September 17, 2025 at 1:00 PM - Regular Meeting

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PERTINENT FACTS:

The Board President will ask for public comment from visitors:

• School Communities
  • Coffman Cove
  • Hollis
  • Kasaan
  • Naukati
  • Port Alexander
  • Thorne Bay
  • Whale Pass
     
• Other Visitors

Please see the attachment for additional information about public comment.
 

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Recommendation
It is the Administration's recommendation that the School Board approve BP 8000 Concepts and Roles, 8110 Membership, 8120 Elections, 8130 Vacancies, 8140 Officers, 8200 Powers and Duties, 8310 Orientation, 8320 Meetings, 8330 Member Responsibilities, 8340 Code of Ethics, and 8410 Cooperative Agreements involving Extracurricular Activities.

Pertinent Facts
Following the direction of BP 0500, Review and Evaluation, the School Board reviews policies throughout the year.  Board Policies 8000, 8110, 8120, 8130, 8140, 8200, 8310, 8320, 8330, 8340, and 8410 are presented for second reading.  

The first reading of these policies took place during the May 21, 2025, regular meeting.  Additionally, the policies were sent to all advisory school councils for review and comment.
 

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Pertinent Facts
This update incorporates minor changes to align SISD's policy with the Association of Alaska School Board's current model policy, and clarifying language to ensure accurate interpretation across the district.
 

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Pertinent Facts
This policy includes updates to clarify membership structure and term, attendance boundaries for ASCs, and student involvement.
 

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Pertinent Facts
The proposed updates clarify responsibilities for conducting elections and the qualifications of candidates and voters. Minor grammatical adjustments have also been made in the final version.

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Pertinent Facts
This is a new policy for the District, based on AASB’s model policy. It clearly outlines the reasons a seat on the Advisory School Council may become vacant and provides procedures for appointing a replacement when a vacancy occurs.

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Pertinent Facts
This update provides clarifying language to promote consistency and accurate interpretation across the district. Minor grammatical adjustments have also been made in the final version.

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Pertinent Facts
The proposed update clarifies the duties of the Advisory School Council to align with AASB model policy, Alaska Statute, and District philosophy and needs.

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Pertinent Facts
The proposed update includes clarifying language to ensure consistency, reflect district practice, and promote accurate interpretation across the district. 

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Pertinent Facts
The proposed update clarifies that the Advisory School Council may not hold executive sessions.
 

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Pertinent Facts
The update includes minor edits to align with AASB's model policy.

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Pertinent Facts
This update includes the addition of a note preceding the policy.
 

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Pertinent Facts
This update includes minor grammatical edits and clarifying language to ensure consistency, readability, and accurate interpretation across the district.

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Recommendation:
It is the Administration's recommendation that the Southeast Island School District Board of Education approve Resolution 2026-03, declaring an emergency due to the failure of the fire suppression system at the Thorne Bay School gymnasium. The resolution authorizes immediate protective actions, directs pursuit of state accountability and liability, and requests emergency funding and support to ensure the safety of students, staff, and facilities.

Pertinent Facts:

• The Thorne Bay School gymnasium’s fire suppression system has been nonfunctional for an extended period, creating a life-safety hazard.

• Despite 17 years of CIP requests, state funding has not been approved, while less urgent projects have been funded.

• A request to reallocate unexpended Hollis School project funds was denied by DEED due to statutory restrictions.

• The District is using Fire Impairment Plan #2025IMP0005 with the State Fire Marshal, but it is only a temporary measure and does not provide full protection.

• Superintendent Morrison has asked the State of Alaska to assume liability for potential damages or injuries, with a September 5, 2025 deadline for response.

• Resolution 2026-03 declares the failure an emergency, supports the Superintendent’s liability request, directs pursuit of further protective actions if needed, and calls for immediate engagement of elected officials to secure funding.

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Recommendation:
It is the Adminstration's recommendation that the Southeast Island School District Board of Education approve Resolution 2026-04, formally adopting the Section 125 Premium Only Plan for the 2025-2026 plan year. Approval will authorize implementation and administration of the plan, continuing the District’s participation in this tax-advantaged program for employees.

Pertinent Facts:

• The Southeast Island School District first adopted a Section 125 Premium Only Plan in 2024 to allow employees to pay for qualified benefit premiums (such as medical, dental, and vision insurance) on a pre-tax basis, consistent with Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code.

• The Premium Only Plan provides employees with tax savings by reducing taxable income when paying insurance premiums, thereby supporting affordability and participation in District benefit programs.

• Resolution 2026-04 authorizes continuation of the District’s participation into its second year, ensuring that employees maintain access to this benefit program.

• Adoption also grants the Superintendent or designee authority to take all necessary steps to implement and administer the plan on behalf of the District.
   

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Recommendation:
It is the Administration's recommendation that the Southeast Island School District Board of Education approve Resolution 2026-05, requesting that the State of Alaska revise the scoring of Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) to prioritize life, health, and safety issues and establish a separate CIP funding list for Regional Educational Attendance Area (REAA) school districts. Adoption of this resolution strengthens the District’s advocacy for equitable, safe, and timely funding of critical school facility needs.

Pertinent Facts:
The Southeast Island School District has identified a critical flaw in the State of Alaska’s current Capital Improvement Project (CIP) scoring system: it does not give sufficient priority to projects that address urgent life, health, and safety needs in schools. As a result, essential facility upgrades across the state, including those affecting student and staff safety, have gone unfunded for years. These delays worsen building conditions and increase risks for school communities, leaving districts like SISD without timely solutions to pressing hazards.

This challenge is further compounded for Regional Educational Attendance Area (REAA) districts, which do not have a municipal tax base or local government to share in capital project costs. In contrast, city and borough districts can contribute local funding, creating a structural inequity that disproportionately disadvantages rural schools. Resolution 2026-05 urges the State to address these inequities by revising CIP scoring to prioritize life-safety projects, adding weight for projects long delayed, and establishing a separate funding list for REAA districts to ensure equitable consideration.

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Pertinent Facts
These administrative regulations and exhibits are informational items that are presented today for final review. 

The initial review occurred during the May 21, 2025, regular meeting, when the administration requested that feedback be submitted by August 4, 2025. No feedback was received following the May 2025 meeting, and no further updates were made.

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Pertinent Facts
This administrative regulation is new to SISD and provides an inclusive, fair, and transparent process for electing officers at each Advisory School Council.

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Pertinent Facts
This update includes clarifying language to ensure consistency and accurate interpretation across the district

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Pertinent Facts
This update includes clarifying language.

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Pertinent Facts
This update defines the acronyms used in the previous version.
 

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Pertinent Facts
October 24, 2025, is the target date to certify the School Board elections for REAAs, including Southeast Island School District (REAA #19).  Board Bylaw 9120 and Alaska Statute 14.14.070 identify that, within seven days of the certification of the election, the board meets to elect a president and clerk from the Board membership.  To meet this requirement, the Board could:

• postpone the regular meeting until the week of October 27th.
• hold the regular meeting on the scheduled date and hold a special meeting during the week of October 27th.

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PERTINENT FACTS:

The Board President will ask for public comment from visitors:

• School Communities
  • Coffman Cove
  • Hollis
  • Kasaan
  • Naukati
  • Port Alexander
  • Thorne Bay
  • Whale Pass
     
• Other Visitors

Please see the attachment for additional information about public comment.