Superintendent reports new buses and WASDA takeaways; student reps outline seven goals

Superintendent Dr. Redinger told the board one of the district’s five new buses arrived on Nov. 23 and that the fleet update includes standard heated driver seats and student air conditioning on the new vehicles. He said three additional special‑education buses are pending inspection by the Washington State Patrol in Spokane; transportation purchases were funded with state transportation dollars. Dr. Redinger described safety improvements intended to reduce L&I claims, including changes to the emergency‑brake release and an automatic set feature that activates if a driver leaves the seat.

Student representatives reported on sessions and ideas from the Washington State School Directors Association (WASDA) conference and presented seven goals for their advisory council: 1) represent more distinct student voices, 2) support and promote the levy, 3) improve advisory boards, 4) create lasting communication channels, 5) strengthen cross‑school connections, 6) prepare future student reps, and 7) increase transparency (including monthly student‑perspective board updates). Student reps suggested producing a student‑led video to support levy outreach and discussed possible coordination with neighboring districts.

Board members also briefed each other on sessions they attended at WASDA, including legal updates on discipline, model school improvement dashboards (Issaquah), inclusionary practices, and methods for tracking post‑graduation outcomes. Trustees discussed next steps for applying conference materials to district policy and requested staff follow‑ups where appropriate.

The board scheduled a town hall on the levy for next Tuesday at Libby Middle School at 6:30 p.m. to engage families and answer questions.