General Meeting: School Budget and Program Updates

In-person meeting in the library

1. Welcome and introductions:

·** **Well wishes to those in our community who are observing Ramadan

Mindfulness moment

·** **What is mindfulness? “Mindfulness is the practice of present moment awareness with curiosity and compassion, so we can choose what to do next.” - attributed to Ruth King and Dr. Christopher Willard

3. Space Between

·** Kimball currently has a pilot program running in 2nd**** and 5th grade classrooms with Space Between**

·** **Vision: We envision that all children are well and whole. Mission: Our mission is to facilitate school and human transformation through mindfulness practices.

·** **12-week program of mindfulness-based social emotional learning for students and teachers

·** In the 13th**** week, students reflect and evaluate the program**

·** **Also a component of bringing mindfulness home for families

·** **Offer local workshops and events as well

4. Budget

A 2024–2025 school budget presentation was given.

o** **CSIP = Continuous School Improvement Plans

§** **They met student achievement goals this year

§** **Still working on family connection goals

o** **Class sizes and student:teacher ratios are determined by the district

o** **Instead of hiring a new social worker, which was allotted to the school by the district, they will keep the counselor position, based on a staff vote.

o** **Low supply budget (getting cut in half! This is for basic supplies like band aids, paper, pens, office materials, etc.)

o** **Title I funds increased

o** **Equity Dollars decreased

o** **Nurse currently is 0.3FTE position (1.5 days/week)

§** **Increase to 0.5FTE (half time) next year

School staff also supported health needs when the nurse was absent.

§** **Even more students using the nurse with the preschools in the building

o** **Staff is in the process of deciding how they want to spend any of the remaining funds, likely for staff positions.

The FEPP levy was in year 5 of 6, with $293,000 in funding recorded.

o** **Intervention and Family Support employees have been paid by these different pools of money (Title 1, FEPP levy, LAP)

The notes stated that no current positions needed to be cut.

5. Ask of PTSA

o** **Continue helping with student school supplies/parent donation campaign

o** **Continue paying Lexia license ($3,960)

o** **Continue Team Read funding ($8,000)

O** **Increase funds for classrooms and events by 10-20% to help account for our cuts to student discretionary spending (school supply budget).

• ** Response by March 22 so we can make decisions for budget**

The PTSA reported it was under budget for the year.

o** **hasn’t been a lot of field trip requests, still teachers haven’t used all their funds

o** **so far we are on track to come under budget

o** **$8,000 from Islandwood won’t be used

o** **There will be no fifth grade overnight camp this year

o** **For the future, the staff is considering options other than Islandwood for equity reasons

6. Move-a-Thon/SESSFA (Southeast Seatle Schools Fundraising Alliance)

·** **group of 17 different schools

·** **group fundraising

·** **into shared pot

·** **distributed equitably, not equally

·** **April 22-May 4 Move-a-Thon

·** **Walk around the globe challenge with pedometers to encourage kids to move

·** **Bingo board for moving and fundraising!

7. After School Program:

·** **Registration started, spots filling up quickly

·** **They’ve increased classes due to popularity

A parent helper assisted with program organization.

Volunteer help was sought for the after-school program.

8. Volunteer Needs:

The treasurer role was estimated at 4–5 hours per month, and a successor was sought.

·** **Kimball Cougar communications (writing newsletters)

·** **Any ideas YOU have for how to be involved

9. Celebrations!:

·** **NAAPID

·** **Lunar New Year

·** **Parent -Teacher afterschool hangouts

·** **Kimball Directory

·** **Racial Equity Team banners

·** **Kimball Kitchen (looking for new chefs, hope to fund future heritage nights)

10. Upcoming Events

o** **PI Day, Thursday, March 14

o** **April 21 Kimball Kitchen