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Board confronts levy deadline and limited budget options; district secures $250,000 Foundry 10 grant for varsity and JV athletics
Summary
Board members debated salary schedule options and the optics of raises while the district prepares for a possible November levy (notification deadline Aug. 4). Separately the board approved a $250,000 Foundry 10 grant to preserve varsity and junior varsity athletics for 2026–27.
In the business portion of the June 25 meeting, administration reminded the board that a decision to run a levy in November requires notification by August 4. Because of that deadline, the board was asked to consider levy timing and whether to act at the July 16 meeting or call a special meeting before August 4.
Administration presented Policy 5310, which covers salary schedules for certificated administrators, classified administrators and non‑represented staff. Staff presented four options: allow eligible employees to move up one step on their salary schedules; move up one step plus 1%; move up one step plus 2%; or move up a step and apply IPD (an inflationary adjustment ~2.6%). The superintendent’s salary was recommended to remain unchanged. Presenters noted district financial constraints and said higher increases would be difficult.
Board members engaged in an extended debate about the tradeoffs between giving raises and making program cuts, with concerns about staff turnover if raises are not provided and counterarguments that raises could harm the district's levy prospects. One board member urged treating the lowest‑paid non‑represented staff separately because they are the most financially vulnerable.
On a different agenda item, the board voted to accept a $250,000 grant from Foundry 10 to support junior varsity and varsity athletics in 2026–27. Administration said the grant will help preserve coaching stipends and maintain varsity/JV opportunities at a time when the district is operating without a local levy and navigating budget reductions. "This grant will help preserve athletic opportunities for students across multiple programs," the administration read from the grant announcement.
Operations and finance items approved during the meeting included vouchers and payroll, multiple routine interlocal agreements (Puget Sound ESD), acceptance of community gifts, and various capital project updates. Operations staff reported a Department of Commerce contract for roughly $650,000 to replace LED lighting at the high school and outlined a plan for lead‑fixture testing and phased remediation at district sites.
The board approved motions on personnel, gifts and interlocal participation, and accepted the Foundry 10 grant. Several votes were recorded as passed; some items recorded a single opposition in the meeting transcript without roll‑call tallies.
The district will continue to provide data for forthcoming levy decisions and asked the board to review salary‑schedule options in advance of contract deadlines and the levy notification timeline.
