Proposed Everett School Board policy change draws fire

EVERETT — A tweak to the Everett School Board’s policy is spurring a larger debate about the direction of the group.

The board may vote Tuesday to change its approach to the consent agenda, a clearing list of items that need regular approval.

As it stands, any single board member can pull an item off that list for discussion.

Board member Jeff Russell wants to change that, requiring two people to agree to move the item. Russell sees the change as a way to keep the board focused on big-picture issues. The board will consider the change at its 4:30 meeting today.

“It’s more of a way of holding each other accountable and saying we really are going to focus our time and energy on policy,” he said.

Board member Jessica Olson disagrees. She sees value in the type of nuts-and-bolts items that appear on the consent agenda. She’s questioned them before, and sees the proposed change as an effort to silence her.

“The rights of the minority have to be protected on any board,” she said.

Consent agendas typically act as a way for boards to round-up the minor items they regularly approve — expenses, recurring contracts, meeting minutes and more. With the items bunched together, boards approve them all at once.

Most school boards allow a single member to pull an item, but that’s not required, said Marilee Scarbrough, policy and legal services director for the Washington State School Directors Association.

“They can choose to do a different format,” she said.

For example, the Marysville and Edmonds school districts both require a board member to get support to pull an item, either from the board chairman or another member, respectively.

The Everett School Board voted 3-1 earlier this month to consider a change. Olson dissented. School Board President Ed Petersen was absent.

Everett School District Superintendent Gary Cohn said the board has focused more on policy matters and less on administrative details in the past year.

“This is a reasonable step in that direction,” he said.

Russell isn’t trying to silence anyone, he said. Board members can speak about anything at the end of the meeting, during their general comments. Also, if an item gets pulled by two people, that still represents a minority on the five-person board.

“You have to persuade just one member,” he said.

But Olson worries she won’t get that support. She said she doesn’t want to lose the ability to debate the accuracy of meeting minutes or question recurring contracts.

“I feel like I will never be able to pull anything,” she said.

Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Vehicles travel along Mukilteo Speedway on Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Mukilteo cameras go live to curb speeding on Speedway

Starting Friday, an automated traffic camera system will cover four blocks of Mukilteo Speedway. A 30-day warning period is in place.

Carli Brockman lets her daughter Carli, 2, help push her ballot into the ballot drop box on the Snohomish County Campus on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Here’s who filed for the primary election in Snohomish County

Positions with three or more candidates will go to voters Aug. 5 to determine final contenders for the Nov. 4 general election.

Students from Explorer Middle School gather Wednesday around a makeshift memorial for Emiliano “Emi” Munoz, who died Monday, May 5, after an electric bicycle accident in south Everett. (Aspen Anderson / The Herald)
Community and classmates mourn death of 13-year-old in bicycle accident

Emiliano “Emi” Munoz died from his injuries three days after colliding with a braided cable.

Danny Burgess, left, and Sandy Weakland, right, carefully pull out benthic organisms from sediment samples on Thursday, May 1, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Got Mud?’ Researchers monitor the health of the Puget Sound

For the next few weeks, the state’s marine monitoring team will collect sediment and organism samples across Puget Sound

Everett postal workers gather for a portrait to advertise the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County letter carriers prepare for food drive this Saturday

The largest single-day food drive in the country comes at an uncertain time for federal food bank funding.

Everett
Everett considers ordinance to require more apprentice labor

It would require apprentices to work 15% of the total labor hours for construction or renovation on most city projects over $1 million.

Signs hang on the outside of the Early Learning Center on the Everett Community College campus on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021 in Everett, Wa. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett Community College to close Early Learning Center

The center provides early education to more than 70 children. The college had previously planned to close the school in 2021.

Northshore school board selects next superintendent

Justin Irish currently serves as superintendent of Anacortes School District. He’ll begin at Northshore on July 1.

Auston James / Village Theatre
“Jersey Boys” plays at Village Theatre in Everett through May 25.
A&E Calendar for May 15

Send calendar submissions for print and online to features@heraldnet.com. To ensure your… Continue reading

Contributed photo from Snohomish County Public Works
Snohomish County Public Works contractor crews have begun their summer 2016 paving work on 13 miles of roadway, primarily in the Monroe and Stanwood areas. This photo is an example of paving work from a previous summer. A new layer of asphalt is put down over the old.
Snohomish County plans to resurface about 76 miles of roads this summer

EVERETT – As part of its annual road maintenance and preservation program,… Continue reading

Apartment fire on Casino Road displaces three residents

Everett Fire Department says a family’s decision to shut a door during their evacuation helped prevent the fire from spreading.

Helion's 6th fusion prototype, Trenta, on display on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Helion celebrates smoother path to fusion energy site approval

Helion CEO applauds legislation signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson expected to streamline site selection process.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.