Vea la versión en español del Informe de la Junta Directiva aqui.

This is a summary of the Pasco School District Board Meeting on January 9, 2024.

Michelle Whitney, PSD Superintendent, administered the Oath of Office to PSD’s newly elected Board Member, Dr. Steve Norberg. Dr. Norberg was recently elected to the Board of Directors Position 1. Congratulations, Dr. Norberg!

(L to R): Officer Upton, Officer Cano, Officer King, Officer Baker, Lieutenant Decker, Lieutenant Pettijohn, Captain Parramore

Monday, January 9 was National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, so we recognized the tremendous relationship the district has with the Pasco Police Department and their School Resource Officers (SRO) who work in our middle and high schools during the board meeting.

Thank you to the following SRO’s for protecting our students and staff:

• Captain Bill Parramore, Captain of SRO Program

• Officer Sam Baker, Pasco High School SRO

• Officer Curtis King, Chiawana High School SRO

• Officer Ismael Cano, Ochoa Middle School & New Horizons High School SRO

• Officer Branden Upton, Stevens Middle School and Delta High School SRO

• Officer Jamie Buckley, McLoughlin and Reynolds Middle School SRO

Thank you to the Pasco Police Department for your continued support of Pasco schools.

Dr. Omar Escalera, PSD’s Executive Director of Equity, Partnerships, and Family Engagement, briefed the board on the district's efforts for the Annual District Objective of Belonging Through a Culture of Dignity. He outlined the dignity framework, discussed ongoing staff training to implement Dignity and belonging in buildings/programs, and explained the data measurement approach.

Following this, board members broke into small groups for presentations by Principal Robin Hay of Columbia River Elementary, Shannon Lockard of Ray Reynolds Middle School, and representatives from Pasco High School’s Leadership Team. The presentations focused on specific belonging initiatives and training occurring in their respective schools.

View the presentation

John Steach, CEO of the Center for Educational Effectiveness, presented a progress report on monitoring the district’s Outrageous Outcomes literacy goal. The focus was on Outrageous Outcome 1: Achieving 100% grade-level reading proficiency for 3rd graders in their language of instruction.

Mr. Steach discussed the current measures used to collect 3rd-grade reading data and suggestions for possible future reading measure additions. He also highlighted the various impacts on student literacy that included mobility, readiness for kindergarten, and English language proficiency.

The next steps involve using the presented data as a baseline to set future goals, prioritizing kindergarten readiness programs, assessing the smooth transition of English Learner students, emphasizing acceleration over remediation, and collaborating with principals for data analysis to inform additional supports in the 2023-24 school year.

Anna Tensmeyer, Director of Public Affairs, and Carla Lobos, Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services, provided an overview of the content which will be shared with Ambassadors during their third session taking place on January 17, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at Three Rivers Elementary School.

During this session, Ambassadors will receive information on Instruction and Special Programs, and have the opportunity to tour and learn more about Three Rivers Elementary School.

The fourth session for Ambassadors is scheduled for February 21, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at Ray Reynolds Middle School. During this session, Ambassadors will learn about Social & Emotional Learning and Special Education.

Kimberly Joya Manzanarez, Meia Ng, and Samantha Quiroga, PSD Student Board Representatives, debriefed the board on the student sessions they attended at the Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA) Conference that was held November 16-18, 2023, in Bellevue, WA.

At the conference, students learned about unity and equity in schools and how they can implement these practices in their schools within our district.