Board Bulletins

Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA) in Action...

May 2026

Every elected School Board Director in Washington is automatically a member of The Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA). As defined in RCW 28A.345, WSSDA is organized to provide non-partisan leadership support, model policy creation, legal insight and legislative advocacy for all of Washington's 295 school districts.

In order to help these efforts move forward, the body of the association (School Board Directors) meet annually to consider permanent positions of belief and legislative positions for advocacy.

Permanent positions:
These are positions which the body of membership value as beliefs of the association. For example:

Federal Funds
WSSDA believes federal funds for public education should be channeled directly to school districts.
Category: Funding and Allocations Type: Permanent Adopted: 1996 Amended: 2012

Legislative Positions:
Legislative positions help to guide WSSDA in its advocacy for or against legislation pertaining to public education. For example:

Getting to School Safely
WSSDA shall initiate and/or support legislation that fully, amply, and sustainably funds safe routes to school; which could consist of, but not be limited to, sidewalk and bike paths, construction and maintenance, traffic and speed calming measures, and other evidence-based safety measures for pedestrians and bicycle riders around all public schools.
Category: Funding and Allocations Type: Legislative Adopted: 2025

Both permanent and legislative positions help to guide the advocacy work that WSSDA does on behalf of school districts across the state. Because this work affects every Washington district, school boards are invited to participate in the creation or amendment process of these positions before voting on them in a General Assembly each year.

How a position is created:

School Board Directors review positions in the spring
School Boards submit Board-approved amendments, retirements or new positions
WSSDA legislative and resolutions committees review submitted positions and issue DO or DO NOT pass recommendations to the general membership
WSSDA committee recommendations are shared with School Boards, and submitted positions can be amended again by Boards, if necessary
All position proposals are published in the WSSDA General Assembly Handbook
School Boards review the Handbook and decide how they will vote on each proposal at General Assembly
A School Board’s Legislative Representative or delegated director attends the virtual assembly, can speak for or against proposed changes, and then can cast a vote on behalf of their Board
Each School Board gets one vote per proposal
Positions that receive 50% or more approval, or 60% or more approval for bylaw changes, become the new positions of WSSDA
WSSDA amalgamates participating districts’ Top 10 legislative priorities (based on WSSDA-adopted positions) to create a Top 10 advocacy priorities list for the upcoming legislative session

In the last several years, the Central Valley School Board has leaned into this important WSSDA advocacy work to help guide our state legislators to develop and support positive legislation that protects parental rights, local control and funding for basic education. We will continue to do this important work to help benefit our students, families and community.

For more information about WSSDA and the work your School Board has done, please see the links below:

Anniece Barker

2026 School Board Vice President

Your School Board Ensures Safety Matters!

April 2026

Washington high school and middle school athletics are governed by a private, non-profit organization called the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). Over 800 schools are members of the WIAA, including our Central Valley School District middle and high schools.

The WIAA sets rules and standards for sporting events with the goals to ensure fair play and student/participant safety. They believe that sports are an integral part of education, encourage students to attain personal academic excellence, and build and strengthen character traits such as leadership, service, and sportsmanship.

Policies, rules, and regulations are often set according to federal and state laws, but are also determined by member schools. Member schools are able to participate in a process for making or modifying policies, rules, or regulations. Every year, member schools may submit amendments or proposals. Also, each year, member schools may vote on all proposed amendments or changes.

In the last two years, the CVSD School Board has adjusted the process for the Board to direct school representatives how to vote on behalf of the district. As representatives of the community, the Board wants to ensure that we are fulfilling our role in setting the direction of the district, including rules and policies surrounding athletics. We understand the vital role athletes play for our students, coaches, parents, and community. Therefore, we want to ensure that all votes align with that direction, as well as ensure uniformity and accountability.

The Board highly values input from our coaches and athletic directors, and thus we seek their input on amendments and proposals before we vote. Each Board member researches the proposed changes along with representatives’ input. Then a work session is held during a School Board meeting, facilitating a more informal discussion amongst Board directors. During the work session, the Board invites our lead athletic director to be present and participate.

This affords the Board the ability to directly ask questions and immediately receive input. Finally, after each Board director has made their final individual positions known, the Board majority on each item is declared by the Board President. The Board then returns to the dais to hear any public comments on the issues before moving to a final vote to submit the Board's positions to member school representatives.

The CVSD School Board is committed to ensuring that student athletics remain safe and fair for all participants, is representative of our community, and aligns with the direction the Board sets. This procedural change in how the district votes on WIAA policies, rules, and regulations is one aspect of meeting these commitments in a more consistent and transparent manner.

Pam Orebaugh
2026 School Board Legislative Representative

Convening the Long-Range Planning Committee… Once Again...

March 2026

CVSD covers 80 square miles, on which are located 33 school buildings and facilities, and three reserve sites for potential future district buildings. These properties are maintained and developed with the generous funding our voters approved through capital bonds and levies. We take our responsibility to manage these sites to ensure optimal educational environments for our students and staff and to protect the public investment very seriously.

To ensure that we thoughtfully plan for future capital needs, the district and School Board reconvened a Long-Range Planning Committee. On February 26, 2026, as our School Board representative, I was pleased to join the other members of the committee, who are parents and principals from all school levels and neighborhoods across the district, maintenance and facilities staff and district leaders, to start this work.

Over the coming months, we will review student enrollment trends and projections, the in-depth CVSD Study and Survey of all district facilities and the projected future needs of the district. We will discuss and deliberate to fashion a recommendation to the School Board of a 20-year plan to maintain, improve, expand, renovate and potentially construct schools and other needed facilities to support our district’s commitment to providing high-quality educational opportunities for all students.

Relevant background information:

I look forward to keeping you updated on our progress.

Cindy McMullen

School Board Director

View more Board Bulletins by clicking on the headline or arrow below.

Meaningful Evaluation of the Superintendent Matters...

February 2026

Each year the School Board is tasked with establishing "performance criteria and an evaluation process for its superintendent…” (RCW 28A.150.230, District school directors’ responsibilities). Historically, this has been done by using the Washington Standards-Based Superintendent Framework to look at the superintendent’s overall performance at the end of the school year. However, over the past two years, the Board has been honing this process to be more meaningful and goal-oriented.

This year, the Board agreed to evaluate the work and progress of the superintendent by utilizing the three goal-initiatives of the Board-Superintendent Team (BST) carried over from the previous year, in addition to two Framework Standards, which align with the district's Strategic Plan.

Initiative 1: Academic Achievement

Initiative 2: Fiscal Accountability & Budget Oversight

Initiative 3: Implement Strategic Plan

Standard 1: Mission, Vision, and Core Values

Standard 4: Community of Care and Support for Students

At a special board meeting on August 20, 2025, the Board and Superintendent Team (BST) came together to thoughtfully develop a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for each of the initiatives that will guide the superintendent’s evaluation. These KPIs were intentionally designed to be measurable, trackable and grounded in data. It is important to both the Board and the superintendent that progress toward our district’s goals is clear, transparent and supported by meaningful evidence.

To further strengthen this process, the Board established an annual executive session in mid-January to specifically review the superintendent’s progress on the three district initiatives. This mid-year conversation allowed the Board to reflect on measurable progress prior to the February 1 superintendent contract renewal deadline, with final evaluation and action to be taken in June each year. The Board views this January review as an opportunity to thoughtfully assess implementation and growth, while the end-of-year evaluation will provide a broader look at overall progress on both district initiatives and professional standards.

The superintendent evaluation process has given our board a meaningful opportunity to see the district initiatives in action and in process, which has strengthened the BST as well as provided another opportunity for transparency and accountability to the community. We can track progress toward our goals and see if our initiatives are providing the desired outcomes of our ultimate goal—student success.

To view the 2025-2026 BST goals and mid-year evaluation follow the links below.:

Anniece Barker

2026 School Board Vice President

Growing Programs While Providing Relief for Central Valley Families...

Growing Programs While Providing Relief for Central Valley Families...

January 2026

Anyone fortunate enough to enjoy the plethora of student music, drama, and art events showcased before winter break can see how Central Valley School District programs have been blossoming. Backed and driven by dedicated staff and volunteers, recent highlights include thriving high school theatre programs, fifth grade strings programs bursting with new students across the learning communities, as well as choral groups at all school levels exceeding participation estimates.

With careful budgeting and a growing fund balance, coupled with support from our local levies, the district budget is in a healthier place than it was three years ago, as shown in the 2024-2025 budget update. Therefore, one way the Board has attempted to elevate student opportunities and bring added financial relief to families is by adjusting the 2025-2026 student fees schedule.

At the request of the School Board, the district finance team set out to make costs associated with activities consistent across schools, as well as budget a plan to reduce participation fees for this school year. While there is always an option to waive fees for students who qualify for free and reduced lunch, these investments of funding benefit all families. The scaled reductions include lowering high school and middle school athletics participation fees and marching band uniform fees, while waiving instrument fees and class supply fees for fine arts classes.

In addition, the 2025-2026 budget includes targeted investments to offset other participation-related costs. This includes $25,000 per high school ($75,000 total districtwide) to support performing arts travel-related expenses, continuing the $25,000 per high school investment that began in 2024-2025. The budget also includes $45,000 in 2025-2026 to help offset uniform rotation costs for both performing arts and athletics, with this investment increasing to up to $90,000 in 2026–2027.

The business services team will continue to monitor and assess the impact of these changes, and then the Board will consider similar adjustments within the scope of next year’s budgeting possibilities. In the meantime, the Board has been excited to offer these changes to students and their families for the 2025-2026 school year.

As a School Board, we see how important the arts are to students and their families, and believe every student should have the ability to participate, regardless of financial background. We stand with our community in fostering and promoting these beloved and enriching opportunities for student growth. Our levies allow us to continue making them possible.

Thank you for your ongoing support!

Stephanie Jerdon

2026 School Board President

CVSD Legislative Advocacy in Action...

CVSD Legislative Advocacy in Action...

December 2025

Legislative advocacy for our students and staff is an ongoing priority for our CVSD School Board. We have been building relationships with our legislators over the years by personally sharing with them the needs our district has. One very important event we have attended and now hosted in conjunction with other valley school districts is a legislative breakfast. This is an opportunity for us to have face-to-face conversation with our Senator and Representatives before the legislative session begins. This in-person conversation is vital for us to have our unique needs heard and to find ways to work with our representatives on advocacy. This year’s legislative breakfast, held on Nov. 15th, focused on a reduction of unfunded mandates and other regulatory issues facing our district.

Since 2018, Washington State has issued roughly 77 new requirements for public education with most of them being unfunded. With the help of district administration, we have compiled the following three areas of concern under the umbrella of unfunded mandates, which we presented to our legislators:

Implicit Price Deflator
Public Records Requests
Group Homes

Implicit Price Deflator:

“The Implicit Price Deflator (IPD) is the state's inflationary funding mechanism, which adjusts K-12 funding based on available new state revenue, not the actual costs school district face. This gap forces the district to repurpose local levy dollars – funds that voters intended to enhance student programs – to meet state-driven compensation expectations.” (referenced from district legislative one-pager below)

Each public school is issued funding based on a prototypical funding model. Any spending a district does beyond this prototypical model must come out of a local levy. For example, if the state funds a full-time certificated teacher at $80,000/year, but if the prevailing wage for a teacher in your community is $100,000/year (for the ease of calculating this example), your district would need to spend $20,000/year from the local levy to pay the wage difference for that teacher. The important thing to note is that when the state talks about giving an IPD percentage increase for wages, that percentage increase only applies to the amount that the state funds, which in our example above is $80,000, not the $100,000 the teacher is actually paid (in this example).

Our advocacy focus for this issue will help our legislators understand that the current language used surrounding IPD is confusing and can cause discord between the district and the teacher unions during contract negotiations. Misunderstandings regarding how percentage increases actually translate into real dollars can lead teachers to believe that money is being withheld. We are hopeful that with some language changes at the state level we can move away from percentage-based terminology and adopt a clearer total dollar increase.

Public Records Requests:

With a continual increase of public records requests school districts are receiving and processing, we are asking for some legislative relief to help to accommodate those requests without a negative impact on our district budgets and staff time.

Group Homes:

Central Valley has had a growing number of group homes inside of district boundaries. These group homes have placed considerable strain on our district schools. Currently, 31 group homes operate within CVSD boundaries, significantly increasing the district’s responsibility for providing special education services in both funding and staffing. Nearly all of these students come from outside the district, and the state funding provided to the group homes for their care is not transferred to the schools to cover the educational services delivered daily. CVSD has been working with Spokane Valley City Council to gain information and perspective regarding the role the city plays in these licenses. We believe that advocating directly with our legislators will help bring awareness and better regulation.

An important and central idea for this year’s advocacy is to provide some possible solutions for these issues that our legislators could consider as they are engaged in the work this legislative session. We will continue to work one-on-one with our local legislators now and throughout the year, including testifying where necessary in committee hearings to help bring positive change for our students and staff.

Together we can make a difference.

Anniece Barker

2026 School Board Vice President

Advocating for...

CVSD's “SIPs and PLCs in Action” Initiative...

CVSD's “SIPs and PLCs in Action” Initiative...

November 2025

Like the staff throughout the district, the School Board seeks out opportunities for professional development to better support student learning and enhance the system that serves them. School directors and superintendents often share ideas they have developed or are excited about in order to benefit other districts.

Last year while attending the Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA) Annual Conference, School Board directors had opportunities to attend break-out sessions covering a variety of topics. One session I attended introduced an initiative called “SIPs in Action," which connected the Board to the work on the ground that teaching teams and administrators do to strengthen student outcomes. After sharing the initiative with the Board, our Board-Superintendent Team (BST) was eager to tailor it to our district. Further, the BST built the initiative into our 2025-26 goals under Academic Achievement.

The newly CVSD-customized “SIPs and PLCs in Action” initiative has a two-pronged approach, which both strengthens the Board’s ability to 1) understand and monitor School Improvement Plans (SIPs) in progress and 2) experience Professional Learning Community (PLC) work first-hand on late-start Thursdays to see how schools are working toward their SIP goals. ALL SIP plans are submitted to the Board at the start of each school year for review.

“SIPs in Action” is spread across several scheduled Board meetings. Half of our 29 schools present what their SIPs focus on. Administrators prepare a slideshow detailing school goals based on assessment data, surveys of students, and other school statistics. They share successes they are seeing, as well as challenges their school faces.

“PLCs in Action” is calendared out at the other half of our schools throughout the year during Thursday mornings before students arrive. Board directors have the opportunity to sit in on teacher teams. During this PLC time, teaching teams are assessing student data, managing learning supports, magnifying teaching effectiveness by sharing strategies based on what is learned from student data, and identifying progress towards essential standards mastery.

To ensure the Board connects with every school in both ways, schools will alternate prongs of the initiative each school year. Next year, the Board will have SIP presentations from the schools who received PLC visits this school year. Those who participated in SIPs presentations this year, will receive PLC visits.

This month, the Board has its first “PLCs in Action” school visits and its second round of “SIPs in Action” presentations. We are excited to be underway and are eager to learn more about how schools support student achievement.

Review the "SIPs in Action" presentations to the Board:

Stephanie Jerdon

2025 School Board President

Your School Board Ensures Safety Matters!

Your School Board Ensures Safety Matters!

October 2025

The safety of our students and staff is the top priority of the CVSD School Board and district. We are always evaluating and looking for ways to increase safety.

With the passing of the capital levy in February 2024, we increased safety in numerous ways. We fixed sidewalk issues that were potential tripping hazards. We replaced older playground equipment at five of our elementary schools, as well as upgraded to ADA-compliant material underneath them.

Construction was completed on safety vestibules at five of our schools in August. Another five are scheduled for completion in the summer of 2026. This will ensure that all our schools have a locked entrance with a place for visitors to be screened prior to entry, out of the weather, with an intercom to the office. Office visibility from the front of the building was enhanced, security cameras were added, and technology systems upgraded, ONLY permitting a single point of entry into our schools through the offices. Safety vestibules increase the assurance that only those safe to enter our schools are allowed to do so.

Another significant change coming in summer of 2026 is improving Central Valley High School’s student parking lot entrance/exit. Numerous parents and citizens raised concerns about students not having a protected left turn onto Sullivan. Students would often make potentially dangerous left turns, some accidents occurred, and pedestrians crossing at the intersection were also at risk. Therefore, in partnership with the City of Spokane Valley, the entrance/exit will be changing. We are adding a third lane which will be dedicated to turning left onto Sullivan. The city is also looking to add a dedicated flashing crosswalk between 8^th and 16^th Avenue. Currently, the only safe crossings are at 8^th and 16^threspectively, which led to students attempting to dodge vehicles if crossing Sullivan between these streets. This dedicated Sullivan crossing will make students much safer. We also asked the district to see if the city can reprogram the light at the entrance/exit of Central Valley High School to increase safety this year while awaiting the completion of construction.

Along with these safety measures, the Board approved contracts to continue partnering with both the Spokane County Sheriff’s Department and the Liberty Lake Police Department for resource officers/deputies in our schools. Additionally, the district employs campus resource officers to help keep our students safe. The goal of these officers is prevention, while building and fostering quality relationships that empower and help our students.

Safety considerations permeate the work that the School Board does for our students and staff—everything from academics to sports. We will continue our efforts in this imperative work.

Pam Orebaugh

2025 School Board Vice President

CVSD Safer School Entryway Ribbon Cuttings

CVSD School Board sets direction for the 2025-2026 school year...

CVSD School Board sets direction for the 2025-2026 school year...

September 2025

The CVSD Board of Directors met with Superintendent Parker on August 20, 2025 in a special School Board meeting to set our direction for the 2025-2026 school year. An important part of the agenda was a discussion of Board-Superintendent Team Goals. Although the goals are still in draft form, we agreed to continue and expand upon the three initiatives from 2024-2025: 1) Academic Achievement, 2) Strategic Plan, and 3) Fiscal Accountability. In this bulletin, I will focus on Initiative 1: Academic Achievement.

Student Academic Achievement continues to be a top priority for the Board. In 2024-2025, directors reviewed the book Leading PLCs at Work Districtwide - From Boardroom to Classroom (Eaker, Keating, Hagadone, Rhoades) and participated in various Professional Learning Communities (PLC) workshops/conference sessions with district administrators and teachers to understand the research documenting the impact of PLCs on student academic achievement. To increase School Board director's understanding and support the staff in full implementation of the PLC initiative, in 2025-2026 directors will:

Further engage in PLC trainings, specifically in aspects related to the role of the Board and looking for evidence of student outcomes.
Monitor progress toward goals written in individual School Improvement Plans (SIPs) through monthly Board reports by identified schools.
Make scheduled school visits, titled SIPs in Action, during PLC time to make observations of the impact of PLC work toward student achievement, and report back regularly at Board meetings.
Recognize, share and celebrate successes and consider budget support as funding becomes available to address challenges.

In our initial study of PLCs, the Board learned about the Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum (GVC) tied directly to the state standards and developed by CVSD teachers with leadership from CVSD's Learning and Teaching team. Academic achievement will be measured by the assessments available to CVSD teachers through our professional development team's Teacher Hub web site and tied to the GVC. Note that the GVC in all grades and subjects is currently a work in progress. Through SIPs in Action, directors will have the opportunity to see both the PLC process and the actions/decisions teams take to support student achievement.

Through this focused involvement in the SIPs and PLC process, the School Board aspires to understand and be better positioned to support academic achievement long-term, following the Board-adopted 2023-2028 Strategic Roadmap, developed through comprehensive stakeholder engagement including students, staff, parents and community members.

Join us for our upcoming bi-monthly Board meetings as we engage in PLCS and review the SIPs in Action throughout the year.

Tere Landa

School Board Director

The new Balanced Calendar is underway...

The new Balanced Calendar is underway...

August 2025

As we move toward the beginning of a new school year there are some changes in the air for our district. The long awaited new "Balanced Calendar" and parent/teacher conference schedule will be in full swing. While it may take some for the community to adjust, our School Board is excited for the positive outcomes we hope to see this coming year and beyond.

As part of our Strategic Roadmap Direction 2: Reimagining Systems and Structures, the district committed to critically look at our current 180-day school calendar and explore the possibility of implementing a more balanced school year calendar.

The work began in December 2023 with the establishment of the CVSD Balanced Calendar Committee. As the district and Board pursued this work and made it a Board priority and goal in the fall of 2024, we were thoughtful and hopeful that this would be a positive move forward in several key areas.

Consistent Academic Engagement
Addressing Summer Learning Loss
Increased Opportunities for Enrichment
Improved Student, Teacher and Staff Well-Being
Helping Address Attendance Issues
Alignment with Community Needs
More Flexible Vacation Planning
Realignment of Elementary School/Middle School Conferences

In October of 2024, the Board adopted the "Balanced Calendar" recommendation and we are excited to see the completion of this goal and the implementation of this work for the upcoming school year. As the year progresses, we will continue to evaluate the impact these calendar changes are having for our students, staff and families and adjust for the following year as necessary.

But what about student teacher conferences?

Along with the changes to the general school year calendar the Board listened to community members and staff and asked administration to prioritize a reevaluation of our elementary and middle school conferences.

The previous conference schedule led to a lack of instruction time for students and disjointed scheduling for our families. The Board wanted to find a way to prioritize student learning, reduce the number of half days, help families with childcare struggles, and offer more options for working parents to conference with teachers. With the hard work of staff, we have been able to adjust these conference schedules to better align with those goals. Both elementary and middle school conferences will happen at the same time over three full days near the end of October with a second elementary conference opportunity for elementary conferences in February.

We know these are big changes for our families, but we are excited for the opportunity to step outside the box and look for and try new solutions that will benefit our students, families and staff.

To find more information on both the Balanced Calendar and the new Elementary/Middle School teacher conferences check out the links below.

Anniece Barker

2025 School Board Legislative Representative

Evaluating the Superintendent’s Performance…

Evaluating the Superintendent’s Performance…

July 2025

The School Board has one employee: the Superintendent. While the Board approves the hiring of staff and their contracts, the Superintendent is responsible for managing all staff. The Board has oversight of district operations by holding the Superintendent accountable. One of the main ways this is done is through the annual Superintendent’s evaluation.

This year, our School Board took a slightly different approach to the process for this evaluation. We began with the standards identified in the Washington State School Directors’ Superintendent evaluation tool, our Board-Superintendent Team Goals, and the district’s Board-adopted Strategic Plan.

Meeting with Superintendent Parker last summer, we agreed on specific areas of the Superintendent’s responsibilities to be measured by outcomes. These areas are: 1) Academic Achievement Initiative; 2) Fiscal Accountability and Budget Oversight Initiative; and 3) Implementing the Strategic Plan. Additionally, we identified two standards from the Washington Standards-Based Superintendent Framework: Standard 5) Professional Capacity of School Personnel and Standard 8) Collaboration with the Board. For each of these areas, a rubric was developed to measure performance as: needs improvement, basic, proficient, or distinguished.

In our Board meetings this year, we have received numerous reports and updates on the ongoing work across the district, addressing various components of the areas identified for evaluating the Superintendent. Additionally, Dr. Parker has provided the Board with documents and information related to his work in each area including trainings he attended or gave, updated work processes, and results of various assessments of student and staff performance.

The Board met with Dr. Parker in two executive sessions in January for a mid-year review, where he shared his perspective on his progress and answered questions and received feedback from the Board. The discussion identified several areas where Board members were pleased with the progress, and a few where we clarified our expectations, particularly related to collaboration with the Board.

The final evaluation occurred in May, in two executive sessions where the Board met with Dr. Parker and he updated examples of his work and answered our questions; after which the Board deliberated alone. Each of the identified areas have subsections, which were rated independently. The Board rated Dr. Parker’s performance as follows:

Academic Achievement: IN PROGRESS to PROFICIENT to DISTINGUISHED
Fiscal Accountability and Budget Oversight: DISTINGUISHED
Implementation of the Strategic Plan: PROFICIENT to DISTINGUISHED
Professional Capacity of School Personnel: PROFICIENT to DISTINGUISHED
Collaboration with the Board: PROFICIENT to DISTINGUISHED

The Board formally approved the written evaluation at our June 9, 2025 School Board meeting. View the full twelve-page Superintendent Evaluation.

Cindy McMullen

School Board Director

CVSD Career and Technical Education (CTE) Opportunities Abound...

CVSD Career and Technical Education (CTE) Opportunities Abound...

June 2025

Our CVSD mission is to “prepare students for career and life through high-quality, comprehensive education in partnership with families and community in a safe and inclusive environment." Our CTE programs and courses directly align with our mission, vision, and who we are with a focus on our strategic plan.

One of the four directions in our strategic plan is launching infinite possibilities. Under that direction, one of the actions is to enhance and implement a K-12 CTE model. We always work to tie our board actions and board goals to our strategic plan. It is not just something we wrote, but rather a roadmap that guides our ongoing decision making.

CTE programs and courses connect academic concepts to real-world applications and in doing so, prepare students to succeed in either a job out of high school or higher education. Students learn required academic standards from numerous subjects, all while engaging in hands-on courses that are relevant to them. Some CTE courses allow students to obtain both high school and college credits for the same course, which gives students a jump start in their college education.

CTE courses provide outcomes that our local business community needs in graduates. In fact, in order to offer a course in CTE, there must be an industry need that the course fulfills. Our Director of CTE Jennifer Chase and CTE teachers work closely with local industry experts to ensure courses are relevant, current, and meet the needs of industry in our local community and/or prepare them for higher education. Student apprenticeships are also born from this collaboration.

CVSD offers five CTE program areas students can choose: Business and Marketing; Family and Consumer Science; STEM; Skilled and Technical; and Health Sciences. In each of these program areas, there are sub-categories that include numerous courses. Some examples of sub-categories include computer science, engineering, manufacturing, construction, fire science, and biomedical science. CVSD provides a lot of CTE courses, and actively adds more when possible.

CVSD offers CTE courses in all our high schools and middle schools. Our CTE staff work closely to align middle school pathways with high school pathways. This amazing opportunity affords our students – beginning in middle school – to start taking courses for career exploration that then expands to career preparation in high school. CVSD also offers extra-curricular opportunities that are for career and technical learning in both middle and high schools.

As a Board, we have recently taken action on a couple of items related to CTE. We adopted a new middle school science curriculum that provides more hand-on learning. We are also doing a technology refresh, as part of the capital levy, to ensure students have proper working computers to access curriculum, including CTE courses. As our strategic plan states, we want CTE programming at all levels. We offer courses in the middle and high schools and Science Technology Engineering and Mathmatics (STEM) activities in the elementary schools. We will continue to work towards CTE course expansions and other related opportunities whenever feasible.

We continue to support existing CTE courses and projects. Spokane Valley Tech's Tradeshow of Innovation is one of the exciting venues afforded for our students. They work on an innovative project all year long and then present it in May at the tradeshow. These projects require students to apply knowledge from multiple courses for design, project management, implementation, and presentation. They do amazing innovative work!

Overall, CTE is a win for both our students and our community. In partnership with local industry leaders, CVSD is ensuring that our students are afforded many CTE opportunities which are relevant, current, and will lead to successful careers that are needed in our community.

Here is a recent CTE presentation to the School Board to give you an overview of our programs.

Pam Orebaugh

2025 School Board Vice President

Transparent Processes and Accountability...

Transparent Processes and Accountability...

May 2025

As elected officials, it is the responsibility of School Board directors to promote transparency and accountability in our governance to open district operations and processes to the people.

Transparency means that something is done in an open, honest way. In district governance, transparency enables the community to be informed about academic achievement, budgets, policies, spending, projects, legislative advocacy, and any other education-related work we undertake. This allows the community to monitor and participate in processes, while also safeguarding against any corruption.

The partner to transparency is accountability. Accountability not only means that elected officials are held responsible for their performance, but that they seek feedback to improve systems, policies, and programs, and are obligated to explain their final decisions and actions. By listening to and communicating with the public, confidence and trust are strengthened.

As a Board, we have been working hard to initiate and foster practices that are transparent and demonstrate accountability. In conjunction with the efforts of district personnel, here are some of the ways that we have been working towards these goals:

Board Bulletins featuring School Board work
Posting Board meeting dates, agendas, and links via the district website
Enhanced Budget Information via the district website
Enhanced Levy Information via the district website
Monthly budget status & accountability reports at Board meetings and posted to district website as well as the year prior
Detailed vouchers for district spending posted in each Board meeting “Consent Agenda”
Detailed Meeting Minutes posted to each Board meeting “Consent Agenda”
Posting Board Resolutions all in one place (see BoardDocs Featured “Documents”)
Posting School Board Q & A related to Board meeting agenda items (see BoardDocs Featured “Documents”)
Enhanced Board meeting agendas with detailed cover letters for each item to explain the “why” behind each
Detailed Legislative Reports posted to Board meeting agendas under “Legislative Update & Advocacy”
Following a multi-step process for policy work – usually over the course of consecutive Board meetings there is written information, a first touch, a first reading, and then Board action following public comment. Sometimes further steps are necessary, based on the policy and the questions of the Board.
Responding to email questions from the community
Detailing Board Goals (see BoardDocs Featured “Board Goals” and Board meeting agenda items)

If you have suggestions of how our School Board can enhance transparency and accountability, we welcome your input. From our School Board page and/or on this page, click on the teal “Email the Board” button and let us know what you think or how we are doing. Thank you!

Stephanie Jerdon

2025 School Board President

CVSD School Board sets priorities for the 2025-2026 budget process...

CVSD School Board sets priorities for the 2025-2026 budget process...

April 2025

In Washington State, every public school district must submit a budget to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction annually prior to the start of the school year. Seeking a transparent and collaborative process, the CVSD Board recently requested a work session with Gina Bullis, Executive Financial Officer, to draft clear parameters for the 2025-2026 budget to support the district’s goals, ensure fiscal stability, and demonstrate responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

In addition to the Directions set in our Strategic Plan, we drafted a list, in no specific order, of additional parameters:

• Support nutrition services and feeding kids using every strategy available to lessen or delay increases in costs for families

• Reduce costs for families for school supplies and activity fees if possible

• Provide academic interventions in reading and math for qualifying students at all levels and looking closely at grade 8 math

• Balance salary increases with other district priorities

• Offer students as many opportunities and pathways as possible leading to graduation

• Build the budget conservatively planning for contingencies

• Structure the budget in line with Board Policy 6022 to build the fund balance of 7.5% currently shown in the CVSD F-195 budget projection for 2025-2026

At this early stage of the budgeting process, there are many unknowns. Specific amounts for both the state and federal revenue sources are not yet available. Supplies, materials, insurance, transportation, and other costs subject to inflation are yet undetermined. In addition, Ms. Bullis and her team are using multiple strategies and resources to project our 2025-26 enrollment, the critical number that the state uses to determine our apportionment revenue, our largest source of income. We hope more of these numbers will be available for our next budget work session. To learn more about our current budget, please check out the district’s budget webpage.

All are welcome to join us for our bi-monthly Board meetings. In the coming months, the budget for 2025-2026 will be presented and adopted.

Tere Landa

School Board Director

CVSD School Board has long history of honoring Meritorious Service...

CVSD School Board has long history of honoring Meritorious Service...

March 2025

Since 1985, the Board has formally recognized the outstanding contributions of district staff and community members and organizations in support of our students’ education. Initially, the celebrations were dinner or dessert events, which included the honorees’ families and colleagues, and local dignitaries. More recently, the Board has met with the staff and community at their local schools, where we can read the accolades in the nomination form to the folks with whom they work every day.

There are four categories for this annual recognition: certificated staff (generally teachers and those with certificated degrees), classified staff (generally support staff), community, and teams. Nominations come from students, parents and families, co-workers, and supervisors.

This year, the Board received 800 nominations! In addition to the local school celebrations, the Board recognizes district-wide honorees in each category at our second Board meeting in March (this year Monday, March 24 at 6pm). One of the certificated staff nominees is also named as the district’s Educator of the Year, to be honored by the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce at its Business Awards Celebration on Wednesday, March 19 at 5pm.

The Meritorious Service Awards give the Board the opportunity to express our pride and gratitude to everyone who exemplifies OUR MISSION: Prepare students for career and life through a high-quality, comprehensive education in partnership with families and community in a safe and inclusive environment.

View the 2024 Meritorious Honorees, Nominees and Past Recipients at www.cvsd.org/meritorious

(utilize the menu for the various years)

Cindy McMullen

School Board Director

2024 District-wide Meritorious Honorees

Meritorious 2024 Recipients with the School Board — 2024 District-wide Meritorious Honorees with the School Board

An update from your School Board Legislative Representative...

An update from your School Board Legislative Representative...

February 2025

The Central Valley School Board is dedicated to advocating for our students and community.

We foster ongoing relationships with local elected officials, keeping them informed about the needs of our students and families. By sharing personal stories from students, teachers, and staff, we provide valuable insight into the challenges and experiences within our schools. Additionally, we closely monitor legislative sessions, tracking bills that could impact our district.

As these bills progress, we engage in the process by signing in as Pro or Con, submitting written testimony, and, when possible, delivering verbal testimony. Though this work requires dedication, we believe that, together, we can make a meaningful difference in our community.

The Washington State Legislature follows a two-year biennium cycle. In the first year, the primary focus is on establishing the state budget and passing legislation in both the House and Senate. Bills go through a structured process in each chamber, beginning with a committee hearing. If approved, they move to a funding committee before advancing to the chamber floor for a vote. Bills that receive a "Do Pass" vote then move to the opposite chamber, where they follow the same process. Those approved by both chambers are sent to the Governor, who can sign them into law, veto them, or allow them to become law after 20 days without a signature. The second year of the biennium addresses budget adjustments and considers both new bills and those from the previous year that did not pass.

Community members play a crucial role in this advocacy work. Keeping track of proposed bills and engaging with local representatives on a personal level can be highly effective. Reaching out through emails or phone calls helps inform representatives about the concerns and perspectives of their constituents.

Additionally, signing into bills, providing testimony, and sharing important legislative information with others in the community are essential actions. Using social media to raise awareness and amplify advocacy efforts can also make a significant impact. To learn more visit www.leg.wa.gov

You can also track all the education-related and other local legislation on our bill tracker page: www.cvsd.org/LegislativeLook

Anniece Barker

2025 School Board Legislative Representative

Legislative Work: WA Representative Schmidt visits the CVSD Early Learning Center

Early Learning Center Group Photo — WA Representative Schmidt visits the CVSD Early Learning Center with School Board (L to R: Cindy Sothen, Executive Academic Officer; Anniece Barker, Board Legislative Rep.; Barb Sattler, ELC Director; Rep. Suzanne Schmidt; Tere Landa, Board Director; Stephanie Jerdon, Board President

Stay informed... Legislative Look

A message from your 2025 School Board President...

A message from your 2025 School Board President...

January 2025

Well, we blinked, and now find ourselves half way through the 2024-2025 school year! I am honored to serve as your new Central Valley School Board president, and feel it is a fitting time to reflect on the school year thus far.

As a board, we greatly appreciate the many hands which are working in tandem on behalf of each of our students. We were encouraged as we received streamlined, annual improvement plans from each school (and a new district improvement plan as well), describing their goals for student progress and success. Coupled with renewed efforts towards professional learning community (PLC) collaboration and development, we are excited about the strides being made to monitor and strengthen teaching and learning.

Speaking of which, it is nearly time for the annual district Meritorious Awards. We hope you will take time to reflect on the individuals and/or groups who have been outstanding in their efforts to support students in our schools, and then nominate them for recognition. Don’t be shy. This is the chance to brag on their behalf!

The deadline for Meritorious Award nominations is Friday, February 14, 2025. You can find the details and nomination form at www.cvsd.org/meritorious.

By way of further updates, Board work since the end of last school year has included:

Development and approval of 2024-2025 goals for the Board-Superintendent Team
Analysis and approval of the 2024-2025 budget
Development of a Minimum Fund Balance policy (to be considered for final approval)
Updating seven (7) existing policies to align with recent legislation/laws
Approval of two (2) new policies regarding workforce secondary trauma and language access for students and their families
Resolution to conduct emergency repairs to the Early Learning Center/Mica Peak High School building
Approval of a High School Swimming Co-op Program with Cheney School District
Approval of an Interlocal Agreement with Spokane County and the City of Liberty Lake for School Resource Deputies
Development of CVSD Board legislative priorities within Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA)
Approval of a district Long-Range Capital Facilities Plan to address future needs
Approval of a new Balanced Calendar to improve student, teacher, and staff well-being, address summer learning loss and absenteeism issues, as well as reevaluate student conferences to enhance learning and meet community needs
Resolution and letter asking WIAA and legislators to advocate for equal opportunities and safety in female sports competition
Approval of classified substitute rate increase to compete with other local districts and attract more applicants
Meeting with legislators to discuss our district’s needs including issues regarding the funding required to meet increasing materials, supplies and operation costs (MSOCs); addressing increased transportation costs; as well as fully funding special education

As we start 2025, we are eager to get to work on plans connected to the passing of our capital improvements levy, and continue creating opportunities for student growth.

We would like to thank you, our community, for your generosity, support, and partnership.

Please connect with us or join us for our Board meetings the second or fourth Mondays at 6pm, 2218 N Molter Rd. We value your insights and perspectives in this collective effort!

Happy New Year to you and yours!

Stephanie Jerdon

2025 School Board President

Go to BoardDocs for more information on any of these initiatives mentioned.

Connect with Your CVSD School Board...

Meet your School Board Members...

Stephanie Jerdon, President, Dist. #3, elected 2023. Jerdon formerly taught 5th and 6th grades in Utah, prior to raising her children: two graduated from CVSD and one more to go. She’s been a classroom mentor, PTO member, library programming specialist and clerk. Jerdon leads with proactive community involvement. An Air Force wife, her family moved around before settling here in 2016. She enjoys international travel.
Pam Orebaugh, Vice President, Dist. #5, elected 2021. Originally from Montana, Orebaugh has lived our area for 30+ years. She currently teaches university-level nursing. Her career includes flight nursing and care for children/pregnant women. An active community volunteer, she has four children who attended CV schools and one currently. She loves the Zags, water sports and working with her daughter’s horse.
Anniece Barker, Legislative Rep., Dist. #4, elected 2023. Barker is an active community volunteer and A Voice for Washington Children organization’s founding chair, formed in 2020 to protect parent rights. She advocates for community values, fiscal stewardship and high academic standards. A home-based baking business owner, she loves to provide cooking and art classes at her children’s CVSD schools.
Teresa Landa, Director, Dist. #2, elected 2021. Her educational career spans 26 years as a former CVSD teacher/admin.; Newport Superintendent; and NEWESD101's Asst. Superintendent. Four family generations hold CVSD diplomas, including Landa. Find her family’s photos at the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum. She volunteers as a classroom helper and loves stand-up paddle boarding.
Cindy McMullen, Director, Dist. #1, elected 2015. A retired attorney after 40+ years, McMullen served four years on the State Board of Education and previously served 24 years on the CVSD School Board. She’s a past president of WSSDA and active on their legislative committee. She has three daughters who went to CV schools. McMullen is a huge Zags and Stanford fan and loves spending time with family and her dog.

Find out more at CVSD.org under “School Board"

A message from your 2024 School Board President...

A message from your 2024 School Board President...

June 2024

Happy end of the school year from your CVSD School Board of Directors. It’s been a very busy and productive year. We’re proud of all the work we accomplished in conjunction with district administrators and staff. We look forward to continue making our district the best it can be for our students, parents, staff, and community.

In our work, our highest priority remains student safety and success in all areas. To successfully do this, we must also focus on supporting our teachers, staff, and parents in addition to fiscal responsibility and listening to our community. Some school year highlights include:

developing improved stakeholder communication, especially parents/guardians
advocating for and working on increased transparency, especially with fiscally related items
supporting students by attending school events, inviting student representatives to speak at Board meetings, and supporting Dr. Parker in establishing a Student Advisory Council
working with our state legislators on items related to funding and local control of school Boards
ensuring all levy communications were accurate, transparent, easy-to-understand, and accessible
implementing strategic plan initiatives
developing new Board Superintendent Team goals and working agreements and adjusting the start times of board meetings for community accessibility.

We could not do this rewarding and involved work without your support and collaboration. We appreciate all our community does for our schools.

Please reach out as we desire to hear from our stakeholders. Or, join us at our Board meetings the second or fourth Mondays at 6pm, 2218 N Molter Rd.

Have a great summer!

Pam Orebaugh

2024 School Board President

School Board Calendar

Jun 9, 2026
- School Board of Directors Meeting - 6 pm (2218 N Molter Rd, Liberty Lake, WA 99019)
Jun 22, 2026
- School Board of Directors Meeting - 6 pm (2218 N Molter Rd, Liberty Lake, WA 99019)
Jul 13, 2026
- CANCELED - School Board of Directors Meeting
Jul 27, 2026
- School Board of Directors Meeting - 6 pm (2218 N Molter Rd, Liberty Lake, WA 99019)
Aug 10, 2026
- School Board of Directors Meeting - 6 pm (2218 N Molter Rd, Liberty Lake, WA 99019)

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School Board Bulletins

CVSD... An Award Winning District!

School Board Bulletin

Find out what your School Board has been up to regarding Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA)

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Board Bulletins

Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA) in Action...

Your School Board Ensures Safety Matters!

Convening the Long-Range Planning Committee… Once Again...

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School Board Calendar

Jun 9, 2026

Jun 22, 2026

Jul 13, 2026

Jul 27, 2026

Aug 10, 2026

School Board Bulletins

CVSD... An Award Winning District!

School Board Bulletin