Voters say yes to levy, as school board approves strategic plan
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, February 16, 2022
The Vashon Island community helped deliver two resounding successes for the Vashon Island School District (VISD) last week.
The EP&O Levy on the special February ballot passed with just over 70% of the community voters saying yes. Then, on Thursday, Feb. 10, the VISD school board voted to adopt the district’s new strategic plan.
“We are so thankful for the Vashon community’s engagement and input into our strategic planning process and their ongoing commitment to support our schools by approving the recent levy,” said VISD superintendent Dr. Slade McSheehy. “From their support, we will continue to offer unique and exceptional educational experiences for every student.”
The strategic plan will guide the district from 2022 to 2027. Performance Fact, Inc. steered the strategic planning process, which involved months of effort, collaboration, conversation, and input from parents, students, VISD community partners, and members of the Vashon business community.
The plan details the “Vashon Promise,” which states that “Every student is welcomed, known, and treasured, and graduates confident and competent to thrive in a future they imagine.”
It is based around the portrait of a Vashon graduate, detailing goals for students’ success based on four pillars: equitable access to culturally-responsive teaching and learning, safe climate for learning and work, accelerated interventions and supports for staff and students, and strong partnerships and collective accountability.
To help fulfill the goals of the strategic plan, the community needed to pass the EP&O levy to provide local funding for critical programs, services, and needs that are not covered by state and federal dollars. Slightly more than 43 percent of eligible Vashon voters voted in the special election, the highest rate in King County, as of Feb. 10.
“The timing of the strategic plan could not be better,” said board member Zabette Macomber. “As we emerge from COVID, this has been the perfect time to re-examine how we educate every student that enters the district. With the levy passing as successfully as it did, it really reinforces the community’s commitment to all of our students.”
The levy, which renews an expiring tax, will generate approximately $16.1 million for the district over four years, beginning in 2023 and ending in 2026. Each year, the levy will comprise roughly 15 percent of the district’s budget, as it currently stands.
The levy helps fund a wide variety of services and programs at the district, such as nurses, counselors, para-educators, behavior and mental health programs, and the professional development of teachers and staff.
