School Board Meeting Recap: April 28, 2022

The Issaquah School Board held a regular meeting Thursday, April 28, at the Issaquah School District Administration Building. The meeting was open to the public, broadcast live on the ISD YouTube channel, and a recording of the meeting is available.   

Following is a summary of a few of the topics the board and district staff discussed and action the board took at the meeting. It is not an official record or meeting minutes. To review official minutes from all board meetings, please visit our board meeting archive webpage.   

2022-23 Budget and Program Review 

Superintendent Ron Thiele shared that due to a drop in enrollment over the past two years, paired with increased cost of staffing, budget cuts are necessary for the 2022-23 school year. Thiele acknowledged that some of the programs and positions proposed for reduction are partially funded by local levy dollars. The cuts would be even greater had the three levy measures on last week’s ballot failed. However, additional reductions outside of what is already proposed would require cuts closer to the classroom. The proposed reductions remove approximately $11.38 million in spending from the 2022-23 budget and include a reduction in force (RIF). Thiele said that budget cuts are never easy, but that aligning the district's expenditures and revenue is necessary. 

Chief Financial Officer Jake Kuper joined Thiele in a 2022-23 Proposed Program/Service Reductions Budget Presentation sharing enrollment trends, financial outlook, insufficient supplemental funding from the state and federal government, and proposed budget cuts to balance the budget. The 2022-23 Proposed Program Reductions of $11.38 million would ensure the district remains financially stable and within the board budget parameters.  

Program reductions for the 2022-23 school year include: 

• Positive behavior social-emotional support (PBSES) coaches  
• Math and science staffing (to decrease class sizes)  
• High school deans of students  
• Reductions to high school staffing models for activity coordinators and athletic directors 
• Instructional coaches 
• Career and Technical Education (CTE) enhanced staffing  
• Teachers on special assignment (TOSA’s) in a variety of disciplines 
• Elementary education director  
• Office professionals  
• Elimination of Sammamish school resource officer  
• Suspension of overload due to reduction in force  
• Suspension of curriculum adoptions 

Per the School Board recommendations, the budget cuts are focused further away from the student's classroom experience. Despite reductions of some positions, the 2022-23 proposed budget: 

• Maintains Swedish mental health counselors  
• Maintains school counselors  
• Maintains current class size allocation model (note that supplemental funding to math/science courses removed so there could be impacts to actual sizes in some classes)  
• Maintains (IHS and SHS) and adds (LHS) the 7-period day at high schools 
• Maintains Equity Department and family liaisons 
• Maintains athletics and activities for student participation 

Director Sydne Mullings said to put it simply that the district is smaller and as such, a smaller number of staff is needed to ensure the district continues to operate with solvency. Mullings encouraged anyone who is interested in learning more about the budget process to go back and watch the last couple of School Board meetings, which are all shared on the Issaquah School District YouTube Channel.  

After a robust discussion, the 2022-23 Program/Service Reductions was approved by the School Board with a 3-2 vote.  

Listen to the 2022-23 Budget and Program Review on our YouTube Channel.  

Reduction in Force (RIF) Resolution  

Thiele described the notification process of informing staff about the reduction in force as it is different this year than in past practice. The school board voted 3-2 to approve a reduction in force. 

Listen to the Reduction in Force (RIF) Resolution on our YouTube Channel.  

Capital Projects Update 

• This past Monday, April 25 we celebrated Cougar Mountain Middle School through building dedication and ribbon cutting. See the full story on our website.  
• The Issaquah City Council voted unanimously last week to approve proposals for the district’s High School 4 and Elementary School 17 on the Providence Heights property, as shared in Construction Announcements this past week.  
• Work is ongoing for the press boxes at Issaquah High School as well as progress on the Holly Street Early Learning Campus.  

Listen to the Capital Projects Update on our YouTube Channel.  

Listen to the entire school board meeting, including items without a recap, on our YouTube Channel.