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Board reviews pared‑down interlocal with city and considers fee and course adjustments
Summary
Superintendent presented a trimmed interlocal agreement formalizing shared stewardship of Military Hill Park and Sunnyside Gymnasium; staff also proposed 2026–27 fee schedule changes (some class fee increases and reductions) and new course offerings to expand student pathways.
The Pullman School District board reviewed an updated interlocal agreement with the City of Pullman that pares down previous language and specifically formalizes shared use and maintenance terms for jointly operated facilities including Military Hill Park (tennis courts, Quan fields) and Sunnyside Gymnasium.
"The interlocal agreement between Pullman School District and the City of Pullman formalizes our collaborative partnership to maximize the use of school property," Superintendent Bob said. He said the document is shorter than prior versions; while Sunnyside Gym terms remain unchanged, the schedule clarifies which entity maintains which facilities.
On district programs and costs, administrators presented proposed 2026–27 fee schedule adjustments and course approvals. Pullman High School proposed several fee changes (for example, SkillsUSA/engineering fees from $10 to $30 and an art class increase from $20 to $25), a reduction for JSA (formerly politics and debate) from $20 to $5, and removal of redundant zero‑fee listings. Staff noted that under the state waiver described in the meeting as "house bill 16 60," students who qualify for free and reduced lunch would have fees covered by the district; staff reported roughly mid‑30% free/reduced eligibility and said the district absorbs costs for qualifying students.
School administrators also proposed new or reinstated courses to expand pathways and retain students at the high school: Careers in Health Care (to partner with local hospital), Interior Design, and a College Statistics course offered as College in the High School credit; reinstated offerings include Sports Medicine and Earth & Space. Administrators said they target minimum enrollments in the mid‑20s to low‑30s to run courses and are adding semester‑length options to reduce scheduling bottlenecks.
Action taken: earlier in the meeting the board approved revisions to the board operating protocols (Policy 1101 f1) as an action item and the consent agenda was approved by unanimous voice vote; the interlocal and fee/course proposals were presented as discussion items and will return for action as needed.
Why it matters: The interlocal clarifies shared responsibilities for common facilities used by both the city and the district; fee and course changes affect student access to curricular and extracurricular programs and interact with eligibility waivers for low‑income students.
What’s next: Staff will bring policy language or action items back to the board for votes where required, and administrators will continue course registration and planning for the 2026–27 year.
