<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Amanda Williams (l.) is sworn into her first three-year term on the Sitka School Board by board secretary Dawn Georgia (10-8-24). Williams was one of 14 district teachers whose positions were cut last year when the governor vetoed the Legislature’s education bill. (KCAW/Woolsey)</figcaption></figure><figure class="wp-block-audio"></figure>

Amanda Williams’ oath of office… “and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge my duties as a member of the Sitka School Board to the best of my ability… congratulations!” (applause)

Newly-elected school board member Amanda Williams had no sooner been sworn into her three-year term, when the Sitka School Board considered its first significant policy decision in some time: Whether to open a district pre-K program, beginning this year.

Superintendent Deidre Jenson has been developing the idea, with support from Xóots Elementary principal Jill LeCrone and others who are concerned about the high numbers of kindergarten students entering the district far below proficiency in the basic skills needed to learn reading.

“We had about 80-percent of students that were kind of in needing intervention, in the red, so to speak,” Jenson told the board. “Needing intervention, that’s pretty standard coming into kindergarten, and we just really want to kind of get ahead of the game and provide early intervention or prevention so that they can get a little head start.”

The Alaska Reads Act was passed by the Legislature in 2022, and sets a standard for reading proficiency by the end of third grade.

Jenson said that the district had distributed a survey to all families, and found that a majority of respondents were in support of a pre-K program.

“Throughout the Sitka School District, there were 43 that said yes (to a pre-K program), 35 said no, and 21 said maybe,” said Jenson. “And the ‘maybe’ was if there was an educational component to (the preschool).”

Jenson added that 24 families said they would pay at least $1,000 a month in tuition for the preschool. The objective, she said, was not to compete with Sitka’s existing childcare programs and preschools, but to serve students who weren’t already enrolled elsewhere.

Joel Markis, president of the board of the Betty Eliason Childcare Center, was worried about the district’s capacity to outcompete his organization’s services. He thought the administration should have consulted with Betty Eliason.

“From my perspective, I look at the school district opening up a competing venture in our community that you benefits from the tax base in Sitka,” said Markis.

Former Ventures director Annette Evans also expressed concern about the possibility of a second preschool teacher salary being supported with Ventures funds, if the preschool was offered full day. Ventures is an after-school program housed by the school district, but largely self-funded, and Evans did not believe the budget had anything to spare.

“The mention of using Ventures funds for a public preschool is something that should be investigated, if you haven’t looked into that,” she cautioned.

The most significant concern over the proposed preschool came from board member Phil Burdick, who objected to the price tag. Although there is admittedly a need for more childcare services in Sitka, he thought the district’s $1,000 per month tuition excluded many families who could not afford it, and would widen a  gap that the district has spent at least two decades trying to close.

“A tuition-based program is not equitable,” he said. “You can say that we’re going to offer support for people to get daycare assistance, but there is a sticker price attached to it, and I can’t wrap my head around that. I can’t figure out (because) one of our main strategic goals for the plan is to build a more equitable School District, and so I just can’t see how this works.”

And for Burdick, himself a former teacher and administrator, there was another piece besides equity.

“We’re creating a program that is going to then function solely for Alaska Reads, support kindergarten teachers so they can better teach to Alaska Reads… it feels a little bit like teaching to the test, which I don’t like,” said Burdick

Xóots principal Jill Lecrone defended the proposal, arguing that Sitka’s youngest learners needed the support, regardless of the requirements of the Alaska Reads program.

“By no means are we teaching to the test,” Lecrone said. “Our preschool will be a very hands-on, place-based environment where kids can thrive. I believe that our kids need a space to play and grow. And yeah, there will be some pre academics in there, but the whole point of it is to get them in with other kids to play and to get socialized and to be happy and well adjusted when they start kindergarten.”

Board members Amanda Williams and Steve Morse saw benefits in moving forward with the idea, with Morse saying “It’s definitely a step in the right direction.” Student member Francis Myers wanted to ensure that the administration had researched the cost of the community’s other childcare programs, and that the district was not undercutting them. Only member Tom Williams was hesitant, saying that there were more questions than answers – particularly about staffing – and he wanted to bring back the item for further discussion after the administration had provided those answers.

In the end, however, Williams was outvoted 4 to 1, with even Burdick joining the majority in favor of allowing the district to pursue hiring two teachers and opening the new preschool in time for it to serve students over the next seven months of the current academic year.

Note 10-11-24: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Annette Evans as the director of the Ventures program. She is actually the former director, and is now the therapeutic preschool manager for Sitka Counseling.

October 2, 2024 School Board update: Board approves school psychologist contract

Last month’s loss of a Pacific High student in a vehicle accident, on top of other recent tragedies on the ocean, has focused attention on the emotional health of young people in Sitka.

Sitka School Board member Paul Rioux stepped from behind the table at Wednesday night’s meeting (10-2-24) and spoke from the public, to lament the loss of both Raven’s Way and Crossings, and the closure of Bartlett Hospital’s crisis stabilization unit only eight months after it opened.

Rioux said he understood that a lack of funding – and not a lack of concern – was behind these closures, but he argued that the cost of not paying for these programs was becoming too high.

“Grief is somewhat taboo in our culture, and it’s because our toolbox is in the area is not well stocked,” said Rioux. “It’s time that we changed that. It’s time that we empowered our students, staff, and families and community to better support those who have experienced loss or struggle with depression. The compassion and empathy of our community is without question. We are Sitka strong. We are Southeast strong. The outpouring of concern, love, and funds with each tragedy shows this over and over. Please. Let’s lock arms on this, let’s find ways, small and large, to better support one another.” 

Rioux spoke during persons to be heard, since there was no action item on student emotional health on the evening’s agenda. Later in the meeting, however, the board considered a $50,000 contract for school psychological services.

The district is required to provide psychological services, primarily in support of special education students, and the district’s regular psychologist is on leave. Nevertheless, the board voted unanimously to support the measure. Acting board president Todd Gebler had not forgotten Rioux’s earlier testimony.

“I would just say this is something that has to happen,” Gebler said. “More than ever (it) has to happen now, especially after what Paul was sayi