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Mercer Island board studies in-school SAT option; staff flag staffing, space and technical hurdles
Summary
District staff told the Mercer Island School Board that offering the SAT as a school-day administration would require more proctors, rooms, and paid staff time than the district currently has available; board members asked for comparative data from neighboring districts and for cost and capacity estimates before any decision.
The Mercer Island School District Board discussed whether to offer the SAT in school and what that would require after staff described logistical, staffing and technical constraints at a study session.
District staff noted two distinct delivery models: Saturday administrations, which by College Board rules must be open to the public, and in-school administrations on a regular school day, which the board could manage as it does for the PSAT. Staff said Saturday administrations historically attract relatively few Mercer Island students and are difficult to staff and control; in one previous Saturday administration the district estimated that fewer than 10% of test-takers at the site were Mercer Island students.
Why it matters: proponents say in-school testing can reduce travel barriers and let students take a high-stakes test in a familiar environment, which some parents and board members told the meeting they prefer. Opponents and staff cautioned that running the SAT during a school day requires more proctors, additional rooms or use of noninstructional spaces, and extra administrative time that would either have to be paid for or taken from existing professional-development and instructional time.
Staff described specific pressures related to modern test administration: the College Board’s move to digital delivery requires additional technical setup and increases proctor training requirements; extended-time accommodations substantially lengthen testing windows and require extra proctors; and existing state-funded professional-development days are earmarked for other work, making it difficult to use those blocks for test proctor training.
Several board members suggested alternatives while the district gathers data: partner with a neighboring district that administers an in-school SAT (board members mentioned Bellevue, Lake Washington and Newport High School as local comparators), provide transportation to larger nearby test sites, or offer vouchers or targeted financial help so students can register and travel on their own. Staff also proposed surveying parents and students to quantify demand and to request detailed cost and staffing numbers from neighboring districts that run the in-school option.
Debbie Hansen, the high school’s assessment coordinator, was cited by staff as saying she mostly hears complaints from students and families who did not register early for public Saturday tests. District staff committed to gather comparative data from nearby districts, prepare estimates of proctor and room needs, and return with a cost estimate and options for the board to consider.
No formal decision was made; the board asked staff to return with the requested data and to outline potential funding and scheduling options.
