[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6268859,"mediaKeyId","3048792-8b3eec1c739d3494d8ed22c761ea47d1","parentId",3048792,"title","Yakima School Board approves reduction in force; district to notify 97 staff, board cites $6.2 million in savings","audioSeconds",3044,"startMs",3207000,"endMs",6251000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048792-8b3eec1c739d3494d8ed22c761ea47d1&start=3207&end=6251","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048792-8b3eec1c739d3494d8ed22c761ea47d1/thumbnail_3207000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6268859/Washington/Yakima-School-Board-approves-reduction-in-force-district-to-notify-97-staff-board-cites-62-million-in-savings","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268859-cc6795dc8976c7ec4d27c230c88fd8a3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164996&Signature=EBUoDtW4mzlKi7iHmlzK86ODJzBIaWBuFjBxb0hyUdaZO0eODpfOXnDqv8XmH3b~xeyg70BuTjwq6BowQFHT4AXpnnoIay5hxFBqwYL5niFQaHf0TFPzJluC4JD3a87zlqNIqnX84z402H-AOZKk9P5SZuk4JQ5lwCuIG8l6vIy8Y-UVSUpgEcFYPXyl~2JBfjsxMd0kBcdulzkuzdjWb2kd3-hsxWiFzSMZL6RDIDlW8Uoku1-xqR70kh33BdirG59VebBS4Mc4zKCgY9lPBxqpelgcypa4F5gQklms-E4mTOOAVgWYtAXwQjpr3~yfDU~YA4kJmuiVeBkm22z~tw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Yakima School District, WA","date","2025-04-18T08:51:03.857Z","article","The Yakima School Board on April 15 approved Resolution O6.24 0.25, authorizing a proposed reduction in force for program services in the 2025–26 school year. The motion passed on a roll-call vote, 4-0, with Directors Walker, Navarro Jr., Rice and President Beckett voting yes; Vice President Villanueva was excused.

District finance staff told the board the board action would generate about $6.2 million in budget savings and would result in roughly 43 positions being reduced, with 97 employees receiving formal notification. Officials said the proposed staffing impact totals about 47.8 full-time equivalents, described in the presentation as approximately 42.8 certificated FTE and 5 classified FTE.

Why it matters: District leaders said the reductions respond to a multi-year decline in enrollment and ongoing uncertainty in state and federal funding. The board’s action is intended to add modestly to the district’s unreserved fund balance and stabilize monthly cash flow after prior short-term borrowing.

In presenting the resolution, a district finance official said the cuts are painful but necessary. “These are not easy meetings for anybody, particularly those impacted,” the official said. The district cited a nearly 10% enrollment decline since 2017–18 and said staffing levels remain above what enrollment would justify. The finance presentation included a conservative model of legislative and pension funding changes and called for measured adjustments to protect liquidity.

Human resources staff described the timeline and recall process should the board approve the resolution. “If you are on the RIF list, this does not mean your job is lost,” Kim Newell, director of HR for certificated staff, told the room, outlining an in‑building posting period followed by unassigned-pool placement and an extended two‑year recall right for affected employees.

Public comment at the meeting focused heavily on the impact to librarians, classroom supports and student services. A number of speakers asked the board to preserve classroom-facing positions. “That relationship started on the first day of school. It will go all the way through the school year,” said Duff DeWitt, a teacher and YEA bargaining chair, describing the bond between students and a secondary librarian who is slated for reduction.

Board members asked district staff to explain which staffing categories were proposed for reduction and whether nurses, building administrators or paraeducators were affected. District staff said nurses and building administrators were not part of the reductions and that paraeducators were not scheduled for districtwide cuts in this round. The financial presentation said the proposed reductions are concentrated in enrollment-driven certificated staffing at the comprehensive high schools, secondary librarians (four middle schools and two comprehensive high schools), a small set of specialist positions at elementary schools and a five‑FTE classified reduction tied to the district’s online program staffing.

What happens next: District staff said that if the board’s motion took effect, building administrators would deliver RIF letters starting the day after the meeting; in‑building postings for any eliminated positions would then be open for three days to allow current staff to apply. The district will move through an internal reassignments process before executing recalls. Staff said they expect resignations and retirements during the summer to reduce actual impacts and that they had recalled most staff affected by last year’s reductions.

The board and administration framed the decision as one made amid significant fiscal uncertainty. The district’s presentation listed federal ESSER and other pandemic-era funding that previously reduced the need for general-fund spending on technology and staffing; the presenter said those funding streams have largely ended. Officials listed major revenue risks still unresolved at the state and federal level, including levy equalization, pension contribution rates and material/supply funding (MSOCs).

Ending note: The district indicated it would update the board if legislative action materially changes the revenue outlook and could reduce the need for some of the proposed reductions. For now, board members approved the resolution to begin the formal RIF and recall process and to implement the staffing reductions outlined in the documents provided to the board.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Yakima School District Board Meeting April 15th, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Yakima School Board on April 15 approved Resolution O6.24 0.25, authorizing a proposed reduction in force for the 2025–26 school year, with the motion passing 4-0.","taxTitle","Yakima School District, School Districts, Washington","taxId",14816,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6268850,"District outlines school counseling expansion, community partnerships and rollout of School Links planning tool",335,6387000,6722000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048792-8b3eec1c739d3494d8ed22c761ea47d1&start=6387&end=6722","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048792-8b3eec1c739d3494d8ed22c761ea47d1/thumbnail_6387000.jpg","/articles/6268850/Washington/District-outlines-school-counseling-expansion-community-partnerships-and-rollout-of-School-Links-planning-tool","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268850-30047dfa51a091c149bef771eb30c7bb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164996&Signature=Bo17bah40jcfYem7sebsu3u2gG2JoAjv45YpOfNQTVAFPjgsCiPE7Y20VpIwOcyAZsP78uRv6Yw-rVMvFJaZwr~9z3iwYbRdM55JWPvD7MP83rYQV20j-TXN5AgOmRwFQvgbdoA9DMJ1V8ZB9leO2~IKgf475lg1dpYoxrynw2Vewb79v7C~gD9nr726kyrMXR9a~UrGI8EPDV~ClrD3dKRgu1we3ff9pLIL0emGUkAqZNb5BaTTjWhrzEXaIWpqvFzzBQXoAwcqOeOTLTgqwEjUeRsGWfjQF7YaIiYSprqyrzVsYu9LywPzjcG1jpNywxBKUNk5iShiwjGPqQpfOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District student‑services staff on April 15 updated the Yakima School Board on efforts to strengthen school counseling programs, expand community partnerships and prepare for statewide post‑secondary planning requirements.

Executive Director Omar Santoy and colleagues described two core counseling initiatives: building professional learning teams to align counseling practice and expanding supports for the whole student, with an emphasis on mental‑health connections and family engagement. “We are proud of the relationships that we've built and that we continue to build with our community,” Santoy said during the presentation.

Presenters described local partnerships with about 30 businesses and multiple professional agencies, including the regional ESD 105 and organizations that provide mental and physical health services, homelessness and food‑security support. The report singled out faith‑based partners at Davis High School for daily, consistent presence and student outreach; Davis Principal Dr. Heather Hastie (Hastie Yullery in the transcript) described volunteers who greet students at arrival and support activities such as tutoring, dances and guest talks. “If you ever come to our building in the mornings, Donnie is out there greeting kids every day and, like, without fail,” she said.

District staff also outlined implementation of School Links, the state’s universal high‑school “high school and beyond” plan platform established under House Bill 5243. Counselors will use the platform for career pathway exploration, graduation‑requirement tracking and college‑readiness planning; staff plan full rollout in the 2025–26 school year and ongoing counselor training. The district also described strengthening dual‑credit partnerships with Central Washington University to clarify distinctions among College in the High School, Running Start, AP and IB, and to address eligibility and cost questions for families.

At the elementary level, district counselors are building professional learning communities and conducting needs assessments to guide social‑emotional learning (SEL). Staff said counselors focus on tiered supports: teachers deliver universal, Tier 1 SEL through classroom instruction while counselors provide Tier 2 small‑group and Tier 3 individual interventions, and they referenced OSPI social‑emotional standards as guidance for those efforts.

Board members asked about delivery methods and tiered intervention structures; staff said counseling supports would begin as early as grades 7–8 for pathway exploration and use advisory classes, counselor meetings and School Links planning tools at the secondary level.

Ending note: The board thanked staff for the presentation and noted a statewide recognition and upcoming presentation where Davis staff will share the district’s faith‑based partnership work. Administrators said they would return with implementation updates, counselor action plans and dual‑credit participation numbers for board review.","District officials gave a report on districtwide school counseling initiatives, stronger community and faith‑based partnerships, and plans to implement School Links (required by state law) in 2025–26; Davis High School highlighted weekly faith‑based presence that staff said supports student engagement and wellbeing.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6268855,"School board approves $1.42 million to replace student and staff laptops as one-time funding ends",119,6252000,6371000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048792-8b3eec1c739d3494d8ed22c761ea47d1&start=6252&end=6371","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048792-8b3eec1c739d3494d8ed22c761ea47d1/thumbnail_6252000.jpg","/articles/6268855/Washington/School-board-approves-142-million-to-replace-student-and-staff-laptops-as-one-time-funding-ends","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6268855-5a5a3da380ad8f7c7f79d6e054c9b422/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164996&Signature=DMqNFSq4OTaEEAvSOZmzxernBOcwJOaLHR6jVjAIpk4gF4hT6elQ8RxKniW2eXFE-4lm9d~YBN6caiAbN3SWsh2RPbnz1hBHf2m2m7aWnNo1YnfxQYk8EkWqiwjrYt-bVuDyZsV4jC2nnCpbUi4f4xERJvdwQ0iEdy000a0le2whyB8mwuRLfH8fYNIQRFqnHr8BgJbsNTcPNG7UPUrB-jzSiAfXD9LC5cAOvEuHjwmMKrbBt7k2KBhzaC8Nvh0JG3lVHRQX6WQMJkeIEbsJm-dl0hVy2mLTNGJCUz8YZB3aJH9J7urJDF8Auq3tSnZOKiBDPh1kfazuCpCwtix~9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Yakima School Board on April 15 approved a purchase of student and staff technology devices, authorizing the district to spend $1,421,089.69 under an interlocal purchasing agreement with Dell to meet its scheduled replacement cycle.

District finance staff told the board that in recent years federal ESSER funding, E‑Rate subsidies and other temporary sources had reduced the general-fund cost of student devices; “those times have come to an end, and so we need now to begin to purchase laptops out of the general fund,” a district finance official said during the presentation.

The action is a multi‑year replacement approach, staff said; the board moved and seconded the item and approved it by voice vote. Board members did not request further detail during the meeting; staff noted district technology purchases would come from the general fund going forward rather than one-time federal or grant funding.

Ending note: Staff told the board they had reviewed procurement options and recommended using the recognized interlocal contract with Dell to expedite acquisition and leverage pricing; the purchase passed by voice vote and will move forward under the district’s procurement procedures.","The Yakima School Board approved a $1,421,089.69 purchase of student and staff technology devices using an interlocal purchasing agreement with Dell to support the district's device replacement cycle; staff said one-time federal/e-rate funding that subsidized earlier purchases has largely ended.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Yakima School Board approves reduction in force; district to notify 97 staff, board cites $6.2 million in savings

District outlines school counseling expansion, community partnerships and rollout of School Links planning tool

School board approves $1.42 million to replace student and staff laptops as one-time funding ends