Shoreline board debates formal proclamation process amid requests on gun violence and boarding-school recognition

Board officers presented a proposed process for issuing proclamations at the Shoreline School District Board of Directors' June meeting, saying they want clarity on when the board should formally proclaim awareness days or observances and what district actions should accompany any proclamation.

The officers said the proposal would require officers to check proclamation requests against district guiding documents (the strategic plan, existing policies and resolutions) and to identify accompanying actions for each proclamation so the board avoids "performative proclamations," as one officer put it.

The proposed process was presented alongside two standing requests. The first would recognize the first Friday in June as Gun Violence Awareness Day; board officers said that request has come to the board repeatedly. The second would recognize Sept. 30 as Boarding School Recognition and Reconciliation Day and would tie into the district's implementation of curriculum addressing the history and impacts of boarding schools.

Directors raised questions about scope and staff capacity. Director Williams praised the work on a proposed process but warned against increasing board time on symbolic actions. Superintendent Reyes said the district already has related resolutions and curriculum work in place that could link to some proclamations and cautioned that some requests could impose additional workload. "There could also be some additional components and additional requests that may or may not be completely feasible in the face of the time constraints that we're facing," Superintendent Reyes said.

Board members discussed the political dimensions of proclamations and the need to limit proclamations to matters clearly within the district's purview. One board director urged a "high threshold of necessity" for advancing proclamation requests and cautioned against making proclamations a routine part of board business. Student Representative Frayn said time management is a concern and expressed preference for maintaining focus on policy over symbolic items: "...if we're getting, like, too, like, caught up with, like, all that instead of, like, actual policy. Like, that's just kind of, like, my concern," Frayn said.

Officers said they will refine the proposed process to include recommended actions that could accompany proclamations, consult with requesters, and return with an update at the next meeting. No formal vote was taken; officers said a proclamation that is "a proclamation of the board" should be placed on the calendar for first and second readings, while urgent items could be proclaimed by the superintendent on the district's behalf if time does not permit full board consideration.