2019-20 Annual Report - Lake Washington School District (2024)

We believe that every student can learn and achieve at high levels, and it is our responsibility to help each student learn, grow, and be challenged. Our commitment to success for every student is rooted in the ideals of opportunity, equity and inclusion.

Here are some of the initiatives from2019-20 in the area of Academic Success:

• Provided three hours of training to all classroom teachers in Culturally Responsive Teaching: Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol strategies.
• Launched Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) leadership teams in two elementary schools and one high school.
• Piloted and identified elementary math and literacy screening and progress monitoring tools to be ready for use in all schools during the 2020-21 school year.
• Implemented 1:1 mobile devices for all fifth grade students.
• Launched fully inclusive preschool programming.

Note: On March 17, 2020, Governor Inslee announced the closures of school facilities to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As a result, some data is unavailable from past years, including 2019-20 assessment data.

We believe that all students must be safe and feel a sense of belonging if they are to succeed. It is our responsibility to create safe and inclusive learning communities in every school where every student and family is valued and welcomed.

Here are some of the initiatives from 2019-20 in the area of Well-Being:

• Trained 22 schools in Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS).
• Implemented and provided training for social emotional learning curriculum at middle schools.
• Provided equity training to all school equity teams and all principals and district administrators.
• Implemented the Rapid Responder Easy Alert system to enhance drills and emergency response district wide.

We believe that strong communities build strong schools, and strong schools build strong communities.

Here are some of the initiatives from2019-20 in the area of Community Engagement:

• The District Equity Department started holding community listening sessions.
• Entered into a formal partnership with Microsoft in fall 2019.
• Launched ThoughtExchange, a new online tool that will inform upcoming decisions such as how to address space needs in our schools.

We believe that each employee in our district plays a vital role in contributing to the success of our students. We value all the professionals within our organization and are committed to ensuring that we support and develop a high quality and diverse workforce.

Here are some of the initiatives from 2019-20 in the area of Excellent Staff:

• Developed strategies to recruit and hire diverse candidates, including the Teacher Education Academy (TEA)ch Program in one of our high schools.
• Implemented the Elevating Excellent Staff recognition program to honor current staff members.
• Provided cultural competency training to all office professionals; offered professional learning opportunities to all staff.
• Successfully transitioned all staff to the statewide School Employee Benefits (SEBB) beginning in January.

We believe that using our resources responsibly and strategically will result in success for our students. As a publicly-funded organization, we must be efficient and effective in our use of public resources to ensure and maintain trust.

Here are some of the initiatives from2019-20 in the area of Effective Use of Resources:

• The District convened a Facility Advisory Committee to make recommendations for future facility planning, facilities needs and financing options.
• Implemented the MyStop App for families to track their child’s bus.
• Engaged FloAnalytics to enhance enrollment forecasting and provide innovative mapping tools.

In 2019-20, the District continued its process to align all budget additions with strategic goals. LWSD continues to improve fiscal reporting and accountability.

The LWSD Budget has received the Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) from The Association of School Business Officials International for the past three years. This aware recognizes excellence in school budget presentation. The MBA requires school districts to meet stringent criteria to promote budget alignment to district goals, providing additional information and transparency to the community about how taxpayer dollars are spent, and providing a reader-friendly budget document.

The District continues to have the highest credit rating assigned to any school district in the state (shared only by two others). We continue to meet or exceed our minimum 5% fund balance requirement. Fiscal responsibility is of utmost importance to the district.

In March 2020, Governor Inslee closed all schools in Washington state to in-person instruction. LWSD worked to pivot to a remote learning model for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year.

Here are just some of the impacts of COVID-19:

• 5,300 gallons of hand sanitizer purchased.
• 500,000 gloves purchased.
• 1,500 plexiglass barriers purchased.
• 8,300 laptops provided (500 for staff; 7,800 for students).
• 700 hot spots for students without reliable internet access.
• Almost 500,000 FREE meals for students thanks to USDA funding.