SOUTH WHIDBEY: SWSD Navigator Newsletter [Sep. 5, 2024]
Prior to every Board Meeting or Workshop, the South Whidbey School District posts a SWSD Navigator Newsletter on ParentSquare providing notice of School Board Meetings, what is happening in the District and updates in the schools. Click here to receive future issues. Ed. Note: We excerpt those portions of the SWSD Navigator pertinent to the activities of the school board. For the full contents of the current edition of the newsletter, click this link.
Thank You for Voting!
The South Whidbey School District replacement levies for technology, capital improvements, safety, educational programs and operations passed. We truly appreciate the support of our South Whidbey community.
Bond Update – SEPA Notice
The District is planning improvements to South Whidbey Elementary School and South Whidbey Middle/High School as part of the Bond Measure passed by voters in 2023. The permit approval process will entail a public comment period. All interested parties are welcome to comment on the proposal.
South Whidbey School District is expecting to issue a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Notice and Checklist for public comment on or around November 21, 2024 for both projects. These are two separate projects that will include separate SEPA environmental reviews and separate notices. The SEPA Notice for both projects will include a 14-day public comment period. Notices for both projects will be published in the Whidbey News-Times. When issued, information will be provided about where to access project information and how to comment on the proposals.
Click here view the Bond Webpage with slides from recent presentations.
Board Corner
On Wednesday, November 13, 2024 the South Whidbey School Board will hold a business meeting and workshop starting at 6:30pm via ZOOM WEBINAR and IN PERSON. Both will be held at the South Whidbey Elementary School Dr. Julie Hadden Community Board Room at 5380 Maxwelton Road, Langley.
Please click THIS LINK to join the webinar. Passcode: 234129 Webinar ID: 881 5979 3362
Future Meetings:
- November 21-23 Annual WSSDA Conference
- December 11: Business Meeting
—– Brook Willeford, Board President
South Whidbey is a Title I School District
We are fortunate that South Whidbey Academy receives targeted Title 1 funds support. Title I, Part A is part of the Every Student Succeeds Act. Its goal is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach proficiency on challenging state academic standards. Our Title I schools qualify for federal grant money which we use for additional:
- staffing,
- parent involvement,
- staff development, and
- extended school day opportunities to help us meet that goal.
South Whidbey is a Title II School District
Title II, Part A funds are federal grants that support the preparation, training, and recruitment of school leaders and teachers. The funds are allocated to local educational agencies (LEAs) to help improve student achievement and the quality of teaching
This year, Title II funds provide trauma informed professional education for our South Whidbey staff. This included training at the Life Space Crisis Institut, monthly teacher and para training on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and all staff training Conflict to Connection.
Right to Request Teacher and Paraeducator Qualifications
All parents and guardians have the right to request information regarding the professional qualifications of your child’s classroom teacher(s) or instructional paraeducators. If you request this information, the district will provide you with the following:
1. Whether the teacher has met Washington teacher certification requirements for the grade level and subjects in which the teacher provides instruction;
2. Whether the teacher is teaching under an emergency or other provisional status for which Washington qualifications or certification has been waived;
3. The college major of the teacher and any graduate degree or certificate; and
4. Whether your child is receiving Title I services from paraprofessionals, and if so, whether those paraprofessionals meet state/federal requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act.
If you would like to request this information, please contact your principal.
Title I Parent and/or Care Giver Involvement Policy No. 4130
The board recognizes that parent and/or caregiver and family engagement helps students participating in Title I programs achieve academic standards. To promote parent and/or caregiver and family engagement, the board adopts the following policy, which describes how the district will involve parent and/or caregivers and family members of Title I students in developing and implementing the district’s Title I programs.
The district will do the following to promote parent and/or caregiver and family engagement:
- The district will involve parent and/or caregivers and family members in jointly developing the district’s Title I plan.
- The district will provide the coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist and build the capacity of all participating schools within the district in the planning and implementing of effective parent and/or caregiver and family involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance.
- The district will conduct, with the meaningful involvement of parent and/or caregivers and family members, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this policy in improving the academic quality of all Title I schools. At that meeting, the following will be identified:
- Barriers to greater participation by parent and/or caregivers in Title I activities;
- The needs of parent and/or caregivers and family members to assist with the learning of their children, including engaging with school personnel and teachers; and
- Strategies to support successful school and family interactions.
The district will use the findings from the annual evaluation to design evidence-based strategies for more effective parent and/or caregiver involvement and to revise this policy if necessary.
Please see the attached Policy No. 4130
Citizen Complaints
If you believe that the law that applies to federal programs like TItle 1 or 2 has been violated, you have the right to file a complaint. First, contact your child’s school. If you can’t reach a solution, you can file a Citizen Complaint through the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
