Board accepts OE‑2 monitoring report; staff note data breach and ask follow‑up on belonging trends

The Issaquah School Board voted Oct. 9 to accept the district’s 2024–25 monitoring report for Operational Expectation 2 (treatment of people). Assistant Superintendent Jacqueline Downey presented data showing high levels of reported safety and adult support—elementary students reported 80%+ rates of feeling safe and cared for—but the report also documented one exception: a breach in which a student accessed a staff document containing student information. That incident was contained and families notified per state law, the presentation said.

Downey summarized district supports tied to social‑emotional learning, counseling programs, universal design for learning, and family‑engagement structures such as PTSA collaboration and multilingual outreach. The presentation highlighted strong student responses on academic expectations and belonging at the high school level but noted a concerning decline in sense‑of‑belonging metrics among middle‑school respondents that staff said warrants further inquiry.

Board members asked for disaggregated data and follow‑up: why participation rates vary by school for some surveys (e.g., lower response at Issaquah High compared with Skyline) and what might explain declines in middle‑school belonging and related perception measures about whether students feel they can share opinions in class. Staff said they will investigate building‑level differences and follow up with principals to understand root causes and potential interventions.

The board moved to accept the monitoring report; the meeting record shows the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Directors also asked staff to provide parent perception data and to explore options to increase family engagement at secondary levels.