Submitted by the League of Women Voters Observer Corps.

League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization, encourages informed participation in government. The Observer Corps attends and takes notes at government meetings to aid public understanding of public policy and decisions. The notes do not necessarily reflect the views of the League or its members.

SJI School Board, regular meeting of April 29

The meeting opened with the Jazz Band playing two songs in the School Showcase portion of the meeting. During public comment a citizen who is a business owner spoke of hiring the school’s graduates and students, saying while many were rock stars, some struggled with even basic skills. She expressed concern about some of the educational proposals coming from the state but was not specific about what proposals or the concerns.

The superintendent noted that it was Professional Educators Appreciation Week and said the entire staff in the district built a solid culture of support and good relationships with students. The legislative session closed, and the cap on special education funding was lifted. The bids are coming in for re-siding the high school, and they will need a special meeting to approve the contract. A risk management report on the deal to lease the fire district a building on Stuart Island, and Fire Chief Monin will attend the May School Board meeting to discuss the lease.

Dr. Bell gave an update on special education. They have 40 staff members serving special education students. They hired new paraeducators when they opened the preschool. Paraeducators work with students in general education settings, where the school seeks to have 80% of special ed students in general education classes 80% of the time. They have seen more social-emotional-behavioral health needs in the post-COVID era. The percentage of students with special education support is steady at 17%, but some cohorts have higher or lower numbers, so resources shift as those cohorts move through the grades. They provide special education services to home-schooled and private school students.

In the financial report, enrollment is down but adequate to support the budget for the remainder of the school year. Tax proceeds have been coming in; a fuller picture will be available at the May meeting. Once the governor signs the final budget, the schools will hear the amounts they will get from the state in about three weeks. They will prepare the preliminary budget in May and June and must submit the final budget to the state by July 31. They are still trying to figure out what the impact of federal funding will be on staffing next year. They will be transitioning to a new finance and data management system in late November.

The board approved resolutions on reduced certificated employees for the 2025-2026 school year and surplus items. The state athletic association approved girls football as a sport and has new rules allowing transfer students more event participation.

Friday Harbor Town Council, regular meeting of May 1

The County manager gave a brief update on the May 12 County Council meeting agenda which will have a review of the utility element of the Comp Plan and an update on opioid settlements.

Town Public Works Director Jesse Douglas-Seitz told the Council that its light pole supplier has changed its design, so the new poles being ordered for Nash Street will not match the ones on other blocks but should reduce the lighting intensity as requested by residents as well or better than the older design.

After executive sessions on collective bargaining and to review an applicant for public employment, the Council approved a labor contract with the Guild of Pacific Northwest Employees for 2025-2027 with no further discussion. An ordinance to ordain salaries for appointed Town employees was tabled until the May 15 meeting.

Town Administrator Denice Kulseth reported that the wastewater treatment project was out for bid. They will open the bids on May 22 or June 2 and hope to award a contract by June 5. The Council had already approved a bond note that will be issued through Savi Bank.

They need a council member to sit on the board of the Northwest Clean Air Agency as the largest municipality in the county. Barb Starr may be willing to do so. They will ask the agency director to join the next meeting via Zoom and clarify what the role entails.

A fourth water plant employee has been certified, so the plant now fully meets state standards. The Town got a Department of Health Loan for the fourth water filter and a portion of the loan will be forgiven, leaving a $2.9 million balance to be repaid at a 1.75% interest rate.

The legislative session ended with no cuts to the Public Works Fund which helps small towns and rural areas finance public works projects. The rules for Real Estate Excise Taxes 1 and 2 were conformed and both may be used for the same purposes. The 1% property tax increase cap was raised for schools but not for other entities.