Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Board Decisions topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Yakima School Board approves Madrid exchange pilot, 2025‑26 instructional calendar and two governance policy ratings
Summary
At the Feb. 3 meeting the Yakima School Board approved a pilot student exchange to Madrid, accepted the 2025‑26 instructional calendar and approved ratings for two governance policies; motions carried as announced by the board president.
The Yakima School Board voted Feb. 3 to approve an international exchange pilot to Madrid, adopt the 2025‑26 instructional calendar and ratify ratings for two board governance policies, the board announced at the meeting’s conclusion.
The board approved a pilot exchange organized by Pursue Education that would send seven students, one adult chaperone and one adult volunteer to Madrid, Spain, March 30–April 12, 2025. The vendor will place students with host families; families have provided the program funding and the vendor offered a discounted pilot rate, the district said. A motion to approve the travel was moved and seconded and the chair called the motion carried.
The board also approved the 2025‑26 instructional calendar as presented by Deputy Superintendent Stacy Locke. Locke told the board the proposed calendar has no fiscal impact and complies with state basic‑education requirements under RCW 28A.150.220. A board member asked the board to note that a 180‑day school year remains insufficient to meet student learning goals, but the calendar motion was approved as presented.
In policy governance business the board approved ratings for Policy 1000.3.0.8 (Cost of Governance) and Policy 1000.3.0.9 (Process for Addressing Board Member Violations). Staff reported each policy review returned compliant ratings and the board moved and seconded approval; the chair announced the motions carried.
What the votes mean: the Madrid trip is a pilot and will be funded by participating families (not district general funds); the calendar approval establishes the school year schedule for 2025‑26 as compliant with state statute; the policy ratings represent the board’s periodic governance review and do not enact new operational policy changes.
Board members did not provide detailed roll‑call tallies on the public record beyond the chair calling the motions carried. The record shows motions were moved and seconded and the chair called the votes in the affirmative.
Details of each action taken at the Feb. 3 meeting appear below:
