Vancouver Public Schools welcomes Tracie Barrows, Kathy Decker and Kyle Sproul to the board of directors. The three board candidates were elected in the Nov. 5 general election and will be sworn in officially at the Dec. 10 school board meeting. The meeting will take place at 5 p.m. at the Bates Center for Educational Leadership, 2921 Falk Rd.

Tracie Barrows is a school psychologist at Columbia Valley and Crestline elementary schools in Evergreen Public Schools. She has been a school psychologist for 12 years and has lived in Vancouver since 2009. Barrows earned a master’s degree from Argosy University in Hawaii. Her husband, Doug, is a fourth-grade math and science teacher at Endeavour Elementary in Evergreen Public Schools.

“I am honored to have been elected by our community to serve on the board,” said Barrows. “My goals are to ensure that our students’ diverse needs are represented and considered in our decision-making, as well as to bring an understanding of students’ emotional and mental health to the board as we work together for the future of our district.”

Kathy Decker, a former VPS teacher, has lived in Vancouver for the past 23 years. She began teaching after earning her Bachelor of Arts in elementary education from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and has taught in three states and Japan. She and her husband, Mark, have three children; two are VPS graduates and one is currently at Columbia River High School.

“Each school community has different gifts and struggles,” said Decker. “By engaging with staff, parents and teachers, I hope to provide opportunities for schools to develop their unique paths toward success."

Kyle Sproul, a Washington native, moved to Vancouver in 2006. Sproul has a Master of Business Administration degree from Indiana University. Her 19-year career includes working as a marketing strategist for two Fortune 500 companies. Currently, she is a part-time marketing director for a small business. She and her husband, David, have three children; two are VPS students and one is a future VPS student.

“I am honored to serve the Vancouver Public Schools community,” said Sproul. “This work is essential; school employees are charged not simply with educating our students, but also preparing them for their futures in a very dynamic and changing world.”

We are sad to share the following news.

There was a shooting today in the parking lot at Anderson Elementary at approximately 3:15 p.m. after the school day had ended.

The shooting involved two adult victims and one adult suspect.

No students or staff members were injured.

There is no danger to the public at this time.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office is investigating and will provide further information.

Our thoughts are with the victims, students, families, staff and the entire Anderson community. We will support them however we can.

The Vancouver Public Schools board of directors has decided not to hold a special meeting on Nov. 20, where it had planned to act on a resolution to remove a new elementary school from a list of bond projects approved by voters in Feb. 2017.

Board Resolution 849 was introduced last week at the Nov. 12 regular meeting of the board. Nobody signed up to speak at the public hearing portion of the meeting, which was intended to provide the community with time to comment on the decision. 

After receiving no other feedback on the resolution except for an email message from one parent, Board President Mark Stoker decided to postpone action. “Although the current board has examined this matter for over a year in several work sessions and briefings, we want to ensure that our community is fully aware of the factors that warrant a delay in building this proposed new school,” said Stoker. “We also want to respond to questions or concerns from stakeholders.”  

“The context has changed significantly since voters approved the list of bond projects,” said Stoker. “An updated district enrollment forecast shows that VPS will have 37 unused elementary classrooms by 2025. At the same time, unprecedented inflation in the regional construction market has increased project costs beyond what could have been reasonably predicted.”  

The district intends to hold community forums at Anderson, Hazel Dell, Minnehaha, Eisenhower and Walnut Grove elementary schools this winter to share information and listen to community feedback on the need for a new elementary school, which was slated for construction on district-owned property at NE 25th Avenue. Those schools likely would be impacted by the NE 25th Avenue school project that is being considered for deferment to a future bond program.

“As we always do in Vancouver Public Schools, we will engage our staff, parents and community to ensure that stakeholders are well-informed of the challenges faced by the district,” said Superintendent Steve Webb. “And we will continue to invite public input as we complete the remaining bond projects.” 

Vancouver Public Schools is reaching out to staff and community members for input and guidance as part of its response to the Washington State Attorney General’s Office investigation of disproportionate discipline for special education, African American, Native American and Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students. 

A steering committee of 12-15 internal and external stakeholders including representatives of Vancouver’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and SW Washington’s League of United Latin American Citizens will convene in December to review the AGO’s report, the relevant discipline data and the work completed to date. Invitations also will be extended to Native American, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and special education partners.

“We welcome working with our community partners and families as we address this complex challenge that affects not only our district, but school districts and communities throughout our state and nation,” said Superintendent Steve Webb. “We hope that the work we will do together can serve as a model for others.”

In January, the steering committee will meet with consultant Daniel Losen from the UCLA Center for Civil Rights Remedies to review his report and recommendations. In March, the steering committee will guide the formation of goal area teams. Composed of district staff, parents and community members, those teams will help the district develop action plans with specific goals, strategies and timelines for improving equity in student disciplinary practices. The district will keep the public informed of the planning process through periodic updates.

A recap of the process and action plans will be presented to the board of directors in May. A progress report will be submitted to Losen and the attorney general in July 2020.