Yakima School District outlines counseling partnerships, course‑planning pilot and $200 million bond details

At the April 21 Yakima School Board meeting, district executives presented multiple administrative updates: a report on partnerships and counseling work, a multi‑year course‑planning rollout, teacher feedback on district assessments, and a detailed bond and budget briefing.

Omar Santoy, executive director of student services, said the district works with more than 30 faith‑based and community partners (including DCYF, DSHS, Salvation Army and Catholic Charities) to provide wraparound supports such as housing assistance and behavioral‑health services. Assistant Director Sean Arminsky described Professional Learning Community (PLC) work with 13 elementary counselors that uses social‑emotional screening data aligned to state standards to identify needs and design interventions.

Gabe Stoz, director of career and technical education, described a district effort to build a course planner aligned to 24 graduation credits and to pilot the system in 2026‑27 with incoming ninth graders, students with IEPs or 504 plans, multilingual learners and midyear transfers. Stoz noted the pilot will inform a districtwide launch in 2027‑28, when the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction requires four‑year course planning in schools.

Finance staff summarized bond outreach and timelines. Jake Cooper said the bond package is $200 million with roughly a $20 million state match and estimated the tax increase at approximately $0.79 per $1,000 of assessed value — about $21 per month for the average home. Cooper outlined major projects (Hoover and Garfield elementary rebuilds), sequencing (design then construction, roughly a year to get to dirt on larger projects), and public‑input requirements for design phases. He also described enrollment decline impacts and noted the district projects a mid‑year decline that could reduce revenue substantially.

Superintendent Green framed the bond and partnerships in the context of state funding disparities, saying the district would have roughly $4 million more if funded at rates comparable to the state’s largest districts; he urged continuing legislative outreach. ‘‘Earning a state title not only reflects your talent on the court, but also the hard work, teamwork, discipline, and determination of athletes and coaching staff,’’ Green read from a letter congratulating Davis High School’s coach — illustrating how the district blends recognition and policy updates.

Teachers also presented concerns about the district’s end‑of‑module math assessments. Jennifer Hernandez and colleagues said the assessments sometimes misalign with SBA priority standards, that many teachers lack recent item‑spec training, and that testing windows and cumulative assessment schedules are producing student and teacher fatigue. The presenters cited survey results indicating students may be tested in class every 3–6 days across content areas and that 70% of teachers reported entering assessment data outside of contracted time; they asked the board to involve more teachers in tool selection and to consider reintroducing content experts to assist with assessment development.

Board action during the meeting included routine approvals: the consent agenda and an annual resolution delegating authority to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, both approved unanimously. The bond will be decided by voters on April 28, 2026; board members did not take final public action on course‑planner procurement or assessment tool changes that night.