The School Board heard about 90 minutes of public comments at its April 16 regular Stanwood-Camano School Board meeting.
Most of the 29 people spoke about board members' comments about district and state equity policies made during the March 19 school board study session.
As Superintendent Dr. Deborah Rumbaugh stated in a March 21 message to the community, equity policies are a vital tool in ensuring the success of every student in our district. Our district’s equity policy — and similar policies across the state — help strengthen the commitment to our District Promise by providing a framework for dismantling barriers and creating individualized supports.
The board members and district officials are thankful for the community’s thoughtful and civil input during the meeting on this important topic in front of an attentive crowd of about 120 people.
The board also heard a report from Ruth Floyd, Executive Director of Business Services, on the district’s Reduced Educational Program plan — which is a tool to guide the district’s next steps to craft a balanced budget over the next several months. The plan calls for bridging a $3.5 million budget deficit by combining spending reductions and the General Fund balance.
As detailed in the presentation, the Stanwood-Camano School District is among many districts across the state forced to make reductions because of the continued financial effects of the McCleary legal decision, COVID-19, and stagnating funding levels from the state Legislature.
The district will continue to provide budget updates in the weekly e-newsletters sent to families and the community on Fridays.
The school board then accepted five donations:
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$120.53 from the Stanwood High School 4A Booster Club will cover the transportation costs for the Girl's Sports Day field trip to Oak Harbor High School.
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$228.26 from the Stanwood Elementary PTO to cover the transportation costs for the Stanwood Elementary School field trip to the Stillaguamish Community Center on February 15, 2024.
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$640.67 from the Cedarhome Elementary PTO will cover the transportation costs for the Cedarhome Elementary School field trip to the Stillaguamish Community Center.
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$735 from the Utsalady Ladies Aid for Utsalady Elementary School teachers to purchase art supplies.
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Donation of art supplies from the Camano Arts Guild to support three schools, valued at $1,611.84. (Stanwood High School, $738; Stanwood Middle School, $495.51; and Port Susan Middle School, $378.33)
For more information about the meeting, see the agenda or watch a video recording of the meeting.
The school board will hold its nextregular meeting at 1 p.m. on May 7. Meetings are in the boardroom at the Stanwood-Camano School District Administration & Resource Center, 26920 Pioneer Highway, in Stanwood. You can sign up for public comment HERE.
For more about the School Board, click HERE.