Board President DeShayes led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

Board President DeShayes led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

Board President DeShayes read the following statement, We acknowledge we are gathered upon the ancestral lands of the Seattle area's Federally Recognized Indian Tribe, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, who historically lived throughout the areas between the Cascade Mountains and the Puget Sounds, what is also known as the Salish Sea.

Superintendent Dr. Shaun Carey recognized Director DeShayes for her four years of service on the Board of Directors and thanked her for her service to the community.

Superintendent Dr. Shaun Carey led newly elected Board Director Tara Cochran in the oath of office for the Enumclaw School District Board of Directors. 

Superintendent Dr. Shaun Carey led re-elected Board Director Paul Fisher in the oath of office for the Enumclaw School District Board of Directors. 

Director Vice President Ben Stouffer asked the Board of Directors if there were any nominations for the position of Board President.  

Newly elected Board President Tyson Gamblin asked if there were any nominations for the position of Board Vice President.

Board President Tyson Gamblin asked if there were any nominations for the position of the Board's WIAA Representative. 

The Board of Directors shared the following good news of the district:

• Student representative Makhya Walls shared that the theater department just closed out their performance of the musical, White Christmas, with almost every performance selling out. 
• Student representative Elliott Cheney shared that EHS is having their spirit week and will have a great Winter Wishes assembly this week with games. The winners of the game "Goose Chase" will be announced at the assembly.   
• White Christmas was the winter play at the high school and instead of hosting a winter concert, the theater and choir departments teamed up to produce a play that included choir members dancing and singing. Over 80 students participated in this production. 
• The girls flag football team is in their first season with over 40 girls playing.
• Appreciation was shared to staff members, community members and first responders for dealing with the floods and helping neighbors who have been impacted. 

Superintendent Dr. Shaun Carey shared the following in the Superintendent's Report: 

• The Theory of Action, Mission and Five Commitments are shared at the start of each meeting as a reminder of the district's why. 
• Photos of the impacts of the rain storm were shared with a thank you to the district's operations teams and to showcase the weather situations being dealt with in trying to keep schools open and students safe.  
• Teaching and Learning Director Lindsey Marquardt was invited to share with the Board regarding the variety of Professional Development opportunities that have been offered with educators participating in 15 different offerings in the month of December.  
• The Five Commitments presentations have been shared throughout the community with the final, scheduled presentation held last week at the EHS Media Center. 
• The White Christmas production at EHS was a huge success.  Other performances across the district will be held this week including one at Enumclaw Middle School.  The Thunder Mountain performances last week were excellent showcasing many talented students. There were recent concerns about band and orchestras not thriving in the district, but there is a lot of participation at the middle school level with student numbers increasing. 
• The district's bands performed and marched in Enumclaw Santa Parade last week. 
• A lot of the schools are holding spirit weeks, jingle bell runs, and other festive school events that make learning fun for students. 
• Sunrise Elementary leadership students volunteered at Plateau Kids Network's Holiday Helping Hands Toy Drive.  Students are understanding how important it is to give back and are making a positive impact in the community. 
• Communications Director Jessica McCartney was invited to share the story of the company, Crocs, providing a free pair of Crocs to all of the fifth graders in Ms. Strand's class after their Thanksgiving balloon float activity gained media attention.  This is the fourth year she's created these floats with her students. A video was shared of the parade they created and a thank you video of the students dancing in their new crocs.
• Replacement levies will be running on February 10, 2026.  Information is being shared with the community to provide details on what these levies support.  

Director of Student Support Services Carolyne Zieske introduced herself to the Board and shared that the district received the coalition grant from the Washington State Health Care Authority and King County in 2021. The purpose of the grant is to provide education and supports for students and families to prevent substance abuse in the community. 

Community Coalition Coordinator, LouAnn Saywer, shared that she is passionate about the work they are doing in the district schools. Ms. Sawyer informed the Board of Directors that the grant was provided after examination of data from a 2018 Healthy Youth Survey  revealed that student mental health concerns and substance abuse were higher in the district than the state average.  

One of the requirements of the grant is for the Enumclaw Youth Empowered coalition to be in partnership with 12 sectors. Ms. Sawyer shared the list of district partners and stated that they meet monthly. She shared the work they do is evidence based and data driven as they review underlying causes for student struggles with school performance, mental health, underage drinking, and other concerns. Together they work to align strategies with risk factors, run parenting workshops, promote positive peer networks, and increase risk awareness in the community.

A part of the Coalition is the establishment of the Thrive Club; a high school student led club that focuses on student health, wellness, and drug prevention through mentoring younger students and sharing positive message campaigns at district schools and in the community.  There are 188 students in the Thrive Club. 

Students from the Thrive Club introduced themselves to the Board and shared a variety of projects they are engaged in throughout the district. These projects include peer mentoring, creating a self-care fair, presenting on different topics at the middle schools, establishing positive messaging and themes at the schools, and attending and participating in other community events. Some students in the Thrive Club attended a conference in Washington DC where they were able to meet senators and share ideas and experiences with other students from around the country. 

Ms. Sawyer shared other program offerings such as providing substance education classes for students, Healing of the Canoe, the parenting workshop, Guiding Good Choices, along with guest speakers on a variety of topics.  She shared that recent surveys show a downward trend amongst tenth graders for mental depression and substance abuse, but that the district averages are still higher than the state averages. Looking forward the coalition is committed to expanding peer to peer mentoring at the elementary level, strengthening middle and elementary engagement, increasing parent connections and growing community involvement in prevention.  

The Board of Directors asked clarifying questions and shared gratitude to Ms. Sawyer and the students for their excellent presentation. 

Jen Wallin introduced herself to the Board and shared that she usually comes to share about something she is super passionate about.  She stated that she came to tonight's meeting to share her gratitude for Director Julianne DeShayes. She noticed that at every board meeting Director DeShayes always shared during the good news of the district because she was in attendance at so many events. She knows she does have students at events, but believes she would have attended regardless. Her constant ability to bridge the gap between her and the community without bias but sharing facts should be continued as board members. She thanked her for her work and hopes that the work continues. She stated that Julianne spent time scouring for grants and she was still reading policies and coming to every meeting during a very difficult time for her family. Her commitment was deeply important. She stated that the community is grateful for her service.  

Personnel Report - December 2025

The Board of Directors acknowledged the first reading review of policies #2170-Career and Technical Education and #2420-Grading and Progress Reports.  These policies will be brought forward for a second reading in January. 

Director of Business Kyle Fletcher submitted the Financial Report to the Board of Directors in advance of the meeting and links provided on the district website for anyone to view this report. 

Board President Gamblin thanked Julianne DeShayes for her service on the Board of Directors. 

Board President Gamblin stated the Executive Session was to discuss a public employee. He stated they would need 30 minutes and adjourned the regular season at 7:30 p.m. and would start the Executive Session at 7:35 p.m.  Board President Gamblin stated at 8:00 p.m. that the Board would need an additional 20 minutes. 

The regular board meeting was called back into session at 8:20 PM.