School Board Recap: April 9, 2026

The Issaquah School Board held a regular meeting on Thursday, April 9, at the Issaquah School District Administration Building. The meeting was open to the public and broadcast live on the district’s YouTube channel, where a recording of the meeting is available. This recap highlights selected topics of discussion and board actions. It is not an official record of the meeting. Official minutes can be found on the district’s board meeting archive webpage, and additional information about future meetings is available on the School Board page.

 

Nourish Every Mind Event, April 30, 2026

Trustee Amy Miller from the Issaquah Schools Foundation invited the Board to the Nourish Every Mind Student Showcase on April 30, 2026. Additional information about the event is available on the foundation website.

 

School Board Retreat Recap

On March 23 and April 1, members of the board met in an extended work study session to discuss topics including the New High School, inclusionary practices, coherent governance, long term planning, grading practices, strategic planning and more. Board members shared their thoughts about the topics and discussion time. During work study sessions, no decisions are made and no action is taken. Board members Natalie Anderson, Sydne Mullings and A.J. Taylor each emphasized the value of the extended time together, which allows them to ask more questions, received a deeper level of facts and information about each topic and align the future direction and priorities of the district.

 

Work Study Session Recap

Before the regular session on April 9, members of the board and staff members gathered to discuss the development of the 2026-27 budget. Board members shared their reflections about the work study session.

 

Works in Progress

Superintendent Heather Tow-Yick highlighted upcoming dates related to district, community, heritage and cultural events. Tow-Yick also offered a selection of updates about what is happening across the district in recent weeks, including:

• Senior Exit Interviews at our high schools are a great opportunity to hear from 12th grade students about their experiences in school and our community, as well as their plans for after graduation. The exit interview process was refreshed this year to link to the district’s Portrait of a Graduate work.
   
• The board recently accepted applications for next year’s Student Representatives to the School Board and will be moving forward with the selection process.

 

Capital Projects Update

Tom Mullins, Director of Capital Projects, shared a regular update about Capital Projects, with a focus on the New High School. The updates include:

• The Siteworks 1 permit was issued on March 30, and construction activities such as temporary perimeter fencing, tagging trees that will be saved, installation of temporary erosion and sediment control measures, and the delivery of construction support materials such as construction trailers, storage containers, forklifts and more.
• The team continues to work with the City of Issaquah to obtain remaining permits including the building, garage, site work, retaining walls, and Southeast 43rd Way right-of-way; and with the City of Sammamish on the 228th Avenue Southeast right-of-way permit.
• The groundbreaking is planned for later in April.
• The school is expected to open in the fall of 2027.

 

Monitoring Report for Operational Expectation 17, Sustainability

Executive Director of Operations Jason Morse presented the monitoring report for Operational Expectation 17, Sustainability, for the 2024-25 school year. This OE is the district’s newest, and was created through partnership of students, staff and School Board members.

The monitoring report includes information about the district’s waste management program, a transportation plan that minimizes environmental impact, a long-term strategy to minimize the environmental impact of district buildings, enhancing the readiness of district infrastructure to account for future environmental impacts, and communication about the district’s sustainability programs.

Student Representatives to the School Board shared feedback from students at Liberty High School. Board members asked questions and discussed the report before voting to approve it unanimously.

 

Update about the Budget for the 2026-27 School Year

Chief of Finance and Operations Martin Turney and Executive Director of Finance and Budget Moriah Banasick shared an update about the district’s work to create a budget for the next school year. Superintendent Tow-Yick introduced the agenda item, noting that the district is in a different financial position than in prior decades when the ISD was experiencing rapid growth. Declining elementary enrollment, rising costs and other factors that have led to an imbalance between revenue and expenditures. District leaders are proposing actions to better align resources with student needs.

“You’ll hear us emphasize a more conservative approach,” Turney said. “This is not about stepping back from our commitments. It’s about making sure we are making sustainable decisions that allow us to deliver on those commitments both now and into the future. Throughout this process, our focus remains on responsible stewardship, protecting the instructional core and being transparent with our community about both the challenges and the path forward.”

Banasick shared that the district’s Financial Analysis Core Team (FACT) met in March to hear a similar update about the budget process. The team includes parents, community members, students, and staff, who help provide transparency and equity by engaging in meaningful budget analysis. The FACT group will meet again this month.

Staff are proposing just under $16 million in cost saving measures. Of that total, about $12.1 million are adjustments to staffing levels, primarily through attrition and realigning positions. The budget also calls for saving about $3.7 million in non-staffing cost savings such as operational efficiencies and unfunded state programs.

“These are very difficult decisions. This takes a lot of care, planning and figuring out how the work is going to continue to be supported,” Banasick said, noting that about 84% of the district’s budget is in staffing.

Of the staffing reductions, the proposed adjustments would reduce spending on administrators and Central Operations by about 6.35%; school-based staffing spending would be reduced by about 4.24%. In a comparison of the ISD administrative costs against the 34 other districts in the Puget Sound Educational Service District, ISD falls 35th out of 35 for spending. In Washington state, our district ranks 289th out of 295 districts for administrative costs. When comparing investments in teaching staff, the ISD ranks 6 out of 35 districts in the Puget Sound ESD; or 49th out of 295 districts in Washington state.

For the past several years, the district has used a “stop, start, continue” framework in its budget analysis. While some work is intentionally time-limited based on need and impact, other work can be shifted into another position, department or team, she explained.

New investments will be aligned to student experience, access and strategic priorities, and include:

• Systemwide MTSS (multi-tiered systems of support) universal screening to strengthen early identification and intervention
• Expansion of dual language programming through development of a Mandarin dual language pathway in preschool and elementary
• A shift to cost-effective service delivery models for mental health supports

Continuing core priorities and long-term commitments for consistency and support, including:

• Care coordination support for students and families via Care Solace
• Extended school year services (ESY) for students who receive Special Education services
• Curriculum implementation following prior adoption cycles
• Continuing Transition to Kindergarten programming in 2026-27 despite significantly reduced state funding
• Honoring and preserving voter-approved levy-funded programs and supports

Staff will continue to develop and refine the draft budget and will provide an updated budget preview at a June board meeting. Each year staff members also create an Annual Budget Guide. The board will host an official public hearing about the proposed budget and will formally adopt a final budget in August.

 

Strategic Plan Update: Priority Area 3, Diverse Talent; Priority Area 4, Authentic Engagement

Marcel Hauser, Senior Advisor and Strategy, shared an update with the board about Priority Area 3 and Priority Area 4.

Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Donna Hood spoke about Priority Area 3, Diverse Talent, offering highlights including:

• In 2024-25, while 26% of our total certificated pool were candidates of color; we hired candidates of color at a rate of 29.5%.
• We hosted 81 student teachers last year, as part of our work to support the overall profession and teaching in Washington state.
• We saw an increase in the total number of exiting staff who are willing to work for our district again; resignations and retirements also declined.
• An increased number of staff responded to our “stay survey;” both classified and certificated staff reported an increase in their sense of belonging.
• We have an ongoing partnership with the Washington Education Association, to host teacher residents for special education teaching; the candidate pools are roughly 50% staff of color.

Executive Director of Secondary Education Sherri Kokx spoke about Priority Area 4, Authentic Engagement, and updated the board that:

• The team is sharing the draft Matrix and Companion Guide for Authentic Engagement.
• Creating a deeper connection to another strategy in the Student Well-Being priority area, growing the partnership ecosystem within the ISD.
• Shifting the focus to increasing the mental health partnerships.
• We partnered with Care Solace to expand their services to include providing care coordination for social services, and this will be provided free of charge.
• Added Youth Eastside Services staff at each comprehensive high school and at Issaquah Middle School.