Southeast Island School District board approves FY2025 budget revision, policy updates and cultural education MOU

At its Jan. 15, 2025 regular meeting, the Southeast Island School District Board of Education unanimously approved a series of business items including a FY2025 budget revision, multiple board policy updates, personnel and extracurricular contract actions, and a cultural education Memorandum of Understanding with the Organized Village of Kasaan.

The board adopted the published agenda and approved the consent agenda, which included the Nov. 20, 2024 regular meeting minutes, the January 2025 financial report, a FY2025 teacher contract addendum for Matthew Gore, classified employment for Thomas Harden, Chloe Vasquez and Ryan Weaver, and extracurricular contracts for Sharlet Collins, Melvin Cook, Michelle Dempsey, Melissa Dougherty and Robert Houck. The consent agenda passed on a recorded vote (Board Vote: Yea 5; Nay 0; Student Representative Vote: Yea 1; Nay 0).

On business items the board recorded the following outcomes:

• FY2025 budget revision — Motion to approve the FY2025 budget revision passed unanimously (Board Vote: Yea 5; Nay 0; Student Representative Vote: Yea 1; Nay 0).

• Board policy updates and renumbering — The board approved motions to adopt or move multiple policies (BP 1114, BP 1120, BP 1140, BP 1150, BP 1220, BP 1230, BP 1240, BP 1250 [previously BP 1240 Volunteer Assistance], removal of BP 1245, and moving BP 5131.6 and BP 6146.1 to second reading). These motions were recorded as passed unanimously.

• Appointments — Ben Blair was appointed legislative liaison (motion by William Tyrell) and Molly Kimzey and Ben Blair were appointed to the 2025 Youth Advocacy Institute & Legislative Fly‑in Attendees Selection Committee (motion by William Tyrell). Each appointment passed on unanimous roll call votes.

• Cultural Education Program Memorandum of Understanding — The board passed a Memorandum of Understanding for a Cultural Education Program with the Organized Village of Kasaan; the motion passed unanimously.

• New elective course approved — The board approved an elective course titled “This is Who We Are.” The motion passed unanimously.

All recorded board votes on the business items were unanimous (Board Vote: Yea 5; Nay 0). Student Representative votes were recorded as Yea 1; Nay 0 on each recorded motion.

Next steps and context: several policy updates were moved to a second reading as indicated in the minutes; those items will return to the board for final adoption after the second-reading process. The board also scheduled its next regular meeting for Feb. 19, 2025, with a preceding work session at 4:30 p.m.