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Eatonville approves New Beginnings reengagement plan; district seeks counseling support
Summary
Board approved the ESD New Beginnings School Improvement Plan; staff described program eligibility, low enrollment, and planned grant requests for counselor support to reengage credit‑deficient students served through Grad Alliance.
The Eatonville School District board on Tuesday approved the school improvement plan (SIP) for its New Beginnings dropout‑reengagement program and heard staff outline goals to raise diploma and reenrollment rates for students served through the program.
Amy, the New Beginnings presenter, told trustees New Beginnings operates as an Open Doors reengagement program under state law and partners with Grad Alliance to deliver coursework and case management. “New Beginnings is the school,” she said, “and then we contract with Grad Alliance.” She emphasized program eligibility rules: students generally must be at least 16 by Sept. 1 of the school year they enter and must be “significantly credit deficient” — for example, 25 percent behind as juniors and 40 percent behind as seniors.
That eligibility requirement, staff said, concentrates students who already face multiple barriers into the reengagement program and helps explain why many Open Doors programs are designated for improvement statewide. Eatonville staff said New Beginnings had 19 students at the time the SIP was drafted, rising to 21 by the meeting, with several additional students in process. The district said its typical New Beginnings enrollment averages about 30 students in a school year.
The SIP sets two central goals for the program: increase the percentage of students earning a high‑school diploma through New Beginnings or transferring to a technical high‑school program (target from 26.2% to 60% on a small cohort) and improve reenrollment of students dropped for nonparticipation. Amy said staff have already taken steps to intensify outreach — “intentional contact with the parent, the student” and the use of district text messaging to reach families who do not answer calls. She stressed that small cohort sizes mean that a handful of students can materially change program percentages.
As part of implementation, the district will apply for tiered improvement grants tied to its improvement status. Amy said one requested use of funding would be to add a dedicated counselor position to the program to address students’ social‑emotional and basic needs; many students attend weekly in person at a Grad Alliance meetup location and transportation is the family responsibility. The SIP also documents early successes with more intentional contact and dashboard monitoring of students' course completions.
Discussion (options and direction): trustees asked for a midyear SIP check‑in and staff agreed to provide a progress update, and several trustees suggested scheduling a Grad Alliance work study session for the board so members can hear the provider’s model and tools firsthand.
Formal actions: the board approved the New Beginnings SIP (motion moved, seconded, vote recorded as “aye,” motion carries). Staff will pursue grant funding and return with a midyear progress report.
