School Board Meeting Summary

Wenatchee School District

September 10, 2019 - Regular Meeting

The Wenatchee School Board will now provide a "Board Meeting Summary Briefing" after each Board meeting. The summary includes a short description of the main topics and action items. These summaries are not meant to replace minutes. The minutes for each meeting are approved and posted after the next regularly scheduled meeting. We hope these summaries provide some basic information and context around the reports, presentations and action items.

For the full packet of information including presentations and reports, Click Here.

Meetings are video streamed live online and the videos are archived on the District website here. Meetings prior to August 2019 are archived in calendar format here.

Regular Meeting

DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY, THIS MEETING WAS LIVE STREAMED BUT NOT RECORDED.

Attendance: Sunny Hemphill, President, Laura Jaecks, Vice President, Dr. Karina Vega-Villa, Sarah Knox, Dr. Michele Sandberg

BOARD PUBLIC COMMENT STATEMENT

AGENDA APPROVAL
The agenda was approved with the addition of the Wenatchee High School ASB report.

Consent Agenda

The consent agenda was approved with an additional walk on contract. The consent agenda included the following items.

Minutes: Board Workshop 8-19-19, Special Meeting 8-21-19, Regular Meeting 8-27-19
Vouchers/Payroll
Personnel Report
Surplus Report
Contracts
DOH Associates Contract Amendment Board Report
DOH Associates Contract Amendment
Policy 3241 - 2nd Reading

CITIZENS' COMMENTS

There were no citizen comments

ASB REPORT

Kelly Norland, ASB President and Charly Plinski, ASB Vice President shared an update with the Board about recent activities and events happening at Wenatchee High School. The WHS ASB will be rotating student representatives to provide in-person updates at all board meetings.

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

Social/Emotional Learning Presentation
Mark Helm, Assistant Superintendent
Mike Lane, Director of State & Federal Programs

Helm and Lane shared an update on the work being done across the District in social-emotional learning (SEL) with both students and staff. Strides are being made by elementary, middle school, high school and community taskforce groups to pilot, implement and evaluate different curriculum and strategies. A process is being put in place to better identify and assess students with suicidal ideation. The results have been positive so far and the District is planning to expand this work. The Board appreciated the update and was encouraged by the information shared. The Board asked that program evaluation continue and that suicide prevention be strongly integrated into the middle and high school and that more mental health professionals be included in the community taskforce group.

Highly Capable Required Plan
Kathy Moody, Highly Capable Programs Coordinator

Moody presented an overview of the Highly Capable Program (HiCap) and iGrant Form Package 217 Highly Capable Program Plan which requires the Board of Directors’ approval.

Board Engagement Plan
Diana Haglund, Director of Communication

Haglund walked the Board through a proposed plan for school board community engagement. Haglund recommended that the Board host six community conversations as a way to engage stakeholders in dialogue around the topics future facilities, mental health and post-secondary pathways. Haglund also recommended the Board conduct a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis survey in January 2020 as a way to gather valuable public perception data. The Board asked that community conversations happen at both school and community locations and that the mental health topic be narrowed down to social-emotional learning.

ACTION ITEMS

Wenatchee Valley College Dual-Credit Contract
There was discussion and Q & A with Wenatchee Valley College Vice President of Instruction, Dr. Tod Treat and Concurrent Enrollment Coordinator, Holly Bringman. The contract was approved.

Highly Capable Required Plan Approval
The HiCap required plan was approved.

BOARD COMMUNICATION

A workshop will be scheduled to continue the values conversation that the Board started in August. Dr. Gordon will provide possible dates for the Board to consider.

SUPERINTENDENT REPORT

Dr. Gordon reported that he was proud of the staff at Wenatchee High School for taking on a no cell phone policy. He had an opportunity to visit WHS and felt that the staff was working closely with students to adhere to the policy and that the overall feel in the building was positive.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

The Board entered into executive session.

ADJOURNMENT