The Edmonds School Board’s Tuesday meeting kicked off with a graduation ceremony to honor students who completed the Open Doors program. 

Xavier Glenn, Jackline Feza, Holly Hang and Chandler Olds received their diplomas from Superintendent Dr. Rebecca Miner at Tuesday’s meeting. Ethan Kittleson also graduated but was not present at the ceremony. 

Open Doors is a state-funded program offering flexible education options for students who may have dropped out or are at risk of not graduating high school by the age of 21, according to district documents. The program helps students ages 16-21 earn a high school diploma, a GED or a certificate or an associate degree from Edmonds College.

The board also unanimously voted to revert to the district’s 2020 sexual harassment policy after the U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to schools nationwide, stating its plans to enforce a 2020 policy providing “Title IX protections on the basis of biological sex in schools and on campuses,” according to the recent “Dear Colleague” letter.

At a board meeting earlier this month, Superintendent Miner said the state recommended the district change the policy as soon as possible to avoid potential litigation. 

Unlike the district’s 2024 policy, the 2020 sexual harassment policy doesn’t explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender expression and sexual identity, among other identities. State law does have these protections, however, and it holds more weight than the federal government’s “Dear Colleague” letter, Assistant Superintendent Rob Baumgartner said Tuesday.  

“What we have in Washington state has always been stronger,” Baumgartner said. State law “prohibits discrimination based on gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation in employment, public housing, public accommodations and education… I feel very confident that we’ll be continuing to protect our students here.” 

The updated 2024 policy also has language prohibiting discrimination against pregnant and parenting students – that language is “nonexistent” in the 2020 rules, Baumgartner said. 

Regardless of what policy is in place, Baumgartner said the district’s obligations to these students don’t change. 

“We’re always going to make sure that they’re accommodated in their education,” he said. “We’re going to make sure that they have the support that they need.” 

After hearing Baumgartner’s comments, board members also expressed their confidence in the district’s ability to protect all students, despite the instructions to revert to old policy. 

Director Carin Chase said she was “very comfortable taking this action,” as district policy 3211, “Gender Inclusive Schools,” remains in place to protect all students, regardless of what letters the district receives. 

District policy 3211 reads:

“The board believes in fostering an educational environment that is safe and free of discrimination for all students, regardless of gender expression, gender identity, or sex. To that end, the board recognizes the importance of an inclusive approach toward transgender and gender-expansive students with regard to key terms, communication and the use of names and pronouns, student records, confidential health and education information, communication, restroom and locker room use and accessibility, sports and physical education, dress codes, and other school activities, in order to provide these students with an equal opportunity for learning and achievement.” 

After closely reviewing the information available, Board President Nancy Katims said she felt confident in moving forward with the change. 

“As the parent of an LGBTQ child who unconditionally loves and supports him and approves completely of his lifestyle, and knowing I have two colleagues on the board who also have children who are LGBTQ, I looked very closely at all of the information about this because I was obviously concerned,” Katims said. “…Whatever version we use of this particular policy, we, I believe, have very strong safeguards in place to protect all our kids from sexual harassment, intimidation and bullying.” 

She added that if the district needed to clarify policy in the future to continue to ensure these protections, the board would make those changes. 

More on the policy change can be found in Lynnwood Today’s Feb. 13 meeting coverage.

Graduation rates 

Edmonds School District’s four-year graduation rate for the class of 2024 was 85%, a 2% increase from the past three graduating classes, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Greg Schwab told the board. 

The dropout rate decreased from 11% in 2023 to 9% in 2024, and the continuing students rate– students who graduated in four or more years – remained stable, sitting at 7% in 2024, compared to 6% for the class of 2023. 

The district’s graduation rate was low compared to nearby districts. At 85%, Edmonds was below the 95% graduation rate for both the Everett and Northshore School Districts in 2024. Shoreline and Tacoma’s districts had a 92% rate, followed by Seattle at 87%. 

Edmonds’ rate was the same as that for the Marysville School District and above Mukilteo’s 82% rate. The state’s average graduation rate in 2024 was 83%. 

Graduation rates in Edmonds School District increased for most demographics and racial/ethnic groups in 2024. However, graduation rates for Black/African American students fell 4%, from 87% in 2023 to 83% in 2024. 

Graduation rates dropped 10% among students with disabilities, falling from 74% in 2023 to 64% in 2024. Multilingual students and students experiencing – or at risk of – homelessness also saw a slight decline in graduation rates.

However, these groups are somewhat small, ranging from around 717 to 10 students, district documents say. That means only one or two students failing to graduate on time could have a big impact on their demographic’s graduation rate. 

The district is taking an individual-based approach in an attempt to raise graduation rates, focusing on specific learning plans for each student, Schwab said. Additionally, the district is placing an emphasis on its summer school programs, and allowing more time for students to make up credits online, within school hours, among other actions.

Brier Terrace Middle School presentations 

Students from Brier Terrace Middle School gave a presentation on how they and their peers are working to foster a feeling of belonging on campus. 

Their goal is to increase the number of students who report a feeling of belonging on the school’s Student Survey of Perceptions from 70% in 2024-2024 to 85% by the 2026-2027 school year, the students said during their presentation.  

The W.E.B. – “Where Everybody Belongs” – program is one of the student-led initiatives aiming to foster belonging, In the program, older students help with seventh-grade orientation and welcome new students in as they begin middle school. Students are also directly involved in leading assemblies, planning spirit weeks and other events, offering yet another channel for students to connect. 

Students involved in these programs are already seeing the fruits of their labor. The percent of students with 90% attendance sat at 75% in the 2024 spring semester, rising to 79% in the fall 2024 semester and 81% in the winter 2025 semester. 

Principal Tulani Freeman followed with a presentation on Brier Terrace students’ state math testing progress. 

Student SBA math scores increased by almost 10% Freeman said, jumping from 43% in the 2021-2022 school year to 52% in the 2023-2024 school year. 

Students also showed improvement in the school’s online math instruction and assessment program, i-Ready. 

In the fall semester, 51% of 7th graders were at or above their grade level, jumping to 57% in the winter semester. 8th grade test scores also jumped from 49% in the fall to 60%. 

In other business, the board had its first reading on a proposal to change the district’s naming policy. If approved, the proposed policy change removes the suggestion of naming district-owned buildings and other property after people with local or national prominence, and instead recommending things be named after the area’s geographic characteristics.

The board also received a report on December’s budget status, which was normal and in-line with previous years, staff said. Director Chase also gave a legislative update on a set of education bills on the table for this year’s session. 

Additionally, the board unanimously approved small changes to its policies on opioid reversal, infectious disease, and anaphylaxis prevention and response. 

The board also approved business meeting dates for the 2025-2026 school year. Meetings are scheduled for the following dates: 

Sept. 9, 2025

Sept. 23, 2025

Oct. 14, 2025

Oct. 28, 2025

Nov. 18, 2025

Dec. 9, 2025

Jan. 13, 2026

Jan. 27, 2026

Feb. 10, 2026

Feb. 24, 2026

March 10, 2026

April 14, 2026

April 28, 2026

May 12, 2026

May 26, 2026

June 9, 2026

June 23, 2026

July 7, 2026

Aug.18, 2026

A recording of Tuesday’s meeting can be found on the district’s website.

— Contact Ashley at ashley@myedmondsnews.com.