The Mercer Island School District School Board during the Thursday, June 26 meeting.

Mercer Island, WA, June 27, 2025 – The Mercer Island School District School Board held a Regular Meeting on Thursday, June 26 at the District's Administration Building. Director Jody Lee joined the meeting via Google Meet.

View Board Meeting Agenda

This Board meeting started at 9am with an Open Public Hearing on the 2025-26 budget. The public was invited to appear during the Open Public Hearing on the budget portion of the meeting to offer comments for or against any part of the District's proposed 2025-2026 budget, including the four-year budget plan, or any proposed changes to uses of enrichment funding. The proposed budget is available here and will be provided to any person at the District's Administration Office upon request.

No community members spoke during the Open Public Hearing on the budget.

After the Open Public Hearing the meeting had five items on Partial Governance Process Monitoring agenda.

1. Board Policy 1800 OE-6: Budgeting/Financial Planning Resolution No. 744 to approve 2025-26 Budget (2^nd reading)

The Board previewed the draft 2025-2026 budget at its regular meeting on June 11 and heard a first reading at its special meeting on June 16. The proposed 2025-2026 budget and draft 2025-2026 Budget Resolution No. 744 will be given a final review and formal acceptance. The full F-195 report will be available at a later date.

Board Discussion, Action, and/or Recommendations

The Board discussed the 2025-26 budget and then voted 4-1 (Yes: Lurie, Martinez, Lee, Tucker; No: Glowitz) to approve the 2025-26 budget.

2. Board Policy 1800 OE-6: Budgeting/Financial Planning – Update on 2024-25 Financial Dashboard and May 2025 Budget Status Report

District staff presented the financial dashboard for the fiscal year beginning September 1, 2024, through May 31, 2025, as well as the May 2025 financial report. Additionally, a summary of finances through the end of May was presented to the Board.

Board Discussion, Action, and/or Recommendations

The Board discussed aspects of the financial dashboard. The Board took no action.

3. Board Policy 1800 OE-9: Communication and Support to the Board - Renewal of PSESD Comprehensive School Safety Cooperative - Interlocal Cooperative Agreement 2025-2026

The Superintendent recommended renewal of the Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) Comprehensive School Safety Cooperative - Interlocal Cooperative Agreement with the PSESD for 2025-2026. Participation in the PSESD Comprehensive School Safety Cooperative, formerly the Regional Threat Assessment Cooperative, was first approved by the Board on April 26, 2018, for the 2018-2018 school year and has been renewed annually.

Services under the agreement provide a comprehensive multidimensional system to assist schools in addressing students who pose a threat for committing acts of violence and to assure students and their families are provided options for intervention/support. The annual membership fee for 2025-2026 is based on student enrollment figures reported to OSPI for the 2024-2025 school year. The cost of $8,500 remains the same as last year.

By approving the interlocal agreement, the Board agrees to renew the agreement and authorizes the Superintendent or designee to sign on behalf of the District.

Board Discussion, Action, and/or Recommendations

The board voted 5-0 to approve the Interlocal Cooperative Agreement with the PSESD for 2025-26.

4. Board Policy 1800 OE-6: Budgeting/Financial Planning - Update on Certified FTE 2024-2025

The Board reviewed anticipated certificated and classified FTE for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years at its regular meeting on May 8. Figures for 2024-2025 certificated FTE have been finalized. The revised certificated FTE report was presented to the board.

History of FTE

An FTE, or full-time equivalent, is a unit of measurement used to determine the number of full-time hours worked by all staff employed by the District. A staff member employed to work 40 hours per week would have an FTE of 1.0. In contrast, a part-time employee working only 20 hours per week would have an FTE of 0.5, equating to hours worked that are equivalent to half the hours of a full-time employee. Total FTE classified by activity and as a total for the District is calculated by adding all full-time and part-time FTE. The concept counts total hours worked by all employees rather than the total number of employees. This approach helps the District to better budget, forecast, staff positions and determine wages.

Board Discussion, Action, and/or Recommendations

The Board discussed updates to classified FTE staffing since the last report offered at the Board's May 8 meeting. No changes to certificated staffing were reported.

5. Board Policy 1605: Monitoring Superintendent Performance and Board Policy 1001: Governance Commitment - Mid-Year Superintendent Evaluation and Contract Extension for Superintendent's Contract of Employment

On May 12, 2022, the Board approved a Contract of Employment to employ Dr. Fred Rundle as Superintendent of the Mercer Island School District. The original three-year contract was extended by amendment on June 22, 2023, for an additional year and amended again on November 9, 2023, to reflect changes to the Superintendent's 2023-2024 compensation. The contract was further amended on June 20, 2024, to extend the contract by an additional year, through June 30, 2027, and on December 12, 2024, to reflect changes to the Superintendent's 2024-2025 compensation.

The Board is proposing to extend Superintendent Rundle's contract for an additional year to end on June 30, 2028. No changes to the Superintendent's compensation for 2025-2026 are being proposed. The fifth amendment to extend Superintendent Rundle's contract was submitted to the Board.

As part of the contract review process and as stipulated in the contract provisions, the Board conducted a mid-year review of Superintendent Rundle's performance pursuant to Board Policy 1605: Monitoring Superintendent Performance. A full summative evaluation for 2025 will occur in January 2026.

Board Discussion, Action, and/or Recommendations

Director Maggie Tai Tucker read a letter from the Board to Superintendent Rundle expressing the Board’s pleasure with the Superintendent’s performance. Each Board Director spoke to the Superintendent about his performance.

The Board voted 4-1 (Yes: Lurie, Martinez, Lee, Tucker; No: Glowitz) to approve the amendment to the Superintendent’s contract.

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.

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

Consent Agenda – The Consent Agenda was passed 4-1 (Yes: Lurie, Martinez, Lee, Tucker; No: Glowitz).

Superintendent Report – Superintendent Rundle asked District Communications Coordinator Ian Henry to present the Board with website analytics on the Board Meeting Recaps he started writing beginning with the March 13 Board Meeting. The Board asked Henry about the process of posting of Board Meeting Recaps on social media and more ways to promote the recaps to the community.

Legislative Report – Director Cristina Martinez spoke about attending a legislative networking event that was informative.

Board Announcements, Inquiries, and Reports – Director Lee attended the Crest Learning Center Graduation Ceremony and the MIHS Class of 2025 Graduation Ceremony.

Director Deborah Lurie congratulated all the students in the Class of 2025 on their graduation and said she enjoyed graduation. She also read a statement about community members respecting student confidentiality when advocating for improvements that support all students. Her comments reflect the individual opinion of Director Lurie and may not reflect the opinions of the Board as a whole.

Director Martinez attended the Class of 2025 graduation and is very proud of the class. She attended an AI conference that was interesting and helpful.

Director Glowitz congratulated the Class of 2025 on their graduation.

Director Tucker echoed the other Board Directors on congratulating the Class of 2025. She indicated to Director Martinez she would like to learn more about the AI conference she attended.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:28 am.

We encourage community members to watch the YouTube recording of the June 26 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.