School board hears from Foundation for the Edmonds School District, update on Madrona

Screenshot (98).pngTuesday night’s school board meeting began with the celebration of Jennie Wilson, a library support specialist for the Edmonds school District.

According to the form nominating her for recognition, Wilson is unflappable, calm, methodical and always comes up with ways to solve problems around the Instructional Media Department.

“I could not do my job without Jennie Wilson,” one nominator wrote.

“She treats me like I’m the most important person in the district,” writes another.

Wilson was humbled by the honor and thanked her nominators.

“I just love working with you all,” she said.

The school board also heard a report from the Foundation for the Edmonds School District, which explained some of its accomplishments this school year. Thousands participated in Read Across America events in Lynnwood and Edmonds to raise money for library books. MOD Pizza in Lynnwood will continue raising money until June. The foundation’s Bridging the Digital Divide program distributed 220 surplus laptops to students through two distribution events in 2016.

The foundation also shared information on upcoming events. The annual STEM expo will happen on April 18 at Mountlake Terrace High School. The foundation is anticipating 440 participating students in grades 4-12. More than 300 projects will be displayed.

The foundation’s annual breakfast is scheduled for May 13 from 7-8:30 a.m. at Lynnwood High School. Click here for more information.

The Foundation for the Edmonds School District also won two Hazel Miller grants that will allow teachers to be reimbursed up to $125 per teacher for classroom supplies they purchased out of pocket. The total amount for the grants awarded is $32,000.

“The foundation is just the gift that keeps giving back to students in the district,” Superintendent Nick Brossoit said.

The board also got an update on the Madrona School after a fire broke out inside the teacher’s lounge on March 27 from Executive Director of Business and Operations Stewart Mhyre, one of the first district officials to respond to the fire that night. The school was closed until after spring break and reopened for the first time on April 11.

Mhyre said the school was mostly back to the condition it was in before the fire — except for some couches and appliances in the teacher’s lounge that still needed to be replaced. Those items had been ordered, but had not come in yet as of Tuesday.

The school functioned mostly as normal, after contractors gutted the damaged walls, dried out areas soaked with water used for fighting the fire and cleaned smoke and soot damage.

“Water used to fight the fire was throughout the main hall. Smoke and soot were almost throughout the whole building,” Mhyre said. “The district has had water damage in the past from broken pipes, but having the water mixed with fire and smoke damage brought larger issues that needed to be addressed.”

For example, the air quality inside the building was tested before kids were allowed back inside.

Mhyre went on to thank the tireless hours staff members put into getting the school back in to a usable condition.

“Their efforts and dedication to this enormous task are immeasurable,” Mhyre said.

Also at the school board meeting:

  • On-time graduation coordinators from Meadowdale High School and Edmonds-Woodway High School briefed the school board on how they go about their work and find students that may need their help to graduate on time.
  • Fourteen items of new business were unanimously approved, including several capital projects (such as replacing the gym roof on Meadowdale High School and authorizing a call for bids for the Maplewood Center pool ventilation replacement project) and the contract for the new superintendent, Kris McDuffy. McDuffy was present at the meeting.

–By Natalie Covate

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