Bryant PTSA Board Meeting Minutes – April 2019

April 2nd at 7 pm

Welcome and Introductions

4.23 Screen Time Speaker- Emily Cherkin 7 pm                                                  Kim Love & Whitney Griesbach

Approve February Board Meeting Minutes

Officer/Standing Committee Reports

  1. Treasurer’s Recap Report
    • Collected $ for annual; $164K now – silent at $30K (will use next school year); $71K went to Seattle school board
    • Had budget meeting; will have to pull from reserve and want to carve out an equitable and sustainable plan
    • Unallocated: $14K approved this year; $10K unallocated               
  2. Legislative Chairs Report
    • 4 Bryant students testified at State Ways and Means 4/1/19
    • SPS is short $40M for next calendar year
    • $70M shortfall; $235M shortfall in special ed
    • State is increasing special ed funding
    • Email someone in state leg. about getting funding (Sam will draft email and contact info)
    • Check the Bryant Facebook Page as lots of info is on there
  3. Principal’s Report, Charmaine Marshall
    • Bryant is only school with a resource model
    • PCP vote: instead of 1.0 PE, we would have .5 PE, .5 music and 1.0 art
    • PE Teacher has classroom certification and would replace a classroom teacher
  4. LASER Report
    • They are fully enrolled at LASER.  They are packed for Spring Break.  They have hired 5 people and have 3 positions to go.

New Business

  1. Discussion for Funding Guiding Principles, Whitney Griesbach    
    • This will be a guiding principle for the 2020-2021 school year; want a sustainable funding model ; don’t want to fund things that should be paid for the state; this mean “certificated” positions; we looked at funding models from other schools- John Rodgers doesn’t fund any teachers; others fund much more in support; have seen the Seattle Council funding model; PTAs were established as advocacy groups for students; have become fundraising heavy; this is a conversation that we face about every 2 years; historically Bryant PTSA has taken a stance about not paying for teaching positions but it hasn’t been formalized
    • Our neighborhood is changing and we are seeing two sides: families really struggling and others who are doing well; how do we maintain inclusion so all can participate but also raise enough money to continue to make Bryant great; wanting to streamlining fundraising efforts more; 2nd grade auction item where all kids were included is a great model; should we have a hard line as it might push families away?  If we pay instructors it creates a employer/employee relationship; we used to fund 0.25 but now as a board we are funding 0.4- essentially we don’t cut back what we start funding; We should have the school make the request to the board for certain positions; the building should manage that decision and process; If we help pay for the counselor the cost will be unsustainable and are we prepared for it; anyone in public education understands that when they are hired its only for one year
    • Charmaine thinks it is risky if we cover a certificated position as it would include insurance and benefits.  Also how do you make it equitable in determining what positions/staff should stay?; What attracts parents to Bryant is the quality of instruction; With the counselor position we tried to create depth in the classroom; The teachers have been learning to incorporate SEL strategies and solutions in the classroom; PBIS has been integrated; in a sustainable world we have to utilize those tools in the classroom; at a tier 4 school we are not going to get a counselor paid for us; She and Amy are still working on finalizing their ‘ask’
    • We will have a bullet list in Bryant Weekly of what parents funded so they have a better idea
  2. New Board Positions Proposal
    • New Board Positions:
      • Community Engagement (speaker series, different community building opportunities, possibly an EID advocate)—we will continue to grow this position
      • Communications: streamline all communications of social media, Bryant weekly
      • EID (Equity, Inclusion and Diversity) -this position exists at Wedgwood and Thornton Creek; We should look at including this role with a current board position
  3. Playground Committee – Mary Strazer                                          
    • Great turn out on Saturday for helping improve the playground.  In talks with parks about the field.  They can’t irrigate but will reseed.  In the last cycle they added irrigation but the district won’t let us use them.  They will not water anything unless it’s a brand new install.  If we water it ourselves it goes against their water conservation policy.
    • Sounders has a non-profit group (The Right Foundation) trying to provide turf for Seattle public schools.  Would cost @$300K to get turf here (Allison Broadgate’s husband researched this).  Sounders will do it for lower socio-economic schools so possibly we can partner in fundraising efforts