School, Columbia Crest and EHS stated that in the 1950’s and 60’s our district had professional librarians in all of those schools and “I think it’s sad; in middle school I have to teach students second and third grade library skills. It’s tough to take them from a second and third grade level and expect them to be ready for high school.
      "This district has put the assistants at the elementary schools in the position of teaching classes and being alone with students. There is a lot of language in the WAC’s [Washington Administrative Code] and common school manuals that address the fact that students are to be taught by people who are certificated. I think these ladies have done a fantastic job. But the issue is, we’ve put them into a position to do things for which they don’t have the qualifications and they know that, plus they don’t make enough money to do some of those things.” 
      Papajohn, who recently attended the Renaissance Learning Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, commented to the board that she’s glad they approve various staff member’s attendance at national conventions as it really “opens one’s eyes to a broader perspective of what’s going on in education, and I feel like I gained a great deal.” She thanked the board for making these opportunities available to teachers and certificated staff (through the setting aside of funds specifically for that purpose).
      From the audience Lorraine Soule, who has volunteered in the EES library spoke, saying that she was eventually trained as a substitute assistant. “I got to be a first hand witness to what the library assistant goes through everyday and it’s just way to much for one person to handle. You have a full classroom of eager students all interested in this book or that, but you also have to be at the desk checking out the books as well as helping the students find books. You need to have another person in there showing the kids how to locate the books and understand the library system.”
      Board member Darold Holden asked how many students are in the library at a time, to which Ford answered a full classroom without their teachers. Each class utilizes the library once a week, which equates to approximately 400 students per week. Ford passionately spoke of younger students who are so excited to come to the library and “you just want to help them so much, but there’s only so much you can do.” Board member Ron Springer asked if the library assistant must deal with the special education students also, to which Ford answered, “Yes, if a student comes in, for instance, in a wheel chair they come with an assistant, but I’ve had a lot of students with behavioral problems and I just have to deal with it as best I can.”

Coaching Favoritism?

      Another member of the audience, who had applied for a coaching position for the last two years and was overlooked, spoke out against what he considered to be favoritism concerning parents being selected as coaches while their children are playing on a team. He asked why, if it is the children we are concerned about, does a parent wait until his/her child is participating in a sport to become coach of that sport?
     He didn’t feel parents should coach a team while their kids are playing it; that it promotes additional arguing among team members and some parents as coaches play their children (maybe when they shouldn’t) while other, perhaps better, athletes are left sitting on the bench. In conclusion he stated, “Once again what is it that we’re doing here? Are we looking out for the kids or our adult egos? I think the board needs to look very heavily and think about their hiring practices.”
     Holden said it was something he had thought about and he himself would not coach his own son. “The board needs to look at this, perhaps it is unfair and maybe not a good idea to have parents coach their own kids.”
     Chair Robert Bass addressed Phil Nordstrom, EC4 Committee (Extra/Co-Curricular) representative, asking if the committee had looked at the hiring process. Nordstrom responded they had and the issue will be included in their list of recommendations which will be brought before the school board next month. Bass explained the EC4 Committee would write a recommendation to the board for adoption.
     Superintendent Ray Arment assured those present that comments to the board would not exclude them from being looked at fairly and equitably for a position posted by the district.

Carpenter's Union Proposal

     The first order of unfinished business was the discussion of the Carpenter’s Union proposal to initiate a mandatory “Apprenticeship Utilization” program. At the last school board meeting, Bob Homan, Facilities Committee Co-chair, asked the board to consider utilizing an apprenticeship program in exchange for the carpenter’s union offer to assist with the passage of the school bond (see Jan. 22 School Board story). Arment contacted various Washington State school districts, including Peninsula, Sumner, Bethel, White River, Tacoma and Steilacoom inquiring if they had initiated such a program. Other than the city of Tacoma currently considering the use of an apprenticeship program, none of the other districts have adopted one. Arment added that while the Associated General Contractors of Washington supports work force development, they do not support the mandatory programs.
      In support of the program, Springer stated, “Not all of our kids are going to go to college. They’re going to go out into the work force and this is a terrific program for kids to get training to become journeymen in a trade to make a decent living.”
     Board member Rick Thompson, disagreeing with Springer said, “I don’t see where using a mandatory program would have a great impact on our community as far as trying to find or train our local youth. Contractors use apprentices anyway and there is state approved apprenticeship programs that don’t require being part of a union. If the bond passes and we go forward, I’d like to have the process be open, fair and equitable and not handicapped by school district policy. It seems like we’re legislated, mandated, required enough, I don’t feel like tying our hands or the hands of others would benefit in the short or long term.”
     Holden commented he would like to see on paper the savings to the district  Homan had referred to in his presentation to the board. Board member Donna Mettler asked the district’s architect, John Erickson, if he had any experience with the apprenticeship programs. He replied Sumner and Yelm had considered the program, but they had not been able to look at any other district’s track record to show there had been any savings. Erickson’s concern was in dictating a contractor’s hiring practices. He stated, “I’ve always been told you tell the contractor what you want him to achieve, but you don’t get into the means and methods of how he achieves it.”
     From the audience, Phil Nordstrom said he felt that savings would be passed on to the contractors and not the district. Springer countered that apprenticeship utilization could possibly result in lower bidding from contractors, thereby saving the district money.  Bass said there are also apprenticeship programs that don’t involve unionized shops. Thompson said, “There is opportunity for non-union participation in certified apprentice programs, but either way you look at it we are attaching additional requirements as we go forward with the bid process that may not be favorable.” 
    Mettler thought another option might be to consider how the contract specifications are prepared, lending itself to an apprenticeship program, perhaps using them on less complex jobs.
    Arment countered there would be a journeyman to apprentice ratio (three to one), “I keep going back to the opportunity that Mr. Springer and Mr. Holden talked about. There’s got to be a starting point. And to be able to give the youth of our community a starting point in the work force to their advantage, and also to the district’s advantage, there’d be nothing better than having everybody in Eatonville have a good paying job.  It would lessen the burden on schools and give us economic development and many other notable things. This is one program that we can do, but I would support a more open program than closed program. I recommend it to the board.”
     Bass asked Lucy Fountain, Committee For Advanced Academic Achievement, if the district already had any programs in place that looked like this, to which she responded, “No, we do not.”
     Bass stated that as far as what he saw on paper he felt the cost savings would be neutral as well as the quality. And in conclusion, he continued “The only two reasons we would do this is if we could save the district some money so that we could use it in other areas, or if there’s a real educational benefit to the kids.”  Springer suggested the issue be put on the back burner until the bond passes and the board has a major project to look at.

New Business - Ed Specs

     The “Education Specification Process” was the first order of new business brought before the board by Bass and was presented by John Erickson, architect handling the renovation of our schools if the bond passes. Erickson explained the Ed Specs are “vitally important and mandated by the state; if you want any state money you will do an Ed Spec. It is a fairly simple process, yet a super important process because everything you do is keyed from that.”
     Usually the Ed Specs are done by a group representing teachers, community members, the administrators and all those who want to be involved, to get together and decide what the renovation needs are. The actual school renovations that will come about if the bond passes are determined by the Ed Spec Process.
     Bass commented the Facilities Committee would like some assurance for community members that there is a solid Ed Spec program in place and noted that generally there are twenty to thirty people involved in the Ed Spec process. Erickson explained that usually the initial meeting is open to all district staff and community members so they can understand the method of giving input.
     The purpose of the Ed Spec process as written in a hand out from Erickson reads: “To focus on a school district’s development of program requirements for individual structures. The purpose of the educational specifications is to define and communicate to the architect/engineer the district’s goals and requirements for what a given facility should be. The educational specifications should reflect the needs, goals, and objectives as defined in the study and survey.”

Senator Rasmussen Warns of Budget Buster

     In attendance at the meeting was Senator Marilyn Rasmussen who addressed the board and audience saying how great it was to appear before the school board again. (Rasmussen is a former Eatonville School Board Director). She complimented the district’s architect, John Erickson, saying schools in other districts that he’s renovated are absolutely beautiful. Rasmussen said she had come to the meeting as she felt the board “Needs to know what’s going on in Olympia; obviously we know that our biggest crisis is the budget and how we’re going to fund everything. We’ve got a billion dollar hole just in health care alone.
    "There’s no new state revenue as people aren’t buying things, so sales tax revenue has dropped off, taking the economy longer to recover. I sit on the education committee, I’ve been on the school board, but you’re the most important people, you’re the ones who set the policies, we just dole out the money and try to make the policies work.”
     “One of the things that Ray (Arment) came down to see me about and one of the things I was concerned about is the Special Education programs. That could be a budget buster for your district and we don’t have the funds for some of the needy in your community. There are federal funds and Ray and I talked about what you’re going to do. Children in Special Education programs are kicked into the school district at age three and we need to talk about what we can do for these children. I don’t know what you’re going to do or how you’re going to meet the needs of all these different children that will be part of your responsibility at age three. Ray and I walked through what it’s like when you can’t service those kids.
     “I was asked to sponsor House Bill Number 1804. I didn’t sign it; it affects you very greatly. It requires school districts to provide what they are already permitted to provide if they so choose, special education programs from birth to age three. There are some districts that have birth to age three programming. They use DSHS federal funding and have their own programs for these children that have special needs. The way our state legislation reads is that you are permitted to do that. You may be a Bethel or a Tacoma; one of these districts that can afford that. But the legislation that was moving through the House that I was asked to sponsor in the Senate reads that all districts will have to do that.
     “I wanted to come up and talk to you because this is a huge mandate as you’re going to have to provide those services from birth to age three even if you don’t have the facilities or the funding to do it. I’m real concerned about what DSHS is doing, I think they’re trying to move these kids out of their system and put them in your pocket. A DSHS representative will come out and talk with you (the board), be careful and listen to what they have to say.  But I do know, and I want you to make sure most specifically that funding money will follow the child. I want to make sure that when DSHS comes out and starts talking to you about this program that you have some sense of what questions to ask.
     “You’re going to be getting these kids at age three anyway, so you may want to start shinning them up from birth, the earlier the intervention the better. Maybe you want to be progressive enough to have some of the programs for some of these children. But I wanted to bring it up so you could put it in the back of your mind when thinking of what plans you have for children from age three to kindergarten. What facilities, what type of programs do you have? It could mean you have to pay to send them to Tacoma or pay for in-home therapy.
     “The reality of education funding in Washington is an eye opener. In the Bellevue School District they pay $99,000 for one autistic child, $60,000 for one violent elementary student, $59,000 for one medically fragile preschooler, $47,000 for one who has emotional behavior disabilities, $35,000 for two deaf students, $293,000 for twenty high school students with special needs in a self contained program and another $206,000 for twenty one elementary students with special needs. Where does this money come from? The Federal government, so they say, but somebody has to write out the grants and you really have to be quite sophisticated to be able to dip into those funds.
     “I admit I have a vested interest. I happen to think that Eatonville is the greatest school district in the state and I do have a two and a half year old grandson who’s autistic. He was diagnosed in July, went through Psychological Services who said he needed fifteen hours of in-home therapy, five hours a week of speech therapy, five hours a week behavioral management, all in-home and so far he’s received less than three hours of speech therapy. You’re going to have him soon, and so far basically nothing’s been done for him.
     "That’s reality and I’m outraged, but you (the board) need to think about what types of programs you’re going to have for these children so when they do come to school they’re ready to learn. If you can take care of these children in your own district, even if they require in-home therapy, it’s a lot cheaper than sending them to, say Fairfax Hospital; you might want to think about that as you’re hiring or you want to retain funds for programs.
      “You need to know when you talk about the economy (concerning education), take a look at the whole state, where’s the enrollment, the I-5 Corridor, Spokane, Tri-Cities and Vancouver. Enrollment in the rest of the state is decreasing so funds are being gobbled up by the larger school districts. You need to make sure you have the funds you need. I commend you for keeping your head above water.
       “I’m absolutely delighted to have the Eatonville School District back and the whole second legislative district back, but I also have White River, Orting, Puyallup, Yelm, Bethel, Rainier and clear down to Hawks Prairie and Lacey. It’s a huge district, but my heart is still here and I want you to always feel free to talk to me, anything I can ever do for you I will.”
     In addition, Senator Rasmussen spoke against Governor Locke’s proposed 36% levy lid and against charter schools, which she says are failing all over the county.
     Chair Bass asked the board for their comments, Springer asked for Linda Ames’ (District Business/Personnel Manager) opinion on membership in the National Forest Counties and School Coalition and whether or not the school district should join the coalition. Springer added that in 1999-2000 the district received $246,700 in state forest money and felt with that kind of money it might be worth it for the district to join the again. Springer asked that the topic be discussed during the next meeting. He also mentioned he’s tracking several bills in Olympia which directly affect our district and will inform the board of their progress.
     Bass inquired if all the board members received a copy of the Levy Equalization Award. He felt the board might want to take a stance on the issue, saying “it didn’t look like it would benefit the district much if  Governor Locke did take us up to the 39% levy lid.” Bass asked that the board discuss the issue during the next meeting.

Leak? Leak? Who Can Prove It?

     Regarding the board’s investigation of the leak (see Jan. 8 School Board story), the district’s attorney talked with the parties concerned and concluded there was “nothing you could take anybody to court over.” The approximate six or seven persons interviewed by the attorney gave no solid documentation there was a leak or what the leak was about. Bass stated he “found the results disappointing and frustrating that there was a supposed board leak and we can’t even find who, what, when, where or why.”
     In attendance was Mike Jeffries, publisher of  the Dispatch newspaper, who, in the Dec. 25, 2002 issue printed there had been a leak, and stated during the meeting he did not agree with the attorney’s findings and he had proof in the form of e-mails there had, in fact, been a leak, information he claimed to have given to the district’s attorney.
     Bass added the attorney asked if the board wanted to take the issue to the next level or drop it. All the board members decided they wanted to pursue the matter.
     Linda Ames provided a brief update on the Management Review, saying there had been three days of interviews conducted, with one day remaining.
     It was mentioned a couple had purchased the old Weyerhaeuser school building and are restoring it to use as their home.
     Arment said for the first time in many years Eatonville School District has a National Merit Scholar finalist, senior Matthew Johnstone.
     Thompson thanked Weyerhaeuser principal, Pam Burke for hosting the board meeting and complimented the pride displayed throughout the school.  The meeting adjourned at 9:50 p.m.

     The next scheduled meeting of the school board is Wednesday., Feb. 26^th at 7 p.m. in the district office at 208 Lynch Street (behind the high school).  The public is invited and urged to attend.

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Jan. 22 School Board Meeting

     by Penny Chambers

     The Jan. 22 meeting of the Eatonville School Board was held before a small audience consisting of EEA (Eatonville Education Association) representatives Tira Hancock and Colleen Arthur, Committee For Advanced Academic Achievement representative Lucy Fountain and Facilities/Bond Committee representatives Bob Homan and Phil Nordstrom.
     The meeting commenced shortly after 7 p.m., following an executive session that began at 6 p.m., during which a personnel issue was discussed.
The first order of business was the unanimous approval of the following “Consent Agenda” items:

A.      Approval of the Dec. 17 and Jan. 8 meeting minutes.

B.       Consider the following Certificated personnel action:

Approve Sandra Jordan’s request for a one year leave, effective Jan. 28, 2003 through Jan. 27, 2004.

C.       Consider Extra Curricular Assignment Recommendations:

1. Alex Hansen, EMS Assistant Wrestling Coach 1/27/03-3/23/03

2. Deanna Hosley, EMS, Assistant girl’s basketball coach, 1/27/03-3/20/03

D.      The following financial items:

1.        $945,900.69 - Dec. 2002 payroll

2.        $211,835.26 - Jan. 2003 General Fund

3.        $10,947.74- Jan. 2003 ASB Fund

4.        $3,000.00 - Trust and Agency Fund

5.        December 2002 Financial Report  

There was no hearing of individuals or groups

  Management Review

    Chair Robert Bass brought the first issue of unfinished business before the board, “Management Review.”  Board director Darold Holden had selected licensed business consultants Mike Boring and Eldon Lonborg who, between the two, possess approximately sixty years of experience in educational administration and management, with extensive related backgrounds in what will be the primary focus of the review, organization and finance.
     Their credentials include positions held as superintendent and assistant superintendent of four different Washington School districts, director of WASA (Washington Association of School Administrators), middle school principal and consulting in the areas of school law, collective bargaining, policy development, governance and administrative organization, human resources, budget analysis and community relations.
     In his presentation to the board Boring explained the study would concentrate on the current operation of the district in terms of organizational efficiency, management structure and comparability of other school districts of similar characteristics. The study would involve examination of our district’s budget plan and the on-site gathering of information about our district by means of interviews with school board members, administrators, staff, students, community members and where possible, observations of actual activities within the school system.
     The study will look at staff distribution versus number of students, administrator/student ratios as well as how effective current student programs are and whether the district is succeeding with our students. Recent budget history and future budget projections will be examined, yielding recommendations and alternatives to help our district cope with legislative cuts in educational funding we’ll be facing next year.
     It is estimated the evaluation will be completed in approximately six weeks from start date, at a proposed cost of $2,500 plus reimbursement for mileage, meals and lodging (if necessary). There will be ten copies of the resulting written report given to our district, which will be a public document. Holden motioned that the board approve the project, Legislative Representative Ron Springer seconded, and the board unanimously approved the motion.

Facilities Committee Update

     Secondly, a Facilities Committee update was presented by co-chair Bob Homan who explained the Facilities Committee has successfully completed presentations on the upcoming bond to all of the teachers and staff at each school in our district, other than bus drivers, and one PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) presentation, receiving “a lot of positive feedback.”
     Homan asked that the board consider implementing an “Apprentice Utilization Agreement” in conjunction with the Pierce County Trade Council. The carpenters union has offered their assistance in helping to pass the school bond in exchange for signing an agreement for the state supported program. Governor Locke had previously mandated  the program be used at the state level, and it has proven to be successful in other school
districts, such as Longview. The program allows students from 8^th grade up, who maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0, to train in a trade of their choice.
    Potentially, if a student were to begin the program in 8^th or 9^th grade he/she could qualify for a position in construction management upon graduating. The school district would have the flexibility to structure the program as they so choose. For instance, specifying that apprentices from Eatonville be considered first for jobs in Eatonville. There would be one apprentice for every three journeymen in each trade across the board. Apprentices could work with non-union journeymen who may be working on the site (at prevailing wage).
     Also, if the district were to implement the program, it would likely lower the cost of the upcoming bond projects. Superintendent Ray Arment said he thought the program was worth looking into and Bass said he liked the “education component.” Director Donna Mettler thought the program might be an additional selling point for the bond, while Rick Thompson said he would like to get feedback from a contractor’s perspective. Holden, who owns his own construction company, said he’d never been involved with a contractor who didn’t like, or use, apprentices. Homan concluded saying he would need a decision from the board at their next meeting, Feb. 12 at Weyerhaeuser Elementary.

Communications Plan

     The final matter of unfinished business was a discussion of the “Communications Plan.” Mettler began by saying the board members have compiled much information and many parts of the plan; yet need to put the pieces together in a more formal way. The Communication Plan has many components, not only communication between the district and the public, but also communication between administrative staff and onsite staff at each of the schools.
      Bass asked if it made sense for the board to internalize the plan, as each board member is involved with other school district committees and none of the board members have any real expertise in the area of communications. He suggested they consider hiring outside help in writing the plan and felt it would be $1,000 well spent. Bethel School District employs two full time communications specialists, at an approximate cost of $50,000 each per year.
      Colleen Arthur, who lives in the Bethel district, said the district mails a newsletter to all residents informing community members of how their tax dollars are being spent, as well as news from each of the schools. Springer commented that the board should wait until the finalization of the “Management Review” which he felt might address some of the communication concerns.
     Tira Hancock said she didn’t think people in our community would consider an outside hire as “dollars well spent” and commented the plan needn’t be elaborate, “simply implement certain steps and follow through with them.” Lucy Fountain and Arment stated the board must identify problem areas as well as what it is they wish to communicate, and to whom. Thompson and Mettler felt an outside hire was not a good idea and the “Communications Plan” falls under the district’s “Strategic Plan” goal number four, which reads “to facilitate open, effective communication and cooperation among staff, students, family, community and business,” and will be reviewed in the future.

                                     Retire/Rehire

   Under the first order of new business Lucy Fountain requested the board approve her attendance at the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Conference in San Francisco. Thompson motioned that the board approve her request, seconded by Springer and the motion was unanimously approved.
     Arment addressed the question posed by Colleen Arthur during the previous board meeting concerning the district’s policy on “retire/rehire,” commenting the policy is mandated by state law, a copy of which has been sent to each of the schools in our district. A teacher or certificated employee must be retired for one month before being eligible for rehire, and they can only work a certain number of hours before a change in their retirement dollars would occur. They still would receive health care benefits as well as provisions set in bargaining contracts. Although notices of job openings have been sent to retired staff, none in our district have pursued the rehire option.
     Secondly, Arment commented on the rally that he, Bass and Springer attended in Olympia on Jan. 14, saying “we’re all in this together for the kids.” And that the $2.5 billion dollar budget deficit was addressed at a recent educational conference in Spokane, saying the legislature cannot resolve the deficit by means of budget cuts alone. Arment stated our school board faces many budget talks in the future in order to resolve the impact the cuts will have on our district next year.

                   Board "Leak(s)" and Special Education

     As a follow up on the issue of board “leaks” (see school board story Jan. 8 below), it was stated the district’s attorney would be contacting Mike Jeffries, publisher of The Dispatch in a couple of weeks.
     Springer commented he felt it time the board take a “good look, evaluate and assess” Special Education concerns in our district. Springer said that during the Jan. 14 rally in Olympia, Senator Marilyn Rasmussen sought him out as she is “extremely upset”  our school district is loosing it’s only speech therapist.
     Finally, Mettler commented she attended the Committee For Advanced Academic Achievement meeting the previous week. Mettler further stated the committee has been ongoing for the last four years and it is time for an update. And if the committee has no further recommendations then maybe it’s time to dissolve the committee. Arment stated  the committee would be providing an information report in March.
     The regular meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m. with the board going into a scheduled executive session for an investigation update.

     The next regularly scheduled meeting of the school board is Wednesday., Feb. 12 beginning at 7 p.m. in the library of Weyerhaeuser Elementary located off Eatonville Cut-Off Rd.    

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      January 14, 2003

First School Board Meeting of 2003

      by Penny Chambers

    The first meeting of the Eatonville School Board in the New Year was held last Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. in the library of Eatonville Middle School.
     Chair Robert Bass began by explaining the board had met in executive session (not open to the public) prior to the regular meeting that night, and stated, “If anybody’s read the Dispatch, we [the board] have been getting beat up recently about our executive sessions. But what we talked about, just so everybody in the audience knows, was the finalization of Superintendent Ray Arment’s evaluation, the internal board leak from executive session that was printed in the Dispatch two weeks ago, and how to resolve that issue and also a student issue.”

Serious Over-crowding Facing Schools

     A walk-through of the middle school was conducted by principal Andy McGrath, who pointed out the serious over-crowding issues facing the school. The tour began with the eleven portable buildings, which are behind the main school building and hidden, for the most part, from the public. These eleven portables now comprise almost half of the middle school’s classrooms. The portable classrooms aren’t much of a problem themselves; however, bathroom facilities were only built for the main school building. Other than the one, double portable which houses the Special Ed classes and contains its own bathrooms, 550 middle school students are sharing three bathrooms, or as McGrath put it, 275 boys are forced to share three urinals. Although a decline in the number of students attending the middle school has been forecast, McGrath explained that they have not yet begun to see a decrease in the numbers, but rather a steady increase during the past few years, which he anticipates will continue in the future.
      The science lab built for the middle school now accommodates only one third of the students. While two regular classrooms have been converted into science rooms, they are not equipped with lab stations. One third of the science students are working in a science lab environment, while the other two thirds are not. There are two P.E. classes each period except 7^th, during which there are three – each class consisting of 75 students. Many P.E. students have been siphoned into Health class in order to alleviate the over-crowding.
     The commons area of the school has been converted into a makeshift gymnasium in order to accommodate students. However, McGrath feels it is unsafe for use as a gym, as this area is also used to store metal milk crates, stacks of chairs, and contains a stage and other obstacles, which students and teachers can stumble over. Customary games such as basketball cannot be played in the under-sized commons area, and the staff has been forced to be very creative in developing physical education activities students can carry out in the small space. The severe shortage of classroom space has resulted in a shortage of storage space. There’s not enough room for the storage of P.E. equipment such as expensive wrestling mats, which will last much longer when properly stored. There are two teachers who don’t have a homeroom, who literally move around the building all day, and must store their personal belongings in a small room adjacent to the " Mac room."
     Principal McGrath concluded by thanking all those in attendance, the staff and students who have been very cooperative in dealing with the overcrowded situation, and by inviting the public to visit the middle school during the day to experience “the gridlock trying to move 550 kids through the building,” which has become the norm each day at our middle school. 

New Business

     The first order of new business brought by Bass was the consideration of Resolution 471, the General Obligation Bond, which calls for the “Pierce County Auditor to recognize the existence of an emergency in our school district and to call and conduct a special election to be held within the district.” The resolution continues, “the proposition authorizes the district to remodel and make improvements to the district high, middle and three elementary schools, bring all schools up to fire, safety, earthquake, Americans with Disabilities Act and building code compliance; to issue $24,000,000 of general obligation bonds maturing within a maximum of 20 years; and to levy excess property taxes annually to repay the bonds”. In addition to the 16 cents per thousand evaluation that  residents are currently paying (until 2005) from the previous bond, approval of the new bond will increase property taxes by another three cents per thousand, to 19 cents, or a total of $2.19. (For details see our story dated 12/23 “Busy School Board Meeting.”)
     Other than board director Ron Springer’s questioning the wording in a small portion of the proposal - wording that he felt could potentially mislead or confuse the public - the board was delighted with the work accomplished by the Facilities Committee, and unanimously approved the resolution for the $24 million bond. A special election will be held by mail-in ballot on March 11, 2003.   

Bond Committee Meeting

       A meeting of the Bond Committee will be held on Tuesday., Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. in the high school library. The public is encouraged to attend. Secondly, the board approved payment of a middle school ASB “warrant” for goods purchased in the amount of $2,169.75.
     The third order of new business was a request made by middle school librarian Rhoda Pappajohn to attend an accelerated reader conference, “Renaissance Learning National Conference” in Nashville, Tennessee. Pappajohn has been involved with the accelerated reader program for the last seven years, and upon becoming a full-time librarian two years ago, implemented the program at our middle school. By awarding points, the program encourages children to read library books at a “practice” level (at their own level) rather than at the classroom “study” level, and has proven to be instrumental in improving reading skills. Principal McGrath offered his support saying that “Rhoda has been a real driving force and we’ve been real concerned about stagnation of our reading scores on WASL (testing). We’ve got a whole bunch of kids who are ready to get over that hump that aren’t quite there. We’ve instituted a number of different programs in the last couple years, and have taken a real hard look at this one, and believe that this piece of our reading program will really benefit our kids and get them reading at a higher level.” Darold Holden motioned, seconded by Ron Springer, and the trip to Nashville was unanimously approved by the board.
     Colleen Arthur, EEA (Eatonville Education Assoc.) vice president and EES teacher, asked the board what their philosophy was on the “Retire/Rehire” legislation. Superintendent Arment stated that state law specifies the policy regarding rehiring retired staff. Linda Ames, district personnel manager, added that in the past the district has sent job postings to retired staff inviting them to apply for positions, but have never gotten a response. Chair Bass directed that the issue be put on a future work-study agenda.

Investigating the "Leak(s)"

     The final item of new business brought before the board by Bass was “the leak that was discussed in the Dispatch two issues ago. It seems the board has had, and continues to have, an issue with confidential information coming out of our executive sessions, which for the record are conducted in accordance with Washington State law guidelines.” Board director Rick Thompson motioned, seconded by director Darold Holden, that the board employ the district’s attorney to investigate the leak. Holden suggested the board make clear to the public how the investigation would take place. Bass explained, “This, I believe is the fifth leak from the board. The other ones were difficult to substantiate. But we believe this one here can be substantiated speaking to specific people, and it wouldn’t be appropriate in our opinion for an individual board member to do the investigation. We’re going to hire the district attorney - they provide that service - to do the investigation, give the board the results and the board will need to decide from there how we proceed. There are a couple of different options. There’s a letter of censure that we would do here in public, which is essentially a public warning that you’ve crossed the line. The other opportunity is to have the board member legally removed from the board. We’ll proceed on the course of the investigation. Once we get the results we’ll decide on a proceeding from there.”  Bob Homan, Facilities Committee co-chair, encouraged the board to investigate the leak saying, “I’ve been personally affected by rumors that have leaked out of executive session.” The motion to utilize the district attorney to investigate the board leak passed unanimously.
     Bass brought up a request to share the superintendent’s evaluation with the public. Thompson motioned, seconded by Holden. Springer agreed, adding that “we should have a little bit of community opinion, information that The Dispatch has come up with, and the information supplied to us by our attorneys. As a board our responsibility is to go along with the legal opinions of our attorneys; that’s why we have them.” Thompson reiterated, “I think the evaluation should be provided to all local media, not just The Dispatch.” Donna Mettler agreed that it “is necessary and important.” Springer commented, “I don’t think that we’re trying to hide anything, and that was the implication that I got from the newspaper article, that we’re trying to work in secret, and hide everything, and that’s baloney.” Bass explained that legally, it’s a gray area. Some districts do share evaluations and some do not. “Our attorney said that if we choose not to share it with the public, that the public could take us to court, but the attorney is pretty confident that the board would win.” Springer asked to insert one further comment, “I don’t understand why The Dispatch demanded this before we were even done with it. We haven’t made a final draft yet.” Bass further stated that after having a personal conversation with the superintendent, he (Arment) desires that it be shared with the public also. The board unanimously voted that the evaluation would be available to the public five days after its completion (which should be no later than 1/22), and that a copy be available at the district office for anyone interested. (A copy of the evaluation will be printed in this publication as soon as it becomes available.)
     The scheduled student math presentation was not given as the students were not present.
     A brief progress report on the EC4 (Extra Curricular/Co Curricular) Committee was presented by Dan Fountain, who said that there have been extensive talks and discussions regarding extra-curricular and co-curricular activities. A tremendous range of issues have been looked at, but nothing solid has been accomplished. Fountain thanked Thompson for attending the meetings, and said that by the time the committee meets next month, they should have some recommendations prepared for the board. The next full EC4 Committee meeting will be held Thursday., Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. in the district office.
     Bass addressed the issue of letters received by the board from teachers at three of the schools in our district, expressing various teachers’ concerns. Bass had attempted to write a response letter, but decided the issues should be addressed by the board and the superintendent as a whole. Bass asked to preface the whole conversation saying, “The board ultimately decides much of the direction in the district, and I’m still perplexed how the board comes away so many times unscathed from the direction that we set on so many of the issues.” Holden felt that a big part of the teachers’ concerns was communication, and that once the board’s Communication Plan is in place, many of the problems will be resolved. Arment stated that many years ago during his interview, he told the district that he would move forward on board direction and guidance. “I’ve certainly been trying to do that - listen to the board directions and bounce ideas off the board - and I appreciate the board’s offer to work with them on these issues and concerns, which are all valid.” Thompson stated that he felt the superintendent had taken “a lot of heat” for board actions. Springer had no comment. Colleen Arthur suggested that Arment and some of his personnel visit the schools and talk with teachers and staff themselves, while Thompson said that in the past teachers and staff complained that the superintendent was visiting the schools too often. The board members agreed that Bass and Arment would work together solving the various issues.

Plan Yields no Results

     The Communications Plan update yielded no results, as Bass and Mettler have not had the time in the past few weeks to work on the plan. Mettler mentioned she had picked up a lot of additional ideas to incorporate into the plan after listening to discussions during that night’s meeting, and recognized “it’s not you and them, it’s us. So, let’s remember, we’re all in this together..
     The “Management Review,” resulting from one of the board’s goals, Bass explained, “was to have an independent resource come in and look at the way the school district is structured, and evaluate from the board down, determining what opportunities there are, if any, to make it more efficient.” Holden had talked to several outside resources who could do the evaluation, and the board decided to have a representative give a presentation during a February meeting. Bass complimented Holden on his prompt attention to the review, and the meeting was adjourned. 
     The next scheduled meeting of the school board is Wed., Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. in the district conference room at 208 Lynch Street. There will be a Bond Committee Meeting on Tues., Jan. 21 at 7p.m. in the high school library, and a meeting of the full EC4 Committee on Thurs., Jan. 16 in the district conference room. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.  

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    December 12, 2002

      School Board Meeting           

     by Penny Chambers

     The Dec. 12 meeting of the Eatonville School Board began at 5 p.m. in a private, “executive session” attended by Board Chair Robert Bass, Vice-Chair Donna Mettler, Legislative Representative/Director Ron Springer, Director Rick Thompson and Director Darold Holden. The purpose of the session was to evaluate the past six months job performance of Superintendent Ray Arment. And the subsequent decision whether or not to renew the superintendent’s contract for an additional third year, from July 2004 through June 2005.
     Following the executive session, the regular public meeting began at approximately 7:30 p.m. attended by a full audience. Aside from parents and teachers, Eatonville High School (EHS) principal Garth Steedman, EEA (Eatonville Education Assoc.) Co-Chairs Rhoda Papajohn and Tira Hancock were in attendance, as well as Facilities Committee Chair Bob Homan, Co-Chairs Gwen Judd and Phil Nordstrom and students Amy Bowden, Peter Ellis and Kristin Fitzer.

Board Reorganization

     The first order of business brought by Bass was board re-organization. Springer nominated Bass to remain chairperson, seconded by Holden. Next Mettler nominated Thompson as chair, there was no second. In a roll call vote Bass was reappointed two to one as board chair
     Bass expressed his thanks and said, “It’s been a tough year for the board, and I appreciate the board greatly. Working through the process we did last year and the patience the board has shown me in my first year as chairperson, I really appreciate that and as you can see I’m still learning. Hopefully we can continue the forward progress we’ve made.”
     Bass next called for nominations for vice chair. Donna Mettler was nominated by Springer, seconded by Holden. There were no other nominations and Mettler was unanimously reappointed vice chair.
     Mettler then addressed the board and audience saying, “The board re-organization is kind of like experiencing the new school year or the New Year that is upon us. It’s time to renew and refresh and to move forward and I hope that’s what the school board will do.”
     Bass calling for nominations for the position of the board’s Legislative Representative, Thompson nominated Ron Springer, seconded by Holden. There were no other nominations and Springer was reappointed Legislative Representative.
     Springer stated that he’ll “continue to keep in close contact with what’s going on in Olympia” and thanked the board for allowing him to “continue doing what I do best.”  

Consent Agenda

       The next order of business was unanimous approval of the consent agenda, which consisted of the following items:

A.    Approval of the Nov. 18 regular meeting minutes.

B.     To employ Kim White, Teacher’s Assistant/Student Store.

C.    To consider the Extra Curricular assignment recommendation of Frank Mahler, EMS as child sponsor.

D.    The following financial items:

1.      November 2002 payroll $1,070,778.22

2.      December 2002 General Fund $224,104.67

3.      December 2002 ASB Fund $17,560.25

4.      November 2002 Financial Report

Superintendent Contract

       The first order of unfinished business was the “superintendent contract.” Chair Bass began by saying the board had completed the evaluation and now needed to work on the contract. He asked for a motion before moving into discussion. Springer brought forth a motion that Superintendent Arment’s “contract remain in effect as it stands, with the expiration date of June 2004.” Bass asked for a second, brought by Holden.
      Thompson began the discussion commenting, “At this time it’s not the intent of the board to demonstrate Mr. Arment’s performance.” Bass explained that Superintendent Arment was “evaluated on nine goals, and as far as the board is concerned he was on track with all nine.” Bass continued, “Certainly there are some minor adjustments we need to make, corrections as we learn and move forward. The board is looking at some mid-course corrections, and the opportunity for the board and [ENN emphasis] the superintendent to improve communications. This has been pointed out to us a fair number of times and we’ll be looking forward to improving communications and getting further feedback from the community. I look forward to it. I get a fair amount of communications from folks and I do read them and take the time to try to understand.”
     Bass stated the need to “expressly” point out the decision not to extend the superintendent’s contract for the additional third year was strictly a business decision. And that the board felt a two-year contract was an appropriate business decision. Bass continued saying, “That’s where we felt we needed to be as a board, that’s the decision we made.” Adding, “The board is happy with the superintendent’s performance during the last six months. I think there are still more things to be done, but I think that’s just the nature of the business.”
     From the audience, Phil Nordstrom asked when Arment’s contract would be re-examined. Bass explained the superintendent’s contract will be up for renewal in June 2003 for another year, which would begin July 1, 2005. There will be a year left on the contract when it comes up for renewal.
     The board took a formal vote unanimously approving the two-year contract agreement with the superintendent.  

Bond

     The board next heard from Bob Homan, Facilities Committee Chair, who presented an update of the Facilities Committee and a recap of their meeting the previous week. (See Facilities Committee Meeting story 12-10).
     Homan asked that a motion be brought to prepare a resolution for a $24 million, front funded bond to be put on the ballot March 11, 2003. The resolution must be submitted to the county by Jan. 24, 2003.
    Gwen Judd explained the $24 million is enough to improve all the schools over the next six years. So the public will not be asked to approve another bond, for example, five years down the road. Hypothetically the $24 million will break down as $21 million going toward high school renovation and improvement, which has highest priority, leaving a $3 million balance. The district will receive at least $7 million (this amount may increase) in matching funds from the state, as District 404 qualifies for “modernization funding” due to the fact the school buildings are more than 20 years old. The remaining $3 million balance, plus state matching funds, will cover the estimated expense of renovating and improving the other four schools in the district.
     Springer asked exactly how much the bond would increase resident’s property taxes. Linda Ames, District Business/Personnel manager, said that currently district residents are paying 16 cents per thousand, until the year 2005, on the last bond that passed. Homan answered if the new bond passes, resident’s property taxes would “increase by another 3 cents per thousand or to 19 cents per thousand, a total increase to $2.19 per thousand.”
     Homan also said he has already received unsolicited offers to help from the Carpenter’s Union, volunteering to help in any way they can. An Eatonville resident who is the Facilities Manager for the Kent School District (one of the largest in the state) has volunteered his knowledge and experience, and that presentation to the staff and public is in the works.
     Rhoda Papajohn emphasized only one third of the residents in our district have children in school, making it crucial that the committee inform and educate the public about the bond. “It’s a huge, big step in support of this bond to get the staff, not just the teachers but the entire staff on board by having them (CFM Research) come out to visit and educate (the staff at all the schools), that’s communication and we appreciate that.” Tira Hancock reiterated, “communication is key” improving the facilities helps everybody in the long run. Once the staffs are educated “we can spread the word.”
     Bass asked for a motion to prepare the bond resolution, which Springer brought. Holden seconded and the board passed unanimously. Answering a question posed by Homan, Springer explained, that a bond committee, comprised of citizens from the community, not under the direction of the school board must be formed, which will be done when the resolution is completed. 

Open Campus

      Under new business the board heard from students Peter Ellis, Associated Student Body (ASB) President, Amy Boden, ASB vice-president and Kristin Fitzer, ASB secretary who presented the board with a proposal to allow off campus lunches for high school students. The privilege would only be granted to juniors and seniors, with parental permission, who maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or better, and who have had no disciplinary actions during the past or present year. The ASB officers estimate that approximately 50 to 60 students would participate each day. Sophomores entering their junior year would be required to have passed all four parts of their WASL tests and fill out necessary release forms.
     They proposed that students entitled to leave the campus wear large, laminated plastic “off campus passes” with photo ID around their necks which would be highly visible. Other options were also presented, such as a sticker on their ASB cards as used in the Bethel district. Any unexcused tardies or absences would result in the off campus privilege being immediately revoked.
     The ASB officers conducted a survey of town businesses to determine their opinions and concerns. The businesses were asked to rate the increase in sales and shoplifting they would expect if open campus were to be instated. And, on a whole, how open to the idea they were. The students surveyed all the restaurants in town, both banks, Kirks Pharmacy, Christensen’s Department Store and Plaza Market. All were very open to the idea, several business were concerned about shoplifting, including Kirks and OHOP Bakery, but as a whole businesses were open to trying the idea and voted unanimously to support the student’s proposal.
     Springer posed the issue of resident’s in the immediate area of the high school being concerned about littering and said that he would refrain from voting on the proposal until the students had talked to those residents.
    Mettler asked to hear the principal’s opinion. Steedman responded the student’s proposal has been taken to the department chairs and they’re open to the idea of a program “to act as a carrot for students to give their all in terms of behavior on campus, performance on the WASL and in terms of academic achievement.” The students must understand the parameters of the program and there must be no negative effect on the community. Steedman further explained the high school would have a closed campus policy, with special off campus lunch privileges being earned.
     Mettler wondered if the students had spoken to any members of the town council concerning their responsibility maintaining the parks and cemetery, places that are less visible than the eating establishments in town. Mettler also commented to the students, “You’ve laid out some things but you really haven’t told me why you need this privilege. Mr. Steedman talked a little bit about incentives and grades, but I would hope that our students are at Eatonville High School to receive their educations and are striving to achieve good grades. I wonder about the other privileges and rewards that are offered to you, the students.  I would like for you to come back to us and give us some feedback on that. Also I think it would require a great amount of monitoring and policing.”
     Thompson asked if the students should devote additional time and energy to their proposal if the board were not open to the idea. From the audience Gwen Judd commented that EHS used to have an open campus and she’s aware of some of the reasons it became closed, “But these kids are juniors and seniors, they will have a proven track record and we need to give them a little faith. Some of them will be six months from graduating. And they have to be able to prove themselves on that graduation day as individuals. If we don’t give them a little bit of support and confidence that we believe they can do this, then what are we saying when they graduate? That they aren’t ready because we don’t even think they can handle going off campus for lunch?”
     Addressing the litter problem Judd suggested the students who are interested in obtaining off campus privileges start a program like “Adopt A Highway,” such as “Adopt A Community” and spend one day a month picking up litter in town. Judd reminded the group that kids aren’t the only ones who litter carelessly and said in just one half hour her group of Girl Scouts picked up five thirty-three-gallon garbage bags of litter on Center Street alone.
     Springer reiterated that if the students can satisfy the concerns of the residents in the immediate area of the school, “I’m on your side. But I’m also on the residents’ side until they have assurance from the students that their concerns will be addressed.” Phil Nordstrom said he thought it was a great idea and after school there aren’t too many complaints from the community about students shoplifting and littering.
     Arment recommended that the ASB officers work out the details with Steedman and the department chairs at the high school. The board members all said they would support the open campus during lunch if the students talk to the immediate residents in the area, figure out the policing and littering issues and draft a formal proposal to present to the board.
     The ASB officers thanked the board and received a robust round of applause from all present.   

Overnight Trip

     The next order of business was the Math Team’s overnight trip to Blaine to participate in an annual competition. Steedman asked permission for the students to go the night before and stay in hotel rooms, paid with ASB funds, so that they wouldn’t have to get up at 4 a.m. and make the trip on the same day as the competition. Steedman also requested  this particular event be added to the five-year list of ongoing activities as it is attended annually by the math team, and always takes place in Blaine. Both of the principal’s requests were unanimously approved by the board, in a motion brought by Thompson, seconded by Holden.

Administration Request

      The third item of new business discussed by the board was to consider Eatonville Administration’s request for an additional $30 per month for medical expenses.  This allocation would put the administrative staff in line with the increase awarded teachers and certificated staff in their recently signed contract. Although Springer brought a motion to increase the medical allocation to be consistent with what the EEA was recently awarded, there was no second.
     The current Administration Staff contract expires June 30, 2003, with negotiations expected to commence in six months. Thompson suggested the board revisit previous talks to ensure there were no loose ends or details overlooked. Springer reiterated he saw no problem giving the administrative staff the increase as it would take care of the issue now, rather than bringing it to the bargaining table in six months and it would “put them on an even field with the teachers.”
     Mettler made a motion to table this agenda item until closer to the contract talks. Bass commented, “I think it’s part of the bargaining process and I think it’s a dangerous precedence to open this right now. And I’m not at all in agreement with re-bargaining an agreement half-way through.” After listening to the board discussion, Springer withdrew his motion, which was still on the floor, and Thompson seconded Mettler’s motion to table the item.   

Resolution # 470

     The board went on to the fourth agenda item under new business, Resolution #470, a resolution to close non-expendable trust fund.  Linda Ames explained that the state has made a change in the way they are requiring school district’s to account for trust funds and that it has no effect on school board policies. The motion to approve Resolution 470 unanimously passed.
     *A Superintendent letter to the legislature followed, as Springer addressed the board, prompted by Bass. The superintendent had composed a letter to the state legislature in support of the teachers and education and condemning major cuts to education programs by the legislature announced by the governor earlier that day. Springer asked that the letter, signed by all five board members, be printed in the two Eatonville newspapers and the Tribune as an open letter to the legislature. “To make not only the legislature know how we feel, but to make the public know.” Arment had sent out an email communication that day containing the legislature’s proposed $540 million cut in education funding. (See announcements from the superintendent on our “School” page.)
     Springer said the superintendent volunteered to take a vacation day Jan. 14 to go to Olympia and carry a sign “or whatever” representing Eatonville schools. Springer also volunteered to accompany Arment.
     Rhoda Papajohn announced the “EEA in conjunction with the superintendent, decided not to take the day off on Jan. 14, 2003, but to remain in our class rooms and support the activities in various ways. Some of us will be writing personal letters to the legislature and so on.” She explained there were calendar issues involved and they, as a group, were not going to leave school, “We will be in our classes unless an individual takes a personal day to do this,” Papajohn reassured. She continued, “The EEA does truly support the board and is very pleased to hear the board is going to take a stand and make something public from the Eatonville school board directors. To let them know  you’re not happy with the cuts in education and the legislature shouldn’t being doing this.”
     The board unanimously approved an open letter to the state legislature be printed. Bass said his main concern was that they get the letter in the local paper, to which Papajohn replied, “A lot of folks don’t get The Dispatch and during the teacher contract negotiations I was getting a routine phone call every week from the education editor at the Tribune, so they are interested in what we’re doing.”    

Board Discussions

     Reconvening after a five-minute recess, the board moved to “board discussions.” Springer said that during one of the senior’s lunches at the Community Center Mrs. Iver’s class presented a truly delightful Thanksgiving program. He added the middle school had shown up with a huge bus load of food with Bass and Homan helping the students. Springer said they were delighted to see them at the Community Center. He mentioned the High School Choir was scheduled to perform during lunch the following Friday, and that the senior citizens are always thrilled to see the kids.
      The board moved on to the sixth item of new business listed on the agenda, approval to submit Title V grant application. Arment explained this is important and they must have board permission to apply for the $20,511 grant. He recommended the board grant this permission. Holden made the motion, which the board unanimously approved. 

Policy Review

     The final order of new business on the agenda consisted of the review of six existing board policies. Changes in the first five were minor and due to new state laws:

                1. Policy number 2090, “Program Evaluation” a required policy stating the “curriculum    coordinator” will prepare an annual report.

2. Policy was number 2161P “Special Education and Related Services for Eligible Students”.

3. Policy number 4300 “Political Relationships with Government Agencies”.

4. Policy number 5005 “Employment: Disclosures, Certification Requirements, Assurances and Approval”.

5. Policy number 5010 “Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action.” 
     The sixth policy, number 6590 “Sexual Harassment” and 6590P “Procedure” were brought before the board to review after being looked at by a group of community and committee members at the high school. Arment explained the high school vice principal, Ms. Hayward had formed a committee and publicized to the community there was going to be a review of the Sexual Harassment policy. Hayward called and invited a number of parents who had come in to the high school and made comments about the dress code, or other similar issues, to be a part of the policy review. The superintendent said probably fifteen to twenty persons were called and approximately eight showed up. 
     Changes to the policy were formulated after the review by the community and committee and apply to employees and particularly to students. Bass asked about the “procedure” policy 6590P and when does law enforcement become involved. Arment explained, “When there’s an indication that a crime has been committed; the administrators and teachers at the high school are not law enforcement officers and when there’s a suspected crime they have to report it.”
     Usually when it moves into sexual assault, or indecent liberties; (assault four is the category), the police should come in and participate in the investigation. The police may decide to take over the investigation, at which time it is out of the school administrator’s hands.” Bass asked if the policy stated the police had to be brought in, to which Arment replied, “There is a separate policy on bringing law enforcement into the school and if that isn’t done the educators could loose their license.
     “We don’t have the authority to use judgment not to call the police, depending on the severity, they must be called.” Tira Hancock was on the committee who reviewed the policy and stated they spent approximately an hour to an hour and a half and that it was pretty straight forward, with minor revisions, most of which were grammatical rather than clarification.
     Thompson moved that the board accept the six policy changes, Holden seconded and the changes were unanimously approved.
     The discussion on Pierce County Timber Tax Collections was tabled at Arment’s suggestion as Springer had left the meeting by this time due to an appointment.
     The Special Education Budget was presented by Special Services Director Laura Rice and Linda Ames. Special Education is operating on a bare bones budget with a bare bones staff. There are 243 Special Ed students this year, with 10.5 teachers and 16.5 parent educators. The district has only one Speech and Language professional working with 76 impaired students. This person must complete a barrage of paperwork for each student in addition to preparing lessons. The paper work alone involved with each Special Ed student is extremely cumbersome. As an example Rice put together all the forms that are required for one child. The forms stretched out far beyond the length of the conference room.
     Board and Superintendent Discussion: The board members noted how much they enjoyed the holiday cards and gifts made for them by students at the various schools. The superintendent encouraged all board members to attend the many events being presented at the schools during the season and special thanks was given to Ohop Grange for their recent community service project at Columbia Crest (see story on “School” page).

     *Please see Open Letter
   The next regularly scheduled meeting of the school board is set for Wednesday, Jan. 3^rd at Eatonville Middle School. Please try to attend!                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Back  to Top

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