[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-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",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_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",6261743,"mediaKeyId","3120081-f4c6c5b622daddc0c2985210d6c288a8","parentId",3120081,"title","Southridge student urges Kennewick district not to cut AP biology and AP government courses","audioSeconds",122,"startMs",604000,"endMs",726000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3120081-f4c6c5b622daddc0c2985210d6c288a8&start=604&end=726","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3120081-f4c6c5b622daddc0c2985210d6c288a8/thumbnail_604000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6261743/Washington/Southridge-student-urges-Kennewick-district-not-to-cut-AP-biology-and-AP-government-courses","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261743-21815febbf9ddb4a884052aa26d70f12/orig.mp4?Expires=1770553408&Signature=mqVwFeY-FgXTHRwv1nCp4H1-rmLRvJFVLt5pMNjkVlYo-wsVBVrrYWQXUGfU3VgNeF0~aZJcnp~LFjGzfjkanfm9assUj-R~KFTvsj9YotGh~6JLxJ-oOLGN63zICzibelSwTsKMvi~xVxZ2w-s0Eyh1YkmpHbGmP0ZmxFVgueK6apdSXp5qyPILBzWlkhYArgkbNlggVyXAXm~VEvOCI24hGIrFPJwE8PS1XBHvq-ScN~FnXurvD19QEOJ9gzuYCgxhg09otBXNntw65oYeyjXneNljnIUj5p01GUkN4lQQMnxYHmArxz7hJx23vhZwJxugAtto2fwZuIxupC1yzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Kennewick School District, WA","date","2025-04-25T05:58:50.747Z","article","Angel Joshi, a student at Southridge High School, addressed the board during the public-comment portion to urge the district to keep Advanced Placement courses such as AP biology and AP government and to allow internship credit for a local hospital program she named. Joshi said AP classes are “more than just weighted grades or college credit” and that eliminating them “removes a critical path for students interested in science” and could disproportionately affect students who “thrive only in academic environments.”

Joshi also said a local hospital internship program (named in her remarks) does not currently yield district credit, which she said blocks “one of the most valuable hands-on learning experiences available to us in the Tri-Cities area.” She asked the board to reconsider the cuts and explore alternative solutions.

Superintendent Dr. Gabe Pierce responded from the dais, saying, \"Abs absolutely. I will look into this tomorrow and get some information and find out more.\" No budgetary or program decisions were made at the meeting; the matter was recorded as a public comment and placed in the communications follow-up queue for staff review.

The board did not take action in response to the comment at this session; staff committed to report back with additional information.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Board Meeting: April 23, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A Southridge High School student told the board that proposed cuts to AP biology and AP government and limits on internship credit threaten rigorous opportunities; superintendent said he would follow up with information the next day.","taxTitle","Kennewick School District, School Districts, Washington","taxId",14814,"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},6261748,"Kennewick schools preview 2025–26 general fund: enrollment dip, staffing shifts and blanks pending Legislature",279,2977000,3256000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3120081-f4c6c5b622daddc0c2985210d6c288a8&start=2977&end=3256","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3120081-f4c6c5b622daddc0c2985210d6c288a8/thumbnail_2977000.jpg","/articles/6261748/Washington/Kennewick-schools-preview-202526-general-fund-enrollment-dip-staffing-shifts-and-blanks-pending-Legislature","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261748-0bba1f030a25928bba58f8a47b7724a3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770553408&Signature=lU~z60DUxCCvnVCRwvLu5OMuxzHlteDxR0otHW-9l75AkpBdXBVsVkR9QSrYsmNnUVGPO9VMn1NCEHiee4A4NPxcDum-ME3hIqrRdgi88py11z-nAIN9wjEAg-0Vzuw5Jkg4UKRhpARVIFffHHa~kNG5q7krThUbwFSpZlI4Pjtvz0szVOym61U4W2hSVMttWdqDZr3iND16pGO3RhkzwCn314PacbXi16QRQNPw9d7YFBYsx1gonxCHyC34cgBXp7sPriOCk-Qhjm0oCR0tjYb1WNCR04mE08KZwH~6dKv8DIDNIim0L0LtL5s9T85ECRjMBw-5sOJxJUyCE39qDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tom Brohart, a district staff member presenting the preliminary 2025–26 general-fund picture, told the board the district’s February 2025 adopted budget assumed a $5.5 million shortfall and that projections remain fluid while the state legislative session and assessor numbers are finalized.

Brohart said preliminary enrollment trends indicate a modest decline in basic education entitlement revenues, which he said equates roughly to a $300,000 drop in funding and approximates the loss of about 27 students; he cautioned that enrollment data move daily and the figure will be refined over the next month. He also said special-education enrollment fluctuates and that staff are projecting an estimated decrease but could not provide a firm number at this meeting.

On staffing, Brohart said the district is trending at budget overall but expects to reduce about 4.5 full-time equivalent K–5 positions through attrition for a projected savings of roughly $571,000. He said middle- and high-school staffing showed no net change at this stage, while some non-basic-education positions funded by federal or state grants were adjusted by 2.3 FTE (a projected $292,000 impact). Brohart also noted a projected increase in certificated/classified pools (overloads, extra periods, stipends and substitutes) of about $952,000 as a cautious planning estimate.

Brohart reviewed several MSOC (maintenance, supplies, operations and contingencies) line items that staff had updated with current vendor estimates: utilities were modeled as a 5% increase, property/casualty insurance around a 7% increase, curriculum-adoption expenditures (CKLA and related items) reflected $1.4 million in commitments, fleet costs and maintenance assumptions were adjusted modestly, and staff recommended holding a contingency of about $2.5 million pending final legislative action.

Board members asked clarifying questions about how the district models certificated pools and overloads, the timing of state apportionment changes and whether an altered apportionment schedule would require a contingency plan. Brohart said the district will pivot as needed when the state sets final apportionment and multiplier numbers and that next updates would appear at the May and June board meetings. He also reminded the board the legislative session ends next Sunday and that many funding items will be updated after that date.

No formal budget decisions were taken; staff will return with updated numbers for the May 21 and June 18 meetings.","District staff presented a preliminary general-fund update for 2025–26, noting an originally modeled $5.5 million gap, an estimated drop in basic education revenue tied to about 27 students (~$300,000), net reductions of 4.5 K–5 positions (attrition) and multiple figures still pending final legislative and assessor data.",{"_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},6261753,"Board renews Common Sense Media, adopts Be Internet Awesome and hears plan for AI guidance",766,5284000,6050000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3120081-f4c6c5b622daddc0c2985210d6c288a8&start=5284&end=6050","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3120081-f4c6c5b622daddc0c2985210d6c288a8/thumbnail_5284000.jpg","/articles/6261753/Washington/Board-renews-Common-Sense-Media-adopts-Be-Internet-Awesome-and-hears-plan-for-AI-guidance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261753-aa6b54f36bb379d54a2c0a32da9441df/orig.mp4?Expires=1770553408&Signature=T0bYKqQZEVoLjlVQGc0fluCbYSuaTuy2Q6Uwg5j8Zvm3yiL9K7qsAIOYFp4aM8T-a0peLjKwZetlbDBtrpGlmxr673QIlCaULGWR-FiNPRoe-0EtVov4d62SJB4SproEnB1-JgniFkfSrI1ci3FnKNK6gEkksICH0JV2smFZk5ZWksd0~o58p-xw1yvLdsFNxXV6t6kAT3btYVBl5c~zi7l4tolHLgjU5nMxdhjPqIck7iWly63h-pkd5fL3H3CayUmJ2AFHo4DEDd54vWKO4veWIDwe-T-UJEq2VU2PZpwHZuiCc7VOKdubwRnDrySqluXWQAgdEBSQFY6joNEtzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Alyssa St. Hilaire and the district instructional-technology team asked the board to renew Common Sense Media for districtwide digital-citizenship instruction (K–12) and to adopt Be Internet Awesome (K–6). The instructional materials committee recommended the renewals after district librarians, technology teachers and middle-school staff mapped age-appropriate digital-citizenship and media-literacy standards across grade bands.

St. Hilaire told the board the district will update its computer-use agreement into a more comprehensive acceptable-use procedure that the district plans to collect annually with student PowerSchool sign-ins. She said staff will ask students to acknowledge acceptable-use expectations and that the district will add emerging-technology language (including AI) to policy 23-13 so the policy remains future-proofed for new tools.

Teachers who piloted Be Internet Awesome and Common Sense Media reported grade-appropriate content, family guides and classroom resources. St. Hilaire said Common Sense Media’s materials were last fully reviewed in 2012 and needed updating; the district already uses portions of both programs and will formalize adoption and communications to families.

On artificial intelligence, staff summarized an emerging-technology stance: use AI as a teaching and learning tool when appropriate, ensure human oversight, train teachers to design assignments and prompts that preserve academic integrity, and offer training so teachers can use AI ethically and productively. Staff said they have run training cohorts funded by a PNNL (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) grant and plan a district-wide Google site of resources and more training over the summer and next school year.

After discussion the board voted 5–0 to renew Common Sense Media and to adopt Be Internet Awesome for K–6. The board directed staff to implement the updated acceptable-use procedures and to continue developing AI guidance and training for staff and students.","Board approved renewal of Common Sense Media (K–12) and adoption of Be Internet Awesome (K–6); staff outlined updated acceptable-use language, grade-level digital-citizenship maps and an AI guidance program for teachers and students.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6261758,"Board approves Accelerate Education as districtwide online-learning platform",1487,3780000,5267000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3120081-f4c6c5b622daddc0c2985210d6c288a8&start=3780&end=5267","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3120081-f4c6c5b622daddc0c2985210d6c288a8/thumbnail_3780000.jpg","/articles/6261758/Washington/Board-approves-Accelerate-Education-as-districtwide-online-learning-platform","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261758-1ec00cece1af446e4c1f8b660d6bed07/orig.mp4?Expires=1770553408&Signature=P-OrbT1v-8RyG8O3RYEIcRPwks1UBT4WUzLd9dxjjWEQIejQLUz2p9wyXnRPAaRX-6CdPpcPyXf6RQgBcuwkyb8ImsXJNj73HyOVuMQ~AQ8OklQdpB06GodbYl48bFLvE8KgX7vOoINNO95ujg-~AJbj4MumPO8Ivp7HNFG4mtsQJdAmZLG2rDx1u~L~YhBtbkX9Gy4yOsLdcTlQj8fvbtfjxltZ6wnrkF14FnxAbK4k5N5O4dnIyrYbHZpUN1xcMFzPFoX6vgoYs0v30wGOUf0kQ6jAbGVX85FMAKUtEbcczlLJe7-0oDV-4W1tWWt15l3EwjzzTo5fqT5T1BAEXQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Alyssa St. Hilaire, an instructional staff member who led the district’s two-year review of online programs, recommended the board adopt Accelerate Education as the district’s K–12 online-learning curriculum after pilots at McBee/Cascades/primary sites and at Endeavor High School and Southridge.

St. Hilaire told the board the district considered seven programs, narrowed the list to three, and piloted Accelerate in elementary grades 2–3 and in high-school settings for a quarter. Teachers and parents reported that Accelerate’s elementary materials included helpful print workbooks and that the program required students to “show their learning” with writing prompts and journals. High-school pilots showed “promising growth,” St. Hilaire said. She told the board the district expects annual costs to be similar to current providers — “right about the same” as the roughly $200,000 combined cost the district paid last year for Apex and FlexPoint — but with updated and more customizable content.

The board discussed implementation details including seat-license versus unlimited licensing options, advanced-placement offerings and how students not enrolled full-time at the district’s online academy would access courses on a part-time basis. Staff said seat licenses can provide access to Accelerate’s library, where a bank-of-seats model lets licensed students take multiple courses. For students taking a course for the first time online, staff said those courses would be delivered through the district’s online academy (Endeavor) and would require case-by-case supports to ensure success.

After the presentation the board voted to approve Accelerate Education as the district’s K–12 online-learning material. The roll call vote recorded yes votes from the five voting board members present: Mr. Connors; Dr. Miller; Ms. Gledhill; Mr. Valentine; and Mr. Galbraith. The student advisory member, Annie, cast an advisory vote in favor.","After a multi-year review and quarter-long pilot, the Kennewick School District Board approved Accelerate Education for K–12 online learning, with staff reporting similar estimated costs to current vendors and pilot feedback showing stronger content and customization.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6261763,"Kennewick School District delays major bus purchases pending low-emission rule clarity; votes not taken",750,1626000,2376000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3120081-f4c6c5b622daddc0c2985210d6c288a8&start=1626&end=2376","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3120081-f4c6c5b622daddc0c2985210d6c288a8/thumbnail_1626000.jpg","/articles/6261763/Washington/Kennewick-School-District-delays-major-bus-purchases-pending-low-emission-rule-clarity-votes-not-taken","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6261763-f6baa9e16a2bd0aec09ff411ecd0df40/orig.mp4?Expires=1770553408&Signature=NlDiIlUOHFaEXX-IPjMkspkAwqcExyskqL38qETduNNOY6q5jix8s4IRLaYkBGSE2AcUp0CJ06sMqOaifYJKBSStUI~Eq6lpvU3JRDN7SpCCXUTtt7SmlcceScIWSSniWbnWg-HYT908Da8qSXblozu0MWVD6TIuj1fCfPe1a3JZda4ttxu6dGhkPz6glZlUpTXqrFPish0o23MvtwNsUi-T-mjj5YCL7WqW2lzW4floaGuSOse8Yo~SjMal66OIkH5P6pfMqaLcituO01a0~9brEGmNLDeg~EStRrUBC7V3PRmmIAdn3vB8ejsRFBZ0JH0K6k57CfWmzQWGfaB~fQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","April Heiser, the district’s transportation director, told the Kennewick School District Board of Directors that the district transports roughly 10,678 students daily and logged nearly 1.3 million annual miles, and that the fleet presently includes 138 buses with nine additional vehicles on order for next year.

Heiser said the district has 15 air-conditioned buses now and will have 24 when current orders arrive; the district’s target is 25–30 air-conditioned buses to support summer-school routes. He also described the district’s current routing software as “antiquated,” saying dispatchers must redraw new housing and manually change speeds and idle times to keep stop times accurate. He urged the board to consider a routed-software replacement that includes live GPS, driver navigation tablets, and a parent app so families can see their child’s bus in real time.

The presentation put a potential recurring cost for routing software at roughly $120,000–$138,000 per year for the full fleet, with one vendor proposal near $1,000 per bus per year and another showing first-year charges near $200,000 followed by roughly $83,000–$88,000 in subsequent years. Heiser said the district currently pays about $6,800 annually for tech support for its existing system.

Heiser also summarized the district’s bus-purchase considerations under new low-emission laws. She described two regulatory drivers: the Advanced Clean Truck-type manufacturer mandates and a California Air Resources Board (CARB)-style regulation that requires manufacturers to meet a low-emission diesel engine standard with a stamp date; the district cannot currently order buses with a 2026 engine-stamp date because no diesel manufacturer meets the standard. She said manufacturers expect compliant diesel engines for delivery in 2027 and warned that some suppliers had stopped accepting diesel-bus orders for 2026 delivery. Heiser recommended that the board wait to place any major orders until (a) the state/OSPI/Ecology clarifies whether the rules will be lifted or (b) compliant engines become available, and that the board consider buying off the state bid later in the year if the laws are lifted.

Board members pressed on several points. Mr. Connors asked how much time dispatchers spend updating routes; Heiser said the desk team updates routes daily. Mr. Valentine described regional electric-grid constraints raised at a recent PUD commissioners meeting and questioned the feasibility of a large electric-bus rollout without major utility upgrades. Other board members and staff discussed potential operational savings from more efficient routing and the safety benefits of driver navigation tablets.

The district’s transportation-vehicle fund balance and cash flow were part of the presentation: after paying for the nine buses currently on order, Heiser said the fund would have about $275,000 remaining; a subsequent depreciation payment from the state would add roughly $1.4 million, leaving about $1.7 million available to support purchases in the future. He emphasized that the total-cost-of-ownership comparison OSPI and Ecology are developing would include infrastructure (charging stations) and maintenance over 13 years and would govern a requirement to buy electric buses when parity is reached.

The board discussed whether a formal vote was required at this meeting. Staff advised that the agenda item is typically the time to vote on a bus-purchase plan but that there is not yet an actionable plan to approve. The board did not take a purchase vote and signaled it would expect a recommendation back if conditions change.

Board members asked staff to return with more precise cost/efficiency calculations showing potential miles and fuel savings from improved routing software so the board could weigh operations savings against the recurring software cost.

The board did not take formal action to buy buses or software at this meeting; instead district staff were directed to monitor regulatory developments and pricing and to bring a purchase proposal to the board if the emission-rule landscape or vendor pricing changes.","District transportation director presented fleet size, mileage and a recommendation to wait on ordering new buses until Washington emission rules or manufacturer solutions are clearer; board discussed routing-software upgrades and parent app options but did not vote to purchase.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Southridge student urges Kennewick district not to cut AP biology and AP government courses

Kennewick schools preview 2025–26 general fund: enrollment dip, staffing shifts and blanks pending Legislature

Board renews Common Sense Media, adopts Be Internet Awesome and hears plan for AI guidance

Board approves Accelerate Education as districtwide online-learning platform

Kennewick School District delays major bus purchases pending low-emission rule clarity; votes not taken