School Board Meeting Recap: November 14, 2024

The Issaquah School Board held a regular meeting on Thursday, Nov. 14, at the Issaquah School District Administration Building. The meeting was open to the public, and was broadcast live on the district’s YouTube channel, where a recording of the meeting is available.      

Today we’re sharing a summary of a few of the topics the board and district staff discussed and actions 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. Or, for other board information such as upcoming meeting dates, times and agendas, and more, visit our School Board page. 

Bond Update 

Director Harlan Gallinger and fellow board members asked district staff members to ask the community for feedback about the bond and priorities, and also from the members of the Bond Advisory Committee. 

Additionally, the board asked staff to prepare information and feasibility of a potential bond package that would include: 

• Safety and security projects. 
• The remaining needed funding for the New High School. 
• Funding for capacity and career preparation and innovation at the existing high schools. 

The board also asked staff members to prepare feasibility for contingency plans to accommodate enrollment at the high school level, in the event that a potential next bond measure fails. Those possible options include: 

• Reconfiguring the whole system across all schools to move ninth grade students to middle schools (junior high schools), and move sixth grade students to elementary schools. 
• Re-establishing a ninth grade campus. 
• Redrawing boundaries and adjusting feeder patterns to shift students. (The board also asked for the percentage that each high school is over capacity). 
• Double-shifting at schools to help accommodate the enrollment growth at high schools (some students would come to school earlier in the morning and leave earlier, while other students would come to school later in the day and leave later in the day). 

For more detail about the bond update, read the information we shared in the November 18 district bulletin.

 

High School Innovation and Career Preparation 

Superintendent Tow-Yick introduced the agenda item, and also highlighted that the Issaquah Schools Foundation is providing $10,000 to help with the first step in coordinating more opportunities for internships for juniors and seniors at Liberty, Issaquah and Skyline high schools. 

Lisa Neighbours, Director of CTE, shared an update with the board, about updated High School and Beyond Plan implementation, alignment of course offerings to student pathway, and increase of alignment of CTE courses to industry certifications. 

Neighbours shared preliminary student interest data from about 1,750 students (mostly ninth graders). Of those students, about 1,530 plan to attend a two- or four-year college or university to become a lawyer, aerospace engineer, doctor or software engineer; about 70 students plan to go directly into the workforce or start their own business; about 60 students plan to enlist in the military; about 50 students plan to pursue an apprenticeship opportunity; about 40 students plan to complete technical or vocational training. 

She also offered an update about demand for different types of jobs; pathways for students, innovation pilot work and next steps. 

 

Monitoring Report: Operational Expectation (OE) 14, Instructional Program 

A Student Representative to the School Board shared feedback from peers about the instructional program.  

Chief of Academics and Student Success Dana Bailey, and Executive Director of Teaching and Learning Services Rich Mellish presented information about a monitoring report for OE 14.  

• The monitoring report for OE 14 is available for review on our website. 

Board members asked questions and discussed the information, then voted to accept the report. 

 

Monitoring Report: Operational Expectation (OE) 11, Discipline 

Student Representatives to the School Board from Liberty and Issaquah High School shared feedback from peers about discipline. 

The School Board received a monitoring report about OE 11, asked questions and discussed discipline. Board members then voted to accept the report. 

 

Fourth Read: Board Policy Update of Operational Expectation 14, Instructional Program 

Board members have discussed this policy update on multiple occasions and received considerable public input both at board meetings and at a listening session at Skyline High School. The draft under consideration was adjusted by board members in response to feedback they received. The update to the policy would add Advanced Placement options to Skyline High School, in addition to the IB (International Baccalaureate) courses currently offered. 

The board voted to approve the update to OE 14. 

Superintendent Tow-Yick shared that Principal Keith Hennig and staff members have been preparing for how this change might be implemented at Skyline High School. Tow-Yick said she will bring information about that process to the board’s next meeting in December.