Board Meeting on Wednesday Night.

 There’s a regular Board meeting this Wednesday, June 2nd. Reviewing the agenda, I see that more and more items - especially BEX/BTA items - are on the Consent agenda. The Consent Agenda is for items usually reviewed in committee and previously introduced at a Board meeting. Putting multiple items on the Consent agenda for action means the Board won’t be discussing any of them further and the vote is a package deal for all the items. 

When the Board has a particularly lengthy agenda, this is okay. But there are watchdogs like Chris Jackins who pours over these items and frequently has useful comments to make but can’t because those items are on the Consent agenda. 

One BEX item I see there is for a new playground at Green Lake Elementary School. This school is the home for many of the most medically fragile students in our district and has internal space that has specialized equipment to meet their learning needs. From the BAR (Board Action Report):

The Green Lake Elementary Parent Teacher Association (PTA) has initiated a Self Help playground project at Green Lake Elementary that may exceed $250,000. Upon completion, the project will become the property of the district, thus it is a “gift” to the district.

I move to accept Green Lake Elementary PTA’s gift of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible playground ramp and hillside improvements.

The Green Lake master plan was conceived in 2018 with funding from the Department of Neighborhoods and broad community input from school staff, students, families, and neighbors. More than 300 people participated in three community meetings and other forms of outreach. In the summer and fall of 2020, the district's Capital Department, through Building Excellence (BEX) V levy funding, addressed demolition of the nearly 30-year-old play structure and installed new play equipment with an ADA accessible playground turf and the PTA contributed funds to add a few supplementary components.

To date, the PTA has received the Jack Aherns Memorial Fund of $22,797, Garneau Nicon Foundation Grant of $18,340.35, Nesholm Family Foundation Grant of $10,000, and the Harnish Foundation Grant of $150,000. The Green Lake PTA also has raised funds through a direct ask campaign of $91,427.65, a holiday tree sale of $4,870, and a Go Fund Me campaign of $19,766. They also have applied for the Department of Neighborhoods Matching Fund grant of $50,000. The cost estimate for this phase of the PTA’s Green Lake Playground Improvements project is between $250,000 and $355,000 dependent on the extent of fundraising. 

Green Lake PTA certainly went above and beyond to find funding for this equipment and its installation. I know it is hard to write all these grants but if the Board believes that some schools benefit from having parents who know how to write them, why doesn’t the Board ask the district to provide that learning for parents? Or why, when Director Chandra Hampson was SCPTSA president, didn’t that group provide learning so parents could learn how to find grants and apply for them? I see nothing at the current SCPTSA site about learning about writing grants.

To note, Director Leslie Harris, several years ago said she wanted to see updated playgrounds, not just for new buildings, but older ones as well to be included in BEX funding. Using the racial equity tool, those BEX dollars would go first to Tier 1 or 2 schools with higher levels of minority populations.

But I hear that when this item was introduced at the last Board meeting,  Director Hampson used an unpleasant tone in speaking of it. I know she dislikes when northend PTAs raise money for their schools but the district is already holding dollars for minority schools for these types of efforts. Special Education students are something of a minority group in the district. As well, this effort benefits community members who have children with ADA needs. 

It would be nice to hear a grateful tone from Board leadership for efforts that help students with special needs, no matter where their school is. 

Bravo to the Green Lake Elementary PTA and its community!