Pullman School District
Minutes
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Task Force Meeting
Date and Time
Tuesday May 20, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Location
District Office - Community Room
240 SE Dexter St.
Pullman, WA 99163
Please note these are FINAL task force meeting minutes. Task Force meeting minutes do not require approval at a subsequent meeting since they are prepared and agreed upon by the task force at the end of the meeting.
Committee Members Present
Bekah Miller MacPhee, Cheyenne Webber, Colette Casavant, Courtney Hodge, Jia Cheng
Committee Members Absent
Ahmad Alssalem, Craig Nelson, Daun Park, Libby Pyo, Retal Abdellatiffe, Stephany RunningHawk Johnson
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
II. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Task Force
A.
Tasks assigned by the School Board
B.
Discuss Summer Meeting Schedule & Task Force Membership Updates
The board has approved recruiting a new member with expertise or experience in disabilities. Members discussed potential contacts, including individuals affiliated with WSU ROAR and the University of Idaho, as well as the importance of K-12 experience. There was interest in reaching out to multiple people to gauge interest, but clarification is needed on the application and selection process—whether candidates are chosen by the task force or approved by the board.
Members noted that there are likely two senior positions to fill. Looking ahead to next year, there was a brief discussion about identifying potential candidates for chair or co-chair roles.
Regarding summer meetings, availability varies among members. It was suggested that possible dates be sent out in advance, and if attendance appears low, a meeting could be canceled.
C.
Planning of Community Resource Events Hosted by PSD - "Community Connections"
The task force discussed creating a more interactive and engaging Community Resources Event where families can have face-to-face conversations with organizations. Ideas to encourage interaction included turning the event into a game—such as bingo with organization-provided questions, a spin-the-wheel activity (virtual or physical), or a speed-dating format.
There was concern about attendance and whether the families who need support would actually come. Possible venues were discussed, including Gladish as a central option. Food was suggestd and considered; however, there was concern on how sustainable that would be for ongoing events. A suggestion was made to create themed events (e.g., "home," "nutrition," "health," "wellness") to attract families with specific needs, while being mindful of using positive language in the promotion of the events. Another idea was to rotate the event among schools and align with existing family nights.
The Community Organizations sheet was shared. While the group decided not to divide responsibilities just yet, members were encouraged to consider partnering with organizations from the list, especially as new task force members join.
D.
Next Steps: Survey Data Review - Shaping Community Efforts in Pullman Schools
The task force discussed sending out a survey during fall conferences to get more feedback from families, placing it in hallways where families wait and promoting it heavily. Before doing so, the task force discussed reviewing the current survey questions, with interest in revisiting the existing data to identify which questions, if any, may need to be revised.
Reviewed by the task force.