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Edmonds parent committee, city and library officials say Indigenous students are undercounted in district records
Summary
Parents and community partners told Mountlake Terrace's DEI commission that federal Title VI enrollment in the Edmonds School District is far lower than expected and that paperwork barriers, tribal enrollment gaps and staff turnover are limiting eligible students' access to services.
Parents and community partners told the Mountlake Terrace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission on a June meeting that federal Title VI enrollment in the Edmonds School District is likely far lower than the number shown in district records, limiting access to federal services for American Indian and Alaska Native students.
"Right now, there's 67 kids in the district that are registered for title 6 services," said Jen Herman, co-chair of the Edmonds School District Indigenous Education Parent Committee. "When you look at the data, there should be probably 450, at least."
The committee said the gap stems from multiple problems: families not seeing or keeping the enrollment paperwork, hesitancy to complete forms because of historic harms and distrust of government systems, different tribal-enrollment rules (especially for Alaska Natives who can be enrolled in corporations rather than tribes), and recent staff turnover that interrupted outreach. Herman told commissioners the district recently lost its Title VI coordinator about a month before graduation week, which limited contact with students and families at a key time.
Why it matters: Title VI funds support culturally specific programs and a Title VI coordinator position in the district. Parents and advocates said the low recorded enrollment means fewer students are visible in district data and fewer resources are targeted where they might be needed.
Commissioners and staff discussed next steps. Carolyn Hope, deputy city manager and staff liaison to the commission, said the city wants to learn how to support outreach and engagement in planning and communications. Council member Erin Murray, the council liaison to the DEI commission, thanked the group for their volunteer work and said city liaisons can help identify connection points with events and youth programs: "I appreciate...the work and the volunteer hours that go in, you know, to these efforts around inclusion," Murray said.
Parents and committee members described specific outreach tactics they are pursuing: partnering with community groups such as the Urban Native Education Alliance to reach graduates, having district staff and parent volunteers use phone lists to contact families, and asking the district to simplify or clarify directions on federal enrollment forms so families better understand the purpose and benefits of filing.
The committee also emphasized inclusion beyond strict Title VI eligibility: families who identify as Indigenous but are not enrolled in a federally recognized tribe or corporation still want to be counted in community supports and invited to programs.
Ending: Commissioners said the discussion identified clear follow-ups: improving school-to-family communications about Title VI eligibility, exploring how city and library partners can assist outreach, and convening more meetings with the parent committee to plan public events and registration drives.
