The school board held a
regular meeting/workshop on May 23. It heard updates on the district's COVID-19 mitigation strategies, comprehensive school counseling, the district's DoDEA world language grant, the 2022-23 draft budget and the superintendent's spring 2022 operational-infrastructural evaluation.
COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies
Deputy Superintendent Brian Laubach updated the board on the district's current COVID-19 mitigation strategies. COVID-19 case rates are rising for all ages in Pierce County, which has led to increasing outbreaks and cases in schools.
The district has protocols for outbreaks at schools. Staff are strongly requested to wear a mask for up to 10 days and are required to get tested in 3-5 days following an outbreak. Students are strongly recommended to wear a mask for up to 10 days and get tested 3-5 days following an outbreak.
Laubach also provided updates on the district's testing center, symptoms, isolation and potential exposures.
Comprehensive School Counseling Program
Laubach provided a report on the district's comprehensive school counseling program. The program was created at the direction of senate bill 5030, which asks school districts to clarify roles of Professional School Counselors in alignment with best practices and develop a long-term Comprehensive School Counseling Plan (CSCP) at all schools.
The district's CSCP committee was formed and has been developing the plan during the 2021-22 school year. Implementation of the CSCP will begin during the 2022-23 school year and finalize during the 2023-24 school year.
DoDEA World Language Grant
Laubach presented on the district's Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) world language grant and provided an update on its implementation. The grant total is about $3 million with an implementation time frame of five years.
The primary goals of the grant are to honor heritage speakers' language, provide earlier world language learning opportunities, increase world language learning opportunities for grades 2-12 and leverage technology to help with world language learning.
The grant includes funding for teacher training on world language education and implementation of a brand new elementary world language program districtwide.
The ultimate goal of the program is to give students better foundational world language support in grades 2-8 with the intent of them taking higher level oral language classes at the high school level and eventually graduating biliterate.
2022-23 Draft Budget
Director of Financial Services Greg Hart presented the district's 2022-23 preliminary draft budget.
The review included: budget impacts for the 2022-23 school year; enrollment projections; fund balance projections; preliminary general fund revenue breakdowns; a look at the expenditure budget; and the budget development schedule.
Superintendent's Mid-Year Evaluation
Superintendent Ron Banner provided an update to the Board on his mid-year operational-infrastructural evaluation of the superintendent.