Cascade School Board Wins Board of the Year

The Cascade School District (CSD) school board meeting on October 24^th began with an exciting announcement by Tricia Lubach, representing the Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA). Lubach notified the school board that they were awarded a Board of Distinction recognition, and, even more impressively, they won the 2022-2023 Board of the Year award for all small school districts in the state.

Lubach went on to say the board earned this title due to many factors including an all-hands-on-deck approach to addressing academic and other challenges coming out the pandemic for all grade levels, implementing needed intervention efforts. Additionally, WSDDA was impressed with the CSD strategic plan and its inclusion of unique assets and values of this region, such as valuing the outdoors and creativity in the arts. The CSD school board will be recognized at the upcoming annual WSSDA conference and also in a video that will be made to exemplify their work.

Next, Aaron Simon, the CSD liaison on the Park and Recreation Service Area board (PRSA), gave an update. First, he shared the history of the PRSA, mentioning that it formed in 1997 as a way to collect taxes to pay for park-related expenses, most notably the city pool maintenance and operational expenses. The footprint of the PRSA differs from the school district, and certain areas, such as Plain, are not inside the PRSA. Within the PRSA, property owners pay the current levy rate of $0.11 per $1000 assessed value. The PRSA has a six-member board that makes recommendations to the City of Leavenworth for how the collected annual sum is utilized.

The PRSA has been involved in improvements such as better lighting and drainage in Enchantment Park, installation of the Waterfront Park playground, the pump track and skate park, and have been involved with the transfer of the Osborn property to the City and the community survey about the future of the Osborn site.

A recent PRSA needs assessment revealed top priorities of residents. Making the pool accessible all year long, which requires a cover, tops the list. Other interests are more multipurpose trails, sports fields, a dog park, and more park development in the Peshastin area.

The next step toward a possible pool cover is a feasibility study by NAC Architects, which will look at seasonal and permanent enclosure and possible pool expansion. Finally, Simon informed the board that he is stepping down because, given the rules of the renewed interlocal agreement with Chelan County, his position must be filled by a school board member. Zachary Miller agreed to take on that role.

The next presentation was by Rudy Joya, interim principal of Cascade High School (CHS). For the CHS school improvement plan, there are three main focus areas: structure the flex period in a way that it can serve multiple purposes, have gains in the number of students meeting the math standard for the standardized test, the SBA, and, by 2024, having 100% of graduates with a clear post-graduation pathway, whether it’s college, military, or trade school, or entering the work force.

Joya shared insights into the work around CHS culture including a spirit event day in which students used anything but a backpack to carry supplies. Some creative students arrived at school equipped with backpack substitutes such as a wheelbarrow, lawn mower, wine barrel and a large crab pot. On another spirit day, football players asked a favorite teacher to wear their jersey for the day.

The cellphone policy has been tightened up so that phones don’t detract from focused learning time. “It takes more to be a Kodiak” and “Do hard things better” are phrases that have been promoted to instill a good work ethic and pride in school.

Joya recognized the successes related to staff helping students in and out of the classroom, the developing student leaders, and classes taking advantage of outdoor learning when the air quality was healthy.

He and his team have focused energy to decrease the amount of student tardiness, as that has effects on school culture and a student’s academics. He spoke frankly that there have been challenges with a small percentage of the students in terms of bathroom vandalism, and incidents of vaping, marijuana use and benzos (depressants such as Xanax). The administration has enacted stricter bathroom use rules to combat these problems.

When asked about assessing students who have potential addictions, Joya said Allycia Gonzales, the new social worker, has been able to do assessment on site, which is an improvement over having to send a student to Wenatchee. Treatment and other resources are made available, but sometimes students and families still confront cost barriers.

There are a total of 413 high schoolers in the district, which includes 34 Running Start students, 10 at the Discovery School and 5 using the Virtual Academy. The most recent SBA assessment (taken in 10^th grade) found 77% of students met standard in English and Language Arts, while only 32% met standard in math. Efforts are underway to get that percentage to over 50%.

Joya, in his new role this year as interim principal, finds himself conferring with superintendent Tracey Beckendorf-Edou, frequently, as well as his prior mentor Eric Anderson, who is the principal of Wenatchee High School. Joya ended his presentation thanking his great administrative team.