Trustees hear about facilities

By Aaron Geerts Enterprise staff writer

The school year is near its end, but the school board was hard at work at its latest meeting on Thursday. While many facilities projects are underway at various sites, some teachers raised their concerns about recent decisions made by the district regarding facility utility.

As always, the public comment section in the school board meeting was filled with passion. This time around, elementary teachers and parents took center stage to voice their concerns.

“I’m here because I’m concerned that decisions are being made at our site and around the district that disadvantage our most vulnerable students due to not providing adequate instructional space for (English learner) programs, reading intervention and special education,” said 10-year Montgomery Elementary English Learning Specialist, Madeline Ryen in the public comment section.

“At MME, we’ve served over 150 English learners this year. That is 20% of our district’s ELs, including all of our elementary migrant students. And yet, the facilities plan for the indefinite future is to split one classroom between ELD and our reading program. These programs provide core content and vital supports and they should not be left to jockeying for nooks and crannies around campus. If we as a district are sincere in our belief and our commitment to closing the opportunity gap, that means we have to prioritize these most vulnerable students, even in the midst of difficult facilities funding decisions and provide them with the

See TRUSTEES, Page A7