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

This is a summary of the Pasco School District Board Meeting on March 26, 2024.

Sofia Yanez, Chiawana High School Student, and her artwork titled When You Were Made

PSD recognized three students who earned awards during the Educational Service District 123 51st Annual High School Art Exhibit. The exhibit included pieces of artwork created by high school students representing 17 schools across nine districts.

The following PSD students were recognized with awards:

• Superintendent's Choice: Liana Sholotyuk, Chiawana High School, Title: Sitting Bird, Sculpture

• Honorable Mention: Sofia Yanez, Chiawana High School, Title: When You Were Made, Acrylic

• Central Washington University Scholarship Winner: Sofia Dorante, Pasco High School, Title: Guerra, Watercolor

Congratulations students!

Education Support Professionals week in Washington (formerly Classified School Employees Week) is March 11-15 and was established to honor the professionals who work hard every day to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for our students.

During the board meeting, the following representatives from a few of our classified union groups were in attendance on behalf of classified employees: Travis Bowman, Wally Collyer, Scott Kelleher, and Monica Casas, representing our Maintenance & Custodial staff on behalf of the IUOE Local 280 union; Lori Cox, Margarita Ramos, Veronica Leon, Kim Yates, and Elizabeth Romero representing our Secretaries, Nutrition Services, Paraeducators, & Specialists on behalf of the PSE/SEIU Local 1948 union; and Linda Fraley, representing Transportation on behalf of the Teamsters Local 839 union.

Each union representative received a gift bag from the district.

During a study session, Jake Stueckle, Director of Secondary Instructional Systems, facilitated a collaborative study session with the High School Boundary Team and the board. They reviewed feedback and data from boundary scenarios A and D, which were presented to the community during the second round of boundary scenario presentations and the online survey.

Board members engaged in discussions, asked questions, and discussed common themes of feedback from the community.

Moving forward, the next steps involve launching round three of the online high school boundary survey to the community on March 29. This round will feature new and revised boundary scenarios including a modified scenario A and new scenarios E and F. Also, community members can attend in-person and Zoom feedback sessions in April. Dates and locations for these sessions can be found on our Boundary webpage.

View the presentation

Sarah Thornton, Assistant Superintendent of Legal Services, presented the first reading of a proposed Policy 9350 Animals in Schools. This policy aims to streamline existing procedures concerning service animals and animals in the instructional program into a single policy. Additionally, it introduces a new policy authorizing the superintendent to establish a facility animal program. District staff will develop procedures to facilitate partnerships with community organizations that can provide support dogs for students and staff.

The next steps involve presenting Policy 9350 for a second reading and approval at the April 23 board meeting consent agenda.

View Policy 9350

Mira Gobel, Assistant Superintendent of Schools & Social Emotional Learning, and Alice Amaya, Executive Director of Student Supports, delivered a presentation on PSD’s Progress Monitoring Report, titled "Meaningful Connections and Hope for the Future," in accordance with District Policy 1260.

During the presentation, Mrs. Gobel and Dr. Amaya shared data from various sources, including the Center for Educator Effectiveness Social Emotional Learning Indicators, Center for Educator Effectiveness Belonging and Future Orientation Indicators, Attendance and Discipline Data, and the Healthy Youth Survey Data. They elaborated on how this data will be utilized to support the district’s Strategic Improvement Plan, School Improvement Plan, and State of Schools Review Process.

This holistic approach aligns with School Board directives, the district's vision, strategic improvement planning, school-level improvement planning, and system-wide supports.

Next steps involve implementing districtwide initiatives focused on fostering a sense of belonging among students. Additionally, we will continue implementing the Multi-Tiered System of Supports framework to address students’ social, emotional, and behavioral needs. Furthermore, we will expand the current system to include additional supports specifically aimed at addressing student mental health needs.

View the presentation

Alice Amaya, Executive Director of Student Supports, presented an update on the implementation of the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework for Social Emotional Learning and Behavior (MTSS-SEB) across the district.

Dr. Amaya provided an overview of the MTSS framework for social-emotional learning and behavior, highlighted key milestones achieved during the district's implementation journey, and outlined plans for expanding support for mental health and wellness initiatives.

Moving forward, the district is committed to continuing its efforts to support the implementation of MTSS-SEB+Mental Health across all schools. This includes developing a comprehensive multi-year/multi-phase plan for scaling universal screening initiatives district-wide, utilizing valuable insights gathered from field tests. Additionally, the district aims to further expand partnerships with community mental health providers to enhance access to mental health care for students, ensuring that all students receive the support they need to thrive academically and emotionally.

View the presentation