Garfield School District Re-2

The Accountability Committee meeting covered several key areas, starting with parent engagement updates, including an awards ceremony where 75% of students achieved honor roll status, and noting stable district enrollment numbers and the highest graduation rate in the valley. A detailed update was provided on the 'One Door' initiative, which focuses on family resource support and mental health struggles stemming from the pandemic, noting that $200,000 is recommended for operation and extensive grant funding is pending. The committee reviewed results from the Parent Engagement Survey, which showed steady overall satisfaction but a downward trend in trust of principals and the school board perception, suggesting a need for improved communication regarding the Strategic Plan. A significant portion of the meeting focused on Staff Housing, presenting results from a workforce housing survey indicating that 62% of staff would stay longer if housing were available, and confirming the need to move forward with Phase One of the housing initiative due to retention concerns, exemplified by the loss of a band teacher due to housing unavailability. Next steps included coordinating presentations for an upcoming School Board meeting and planning agenda items for the next DAC meeting.

The meeting covered several key areas, beginning with parent engagement updates highlighting success stories such as the ECE Winter Formal, Riverside's Tech Talk series, and various school holiday events. A significant portion of the session was dedicated to Grants and Career and Technical Education (CTE), detailing the introduction of new pathways like Business, Engineering, Outdoor Recreational Leadership, and Athletic Training/Sports Medicine. Discussions on grants highlighted current funding streams, including a large Title 1 grant, and noted anticipated future decreases in Title II and III funding, as well as an ongoing effort to secure funding for the Re2 Resource Center. The committee also reviewed the district's significant improvement in chronic absenteeism, which dropped from 33.4% in 2022/2023 to 10% by 2024/2025. Furthermore, the DAC addressed its own recruitment needs, approving several new and continuing voting members to stagger terms. Finally, an update from a recent financial meeting covered discussions on staff housing support and a presentation comparing the pros and cons of bond measures versus mil levy increases.

The Garfield Re-2 School District Accountability Committee meeting included discussions on parent engagement, featuring bright spots such as "Talking Tech with Parents." There was a district financial update with a Q&A session, covering topics like funding factors, budget details, and potential solutions for deficit spending. The committee also discussed transportation, particularly issues with Two Rivers Community School transporting students out of the district. Additionally, there was a focus on DAC voting member recruitment to fill upcoming vacancies.

The meeting included a roll call and introductions, followed by a discussion on accountability connections, where attendees shared updates from their respective schools and the status of their School Accountability Committee (SAC) meetings. The Unified Improvement Plan (UIP) summaries for the district and schools were reviewed, addressing questions about goal setting, data measurement, and support for special education staff. A SWOT analysis activity was conducted to gather input on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Parent engagement was discussed, with a report on Riverside's RAP event and a sharing of bright spots in parent engagement across schools. The meeting concluded with wrap-up and next steps, including the next DAC meeting details and potential discussion topics such as housing, CTE updates, and early budget updates.

The meeting included a review of the mission and vision, discussing potential revisions to align with the District vision. Members reviewed and approved the Welcome Packet, which includes meeting dates, bylaws, responsibilities, and contact lists. A brief explanation of the Unified Improvement Plan (UIP) and School Performance Frameworks (SPF) was given, emphasizing continuous improvement and school-specific goals. Additionally, the Parent Engagement Policy was reviewed for informational purposes, with discussions on promoting engagement through various means such as podcasts and social media tips. The agenda also included a discussion on non-parent community member involvement in SACs and DAC.