Public commenters press board on Policy 14.40 changes and state-auditor allegations; board advances policy to second reading
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Summary
Public speakers urged the Evergreen board to preserve accessibility and transparency and urged investigations after commenters said the superintendent misstated auditor findings; the board voted to advance Policy 14.40 (minutes) to a second reading for further public input.
Dozens of community members and district employees used a three‑minute public‑comment period at the March 24 Evergreen School District meeting to criticize proposed revisions to Policy 14.40 (meeting minutes), press for investigations into alleged improper conduct, and call for protections for students and staff threatened by the budget plan.
Multiple commenters raised two interlocking concerns. First, speakers warned that revisions the board is considering to Policy 14.40—which the chair said were intended to align minutes policy with RCW 42.30.035’s audio-recording requirements—could reduce transparency and accessibility if adopted as written. Adam Aguilera (Evergreen Education Association) said disabling YouTube closed captions and removing transcripts would create “a digital blackout for deaf and hearing impaired constituents,” and argued such changes could violate Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the ADA final rule approaching its compliance deadline.
Second, several commenters alleged the superintendent made false or misleading statements about what the state auditor reviewed in the district’s FY24 accountability audit and urged the board to take investigatory or personnel steps. Camille Lohman said she provided the board with documents she said show the superintendent’s Feb. 10 public statements were inconsistent with records from the state auditor and asked the board to place the superintendent on administrative leave and open a formal investigation. Mindy Trofer Cooper (paraeducator, PSE president) and others pressed similar accountability concerns and said personnel and internal-controls issues from 2023 remain unresolved.
Board members discussed the policy’s language and accessibility issues. The chair said the proposed revisions are a first reading intended to bring the policy up to date with statutory requirements and noted that Policies 14.30 and 14.40 will be scheduled for another workshop. After discussion, the board voted to advance Policy 14.40 to a second reading; the chair said the motion carries and noted the advance will allow additional written public comment before the next meeting.
What happens next: Policy 14.40 will return for a second reading and vote at a subsequent meeting (the chair indicated April), and the public will be able to submit written comments during the intervening period. Several public commenters urged a separate investigative response to the auditor‑related allegations; the meeting record does not show the board taking that personnel action at this session.
Representative quotes from the meeting: “We are creating a digital blackout for deaf and hearing impaired constituents,” said Adam Aguilera. Camille Lohman told the board, “You now have evidence from the state auditor and the superintendent’s public statements on February 10 were false.”
