South Kitsap School board administrators celebrated the district’s summer accomplishments, discussed policy updates, and broke down significant changes to student discipline laws across Washington at its July 22 meeting.
Amy Miller, the district’s communications and public information officer, highlighted the success of the Summer Meals Program, which has served over 32,000 meals to local children.
“The team there is so efficient they’re able to process through serving 500 meals in an hour,” Miller said. “If you haven’t been out to the site, it’s pretty incredible to watch.”
Per a district Facebook post, more than 32,072 meals have been distributed across six locations, including drive-thru pickups at Burley Glenwood Elementary and sack lunches at summer camps, the Kitsap Regional Library, and new supper sites. Funding from a $57,000 Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction grant helped purchase milk coolers, mobile refrigeration units, and supplies to keep meals fresh.
Superintendent Tim Winter praised the positive spirit behind the effort. “One of the things I’m most impressed with is just the energy of our people,” he said. “It’s a great community connection.”
Winter also highlighted a Career and Technical Education (CTE) summer camp held at Marcus Whitman Middle School, where 113 incoming sixth- through eighth-grade students learned engineering concepts through hands-on activities.
Projects ranged from designing windproof and earthquake-resistant structures to building a container that could protect a raw egg dropped from 30 feet. “Students said their favorite part was the egg drop,” Winter said, noting the light-hearted moment when the camp leader got splattered by a failed design.
The board also reviewed updated instructional policies aimed at expanding credit opportunities through mastery-based learning. Winter said the goal is to “avoid trying to put students in a box.”
Students may now earn credit through various alternatives to traditional coursework, such as district-aligned assessments, written reports, project portfolios, and hands-on demonstrations. Subjects covered include math, science, English language arts, social studies, the arts, health and physical education, and environmental education.
Winter said the initiative supports diverse learning styles. “What we’re really trying to do is give kids the opportunity to show their learning,” he said, citing Wild Crest High School as an example of innovative learning pathways.
The board approved Resolution 1386, which addresses the district’s public records index. State law requires agencies to maintain an index of records available for public disclosure, but districts may adopt a resolution declaring it a financial and time burden to produce an exhaustive index.
Winter said the district already maintains a multi-page index and welcomes transparency. “I think it’s important we have people who are providing checks and balances,” he said.
Monica Zuber, assistant superintendent, presented a monitoring report on OE10, learning environment and student discipline, and detailed recent changes made by OSPI.
Revised emergency rules adopted July 11 aim to reduce confusion stemming from previous discipline policies dating back to 2019. The updates include clearer definitions of discipline, such as distinguishing between discretionary and non-discretionary discipline, and replacing the term “emergency expulsion” with “emergency removal.”
“Emergency removal makes more sense,” Zuber said. “It’s about immediate safety, not expulsion.”
Another significant change is the removal of the requirement to attempt “other forms of discipline” before issuing in-school or short-term suspensions. The new terminology, “corrective action,” reflects the shift toward evidence-based behavior supports.
Zuber said the updates provide “more clarity and less confusion,” allowing staff to respond more effectively in serious situations. Policies have already been updated in student handbooks to align with the new rules.
Winter emphasized the importance of balance when addressing student behavior. “It’s not necessarily about discipline, but it is about having high expectations and some consequences,” he said. “I think the clarity will support our administrators and teachers in improving student behavior.”
