Changes to agenda: 

Program Reports:

• LMS Student Ambassadors will not be presenting. 

Items added as part of the Consent Agenda:

• Personnel Report: Classified Rehire List
• Personnel Report Addendum
• Overnight Field Trip Request – PHS FCCLA

Informational Items added:

• 2190P Highly Capable Program
• 2025-2026 Board Calendar Revision

Item added as part of the Executive Session:

• Discuss with legal counsel potential litigation RVW 42.30.110(1)(i)

The PHS ASB student representative provided an update on recent ASB activities:

• Next year ASB representatives are taking their new positions. 
• Met with new class officers for team building activities and to learn about each position. 

• Craig Nelson: Attended senior walk of fame at Jefferson Elementary. Extended thanks to staff for their work. 
• Lisa Waananen Jones: Participated in end of year festivities which included an end of year event at Jefferson Elementary and the Pullman High School graduation. Addressed her absence at the previous meeting. Provided an overview of the board protocol for board member's that are not able to attend. Appreciated that people have different levels of comfortability with sharing personal information with the public. Read aloud each of the 1101F Board Protocols. Noted that the only instances in which all 5 board members are required to be present are when hiring a superintendent or appointing a board member.
• Arron Carter: Attended PHS graduation among other end of year activities. Thanked staff for another successful year. 
• Amanda Tanner: No report. 
• Nathan Roberts: No report. 

• Noted graduation and the senior awards night were a great success. Lots of end of year activities at all schools. Thanked staff for their efforts. 
• Introduced Ryan Mulvey as the newly hired Assistant Superintendent and Evan Hecker who will assume the role of Pullman High School Principal/AD. Mr. Mulvey and Principal Hecker introduced themselves to the School Board and community.  

Report: Safety presented by Juston Pollestad Executive Director of Operations

Director Pollestad provided an overview of the encumbrance related to the sale of the Pullman Aquatic Center. He clarified that SEL plans to continue existing programs and has expressed a consistent preference to own the property, due to potential liability and the extensive remodeling needed. He addressed concerns about the encumbrance becoming a burden on the district and noted possible partnerships with the city and grant opportunities to help support it. The district also continues to explore partnerships with community organizations, such as Phoenix Conservancy, to help maintain future outdoor recreation land. Once the sale is finalized, the district will have three years to resolve the encumbrance.

Director Pollestad also provided an update on district safety efforts, which included staff training, environmental and food safety, outdoor spaces, building security, social-emotional learning, emergency preparedness, and transportation safety. He noted the district’s new requirement to comply with Alyssa’s Law, which is aimed at improving emergency response times.

Report: Summer School presented by Roberta Kramer, Assistant Superintendent

Dr. Kramer presented the district’s summer school plan. Pullman High School will offer a credit recovery program for core classes with one teacher on site. Due to budget constraints, there will be no elementary summer school this year. Extended School Year (ESY) services for qualifying students will be held at Kamiak Elementary.

In response to a question about the cost of summer school at PHS, Dr. Kramer explained that the board approved the cost structure, though a discounted rate was offered. The district incurs costs through Apex for the courses and does not profit from the summer school offering.

Report: English Language Development (ELD) presented by Roberta Kramer, Assistant Superintendent

Dr. Kramer provided an overview of the district's ELD program including enrollment, staffing, budget and expenditures (which will be overspent by the end of the fiscal year), and the goals/strategies/activities for the upcoming school year. Dr. Kramer noted that expenditures are projected to exceed the budget by the end of the fiscal year, although additional funding sources have helped offset some costs. There is hope for carryover funding in Title III, however uncertainty remains around Title III allocations. The district has incorporated professional learning for all staff during designated professional development days.

Dr. Kramer also highlighted the variety of languages represented in the program and noted that translation and interpretation services are provided to families as needed. In response to a question about English-speaking students in the ELD program, Dr. Kramer clarified that some information may be misrepresented, and added that some families identify as English speakers with pride in their multilingual backgrounds.

No update. 

Speaker: Jessica Viergutz

Topic: Provided comment on the district’s efforts to expand school-based mental health services. The speaker shared their experience with the district which resulted in the speaker leaving the district, citing a perceived lack of school board support during negotiations related to mental health positions. They expressed concern about resistance and defensiveness from the superintendent and a lack of clarifying questions from district leadership. The commenter urged the board to be fully present in decision-making processes and cautioned against avoidance behaviors. They also emphasized the importance of standardizing exit interviews and provided the board with sample materials.

Speaker: Wendy Kruger

Topic: Provided comment on recent leadership hiring decisions, noting that while an assistant superintendent has been hired, the district also paid two retired administrators this school year to support building-level staff. The speaker emphasized the importance of district leaders being present and providing direct support in schools. They expressed concern that scare tactics are being used with staff and shared examples. The speaker questioned the merit-based nature of the hiring process, particularly regarding the selection for a “TBD” position, and shared their perspective on the essential qualities of effective leadership.

Speaker: Anthony Haynes

Topic: Provided comment about the potential violation of the Open Public Meetings Act related to the April 30th board meeting and stated that, if confirmed, any decisions made during that meeting should be considered void. The speaker referenced the timeline of communication with Wendy Kruger regarding an informal meeting and emphasized the board’s duty to act independently. They expressed concern about an erosion of trust within the district, referenced a vote of no confidence, and highlighted results from a staff association survey indicating the lowest levels of confidence in the superintendent and assistant superintendent. The speaker attributed the high volume of public records requests to a broader lack of trust in district leadership.

Speaker: Allison Harris

Topic: speaker asked the board to reconsider the removal of Wendy Kruger from the Athletic Director position at Pullman High School, referencing a community petition with over 500 signatures. The speaker expressed concern that the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) was violated during the appeal process, asserting that the result of that meeting should be considered null and void. They also cited a violation of RCW related to the notification timeline provided to Wendy Kruger. The speaker requested that the board allow her to repeat the appeal process, vote again on the decision, and reverse the transfer to keep her in the AD position.

Speaker: Cooper Jaquish

Topic: Provided comment on the importance of free communication and the right to peacefully assemble, raising concerns about inconsistency in board meeting decorum. They shared their perspective on the April 30th board meeting and submitted a letter signed by community members expressing strong disagreement with the actions and decisions made during that meeting.

Speaker: Joe Harris

Topic: Provided comment about the upcoming election and the anticipated changes to the school board, describing it as an opportunity for the board to define its legacy. They encouraged the board to establish a legacy of responsiveness and inclusivity—specifically by bringing back Wendy Kruger, and by actively listening to parents and students.

Speaker: Nathalie Herrin

Topic: Speaker thanked Marie Wallace for her previous public comments regarding attendance boundaries. Speaker expressed concern about administrative spending and emphasized the importance of considering qualified employees from within the local community. The speaker noted feeling overwhelmed by the volume of data being presented and shared a personal example of what they described as retaliation within the Pullman School District. They also highlighted ongoing challenges with transportation, stating that no one has stepped in to help resolve those issues. Additionally, the speaker expressed frustration about being repeatedly passed over during the hiring process.

Speaker: Judy Willington

Topic: Provided comment about the cost of the high school summer school credit recovery, noting that the courses provided are available through a subscription service at a lower cost compared to the current summer school program.

Presenter: Juston Pollestad, Executive Director of Operations

Item presented at the last board meeting. Have received no questions since it was last presented. 

The grant stipulates that this bus cannot be sold as surplus, but must be destroyed to assure that the engine and chassis is taken out of service.

Presenter: Juston Pollestad, Executive Director of Operations

This item was presented at the last board meeting. Have received no questions since it was last presented. Montessori School of Pullman would like to explore leasing space at the Pullman Schools District Office. When asked if a lease had been drafted, Director Pollestad responded that the process is still ongoing. The lease will return for board approval at a future meeting.

• June

2025-2026 Board Meeting Schedule & Content Calendar Update:

The MAP and SBA testing windows will be ongoing through early June. Proceeding with the current June work session date, principals would only have preliminary data for some students, limiting their ability to provide a comprehensive and accurate picture of student performance. Pushing the session to the third week of June would enable principals to present complete and finalized data for both assessments.

For 2024-2025 School Year 

Budgeted FTE: 2560 

Current FTE: 2572.22

Current Year Average FTE: 2595.56

• 2190P Highly Capable Program

N. Roberts announced there will be an Executive Session to discuss Personnel, Negotiations, Superintendent End-of-Year Evaluation, and Discuss with Legal Counsel Potential Litigation (RCW 42.30.110(1)(i) that will end at 8:15pm.

The board meeting reconvened into an open session at 8:15pm, and the chair announced that the executive session end time would be extended 15 minutes before returning to executive session.

The board meeting reconvened into an open session at 8:30pm, and the chair announced that the executive session end time would be extended 20 minutes before returning to executive session.

The board meeting reconvened into an open session at 8:50pm, and the chair announced that the executive session end time would be extended 20 minutes before returning to executive session.

The board meeting reconvened into an open session at 9:10pm, and the chair announced that the executive session end time would be extended 10 minutes before returning to executive session.