MISD Board Meeting Recap – December 11, 2025

The MIHS boys and girls cross country teams with the School Board at the meeting on Thursday, December 11.

Mercer Island, WA, December 12, 2025 – The Mercer Island School District School Board held a Regular Meeting on Thursday, December 11 at the District's Administration Building.

View Board Meeting Agenda

The Board meeting started at 5pm in the District Administration Building with a recognition of outgoing Board Directors Deborah Lurie and Dan Glowitz.

Lurie and Glowitz were presented with crystal apples by Superintendent Rundle and thanked for their contributions to our schools and community they made while members of the MISD Board of Directors. After the recognition the meeting took a brief recess for a recognition reception.

After the reception Superintendent Rundle swore in two new Board Directors, Julian Bradley and Stephanie Burnett. Bradley was elected to Position 2 on the Board and will serve a four-year term ending in 2029. Burnett was elected to Position 4 on the Board and will serve a four-year term ending in 2029.

After the swearing in of both Director Bradley and Director Burnett the Board reorganized. At the first regular meeting in December, or a regular meeting as soon thereafter as any and all newly-elected Board members are seated, the Board will elect from among its members a President, Vice President, and Legislative Representative in the junior position to serve one-year terms.

Director Tucker nominated Director Burnett for President and Burnett was elected President by a roll call vote of 4-1.

Director Burnett nominated Director Lee for Vice President and Lee was elected Vice President by a roll call vote of 5-0.

Director Martinez nominated Director Bradley for the position of Legislative Representative in the Junior position and Bradley was elected by a roll call vote of 5-0.

After the reorganization of the Board the meeting transitioned to Recognitions, Student Representative Report and Public Input.

Recognition

MIHS Boys and Girls Cross Country Teams – Superintendent Rundle recognized the MIHS boys and girls cross country teams for each winning the 3A State Championship on November 9 in Pasco. Both teams are back-to-back 3A State Champions! Junior Sophia Rodriguez won her third consecutive championship in convincing fashion by 27 seconds. The girls had three podium medal winners for the first time ever. Sophia Rodriguez 1st, freshman Rizah Despres 11th, and sophomore Ella Zhang 15th. The boys also had three podium medal winners. Senior Bodie Thomas 3rd, senior Matthew Lawrence 4th, and senior Connor Ward 19th.

Leading up to the State Championship the boys team captured the district championship and the girls team finished in second place at districts. Both teams won the KingCo Championship, the boys for the fifth consecutive year and the girls for the third consecutive year. On September 20 at the Mook Cross Country Invite at Alderbrook Golf Course in Tillamook, Oregon Rodriguez ran the fastest 3.1 mile race in the nation to that point in the year with a personal best time of 16 minutes and 10 seconds. Sophia also set the course record and broke the Washington state record. Thomas came in third at the Mook Invite and broke Owen Powell's school record.

Student Representatives Report – Student Representatives to the Board Lucy Dorer and Brody Newcomer updated the Board on student voice and events happening at MISD schools.

Public Input

No community members gave Public Input at this meeting. To find out how you can give Public Input at a future Board meeting visit our Public Input page.

After Public Input the Board took up the four items on the Partial Governance Process Monitoring Agenda.

1. Board Policy 1005: Board Officer and Board Member Duties - Island Crest Way Corridor Improvements and Trail Easement (1st rdg)

MISD granted the City of Mercer Island the existing 5-foot-wide easement in 1978 along the east property line of the Island Park Elementary parcel 192405-9040.  This easement provided for the construction of the original pathway but is now too narrow to accommodate the City’s wider proposed shared-use path. To construct the new shared-use path, the City requires a 10.5-foot-wide easement spanning the frontage along the south 180 feet of the parcel.

Following approvals by MISD and the City of Mercer Island (in January 2026) and after the recording of the documents, there will be two easements in place for Island Park Elementary’s frontage. One at 10.5 feet for the southern 180-foot portion of the Island Crest Way frontage and the existing 5-foot easement for the remainder. Brandy Fox, Owner’s Representative, attended the Board meeting to answer any questions related to this request.

City Council addressed the Island Crest Way corridor improvements during its linkage session with the Board on February 6, 2025. To view the City’s presentation on its 2025-2030 Safe Routes to School Project List, please link here.

The Board may approve the partial relinquishment and permanent easement and provide the necessary authorization after this first reading or elect to place this item on the consent agenda for a second reading and formal approval at the next regular board meeting on January 15, 2026. The City anticipates placing this item on the City Council agenda on January 20, 2026.

Board Discussion, Action, and/or Recommendations

The Board asked questions of District staff. The Board did not take any action. 

2. Board Policy 1800 OE-10: Instructional Program - MIHS School Improvement Plan (SIP)

According to WAC 180-16-220, each school is required to have a school improvement plan ("SIP"). Additionally, Board Policy 1800, Operational Expectation 10, requires that the Superintendent " ... share with the Board, on an annual basis, data-driven plans for improvement at each school ... including reflection on the prior year’s SIP."

The principal and associate principals from Mercer Island High School (MIHS) will come prepared to discuss the 2025-2026 SIP. Additionally, the administration team will share reflections, commendations, and opportunities as they review the 2024-2025 year.

Board Discussion, Action, and/or Recommendations

The Board asked questions of MIHS administrators about the MIHS SIP. No action was taken by the Board.

3. Board Policy 1800 OE-7: Financial Administration - 2025-2026 Financial Dashboard and October 2025 Budget Status Report

District staff presented the financial dashboard for the fiscal year beginning September 1, 2025, through October 31, 2025, as well as the October 2025 financial report.

Notes to the Financial Dashboard - Finances through October 31st, 2025 - 16.6% of the (fiscal/school) year.

Expenditures are at 17.1%, or slightly (+.5%) over the 16.6% month-over-month measure due to expenses to start the school year. 

Revenues are at 18.3%, this +1.7% over the 16.6% measure, due to the receipt of our local taxes (Cap/Tech and EP&O levies) at the end of October.   

Expenditures

Special Education / Special Services, increase of +$135k mainly due to an additional out-of-state placement. 

Support & Community Services, decrease of -$184k month-over-month, due to several (initial) start of the school year bills paid in September, such as insurance and software/hardware purchases.

Revenues

Local (Levy), increase of +$3,773,903, due to, as noted above, the receipt of our local taxes (Cap/Tech and EP&O levies) at the end of October.

State Apportionment, decrease from September to October by -$502k, due to the State apportionment schedule, which decreases by 1% (9% in September to 8% in October) via the OSPI payment schedule. 

Federal (Grants), increase from $0 in September to +$15k in October, as these grants are reimbursable. 

Monthly Fund Balance / Cash-on-Hand

The fund balance, at the end of October, was $4,119,810.49.  Year-over-year, this is a decrease of -$78k.  This is due to our local taxes not coming in evenly, which is not uncommon.  In October, we received roughly 35% of our Cap/Tech and EP&O levy revenue for the year; typically, we receive upwards of 40%. In the coming months, we should receive an additional $1.8MM and the remaining revenue in April and May. 

Board Discussion, Action, and/or Recommendations

The Board asked questions of District Business staff. The Board took no action.

4. Board Policy 1800 OE-9: Communication and Support to the Board - 2026-2027 Nonresident Enrollment - Preliminary Information and Projected Timeline

Board Policy 3141: Enrollment - Non Resident Students provides, in part, that no later than April 15 annually, the Superintendent or designee will advise the Mercer Island School District Board (“Board”) whether it is recommended that the District or a portion thereof be open to new, nonresident student enrollment. The Board will determine whether to accept, amend, deny, or return the recommendation for further analysis and review.

This is an opportunity for the Superintendent to share his initial thinking and ideas about open enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year. The Superintendent anticipates sharing his formal advisement regarding open enrollment at the January 15 regular meeting, with Board action expected at the meeting on January 29.

Board Discussion, Action, and/or Recommendations

The Board asked Superintendent Rundle questions about open enrollment. The Board took no action.

The Board took up one item on the Full Governance Process Monitoring Agenda after the Partial Governance Process agenda.

1. Board Policy 1800 OE-9: Communication and Support to the Board (L-1; L-2 for items 3, 14, 16, 17, 18) (1st rdg.)

This is the annual monitoring of Board Policy 1800, Operational Expectations 9 (OE-9), Communication and Support to the Board.

MISD Student Information Systems Coordinator Jiovanna Koceski gave a presentation to the Board on student enrollment and student withdrawals.

Board Discussion, Action, and/or Recommendations

The presentation by Koceski was the only item of OE-9 the Board took up. The annual monitoring of this OE will be taken up at a future meeting.

The last five items on the agenda for the meeting were the Consent Agenda, Board Committee Assignments, Superintendent Report & Announcements, Legislative Report, and Board Announcements, Inquires & Reports.

Consent Agenda – The Consent Agenda was passed 5-0 by the Board and 2-0 by the Student Representatives.

Board Committee Assignments - Board committee assignments for school liaisons, PTA committees and Superintendent Advisories were determined

Superintendent Report – Superintendent Rundle thanked Director Tucker for her tenure over the last year as Board President. He reminded the Board that the Marching Band is going to London for a New Year’s Day Parade and that the band has started sending uniforms and other items to London. Rundle talked about the two meetings the Student Safety & Well-Being Committee have had and what the committee is working on both in the short term and in the long term. Rundle told the Board about attending the MIYFS Moving Beyond Stranger Danger: Personal Safety Conversations for Today’s Youth” seminar at the Community Center on December 8.

Legislative Report – Director Martinez attended a webinar that updated school board members about potential changes at the Department of Education.

Board Announcements, Inquiries, and Reports

Director Tucker – Director Tucker had no updates.

Director Martinez – Director Martinez spoke about the work of the Student Safety & Well-Being Committee, which she is a member of, and attending the Stranger Danger presentation.

Director Bradley – Director Bradley had no updates.

Director Lee – Director Lee attended the performance of the IMS and MIHS jazz bands.

Director Burnett – Director Burnett had no updates.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:02pm.

We encourage community members to watch the YouTube recording of the December 11 Board Meeting to learn more about what was discussed by Board Directors. 

To see when the next Board Meeting is visit the Meeting Calendar and Agendas page.

To learn more about MISD’s School Board Directors visit our School Board Information page.