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Pullman School District Monthly Newsletter
January 2025
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Learn more about Americans of Chinese Descent / Chinese American History Month at:
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The 2025 Washington State Legislative session is officially underway, and with it comes a vital opportunity to educate our legislators for the needs of our district and the students we serve. The 2025 legislative session is a 105 day session that runs from 1.13.2025 until 4.27.2025. Almost 250 House Bills have been pre-filed and 200 Senate Bills have been pre-filed. This is shaping up to be a busy and challenging session.
This year, we continue to focus on the "Big Three": transportation, special education, and maintenance, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC). These areas are essential to the success of our schools and the well-being of our community, yet all face significant funding challenges.
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Transportation: Ensuring reliable, safe transportation for our students is a top priority. Unfortunately, the STARS formula has long underfunded districts’ actual pupil transportation expenditures. We urge the 2025 Legislature to promptly fulfill its obligation to comprehensively fix the pupil transportation formula to ensure it is more transparent, predictable, and adequately funded.
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Special Education: School districts are legally obligated to serve all students with disabilities, regardless of cost of services. However, current funding levels do not meet the actual costs required to provide these services. To be support students with disabilities, the Legislature must increase special education tiered multipliers to reflect the actual costs of service delivery.
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Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs (MSOC): Operating a school district requires more than just staffing. Expenses such as technology, utilities, insurance, curriculum, classroom supplies, library materials, professional development, and facilities maintenance have all increased over time. Unfortunately, the per-pupil allocation for these costs has not kept pace. We need the 2025 Legislature to address this significant underfunding and ensure MSOC allocations align with actual district needs.
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Your voice matters in these discussions. Legislators need to hear from those who witness firsthand how these issues impact students, staff, and families.
You can make a difference by:
- Reaching out to your local representatives to share your experiences.
- Staying informed about key legislative developments.
Together, we can make a difference for our students and community. Thank you for your continued dedication and for championing the needs of our schools and community.
Warm regards,
Bob Maxwell
Superintendent
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Stay informed and engaged with "Board Bulletin," a new section of our monthly newsletter featuring updates from our School Board. Each month, we’ll share key highlights from board meetings, important decisions, and a message from the Board to keep you connected to the work shaping our schools. |
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Pullman School District Spring Highly Capable Program Referrals for 2025-2026 School Year
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Referral forms for current Kindergarten through 11th grade students to receive highly capable services during next school year will be accepted March 3 - 14. |
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- New Student Enrollment for 2025-26 School Year - Submit Enrollment Application Online Starting February 3, 2025
- Resource for our School Communities: Pullman Public Schools is a Safe and Welcoming School District Webpage
- Kamiak Elementary Recognized as 2024 State ESEA Distinguished School
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Upcoming District Events / Important Dates
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February 14: NO SCHOOL, Professional Learning Day for Staff
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February 17: NO SCHOOL, President's Day
- Pullman High School Drama Presents: The Little Mermaid
- Save the Date! March 19 - Community Listening Session
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PSD Employment Opportunities
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We welcome all interested applicants and are committed to hiring the most highly qualified and professional teaching and support staff to serve the students of Pullman. To that end, the district will actively seek applicants who best meet the needs of the district. |
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Update from Our Board of Directors
In support of Superintendent Maxwell and the district, the School Board is actively attending State of the District presentations with community groups, PTA/PTO/Boosters, and staff meetings to ensure broad awareness of our schools' needs as the legislative session begins.
You can view the State of the District presentation delivered by Dr. Maxwell at the Chamber of Commerce Luncheon on January 14, 2025 by clicking the link below:
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As this 105-day session progresses, we’ll share key updates on legislative developments impacting public education. You can also learn more about sharing your priorities and tracking legislative updates by visiting leg.wa.gov.
If you're interested in getting involved and advocating for education funding, we also encourage you to connect with your District 9 Legislators:
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January 8, 2025 Regular Board Meeting Recap
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At the January 8th board meeting, the Board received updates from Pullman High School’s ASB and Superintendent Maxwell, along with a Franklin Elementary showcase and a Technology Services report. The Board took action on multiple policies, including student discipline, sex discrimination and sex-based harassment of students and staff, anaphylaxis prevention, and opioid overdose reversal, and discussed items including a psychology textbook adoption, board communication plan, and superintendent evaluation processes.
Read the full agenda at the link below:
Watch the Regular Board meeting at the link below:
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January 22, 2025 Regular Board Meeting Recap
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At the January 22nd board meeting, the Board received reports from Pullman High School’s ASB, Superintendent Maxwell, and a Kamiak Elementary showcase. Key action items included approving the psychology textbook adoption, board communication plan, and policy updates on nonresident students and staff complaints. The Board also continued discussions on the superintendent evaluation process.
Read the full agenda at the link below:
Watch the Regular Board meeting at the link below:
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You can view the Pullman School District Board of Directors meeting schedule on our website. Board meetings are conducted at Pullman High School in the Board Room starting at 6:30pm and are open to the public. If you are interested in engaging with the school board during the public comment section, please visit our website for more information.
We make every effort to post board meeting packets prior to 5:00pm on the Friday before a board meeting. Please note that the most updated version of a board packet is posted online. No updates are made the 24 hours prior to a board meeting.
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Board Article Submitted by: Nathan Roberts, Board President - Director District 4
The opinions expressed in Board Reports are those of individual school board members and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the board as a whole or of Pullman Public Schools.
Principal Article Submitted by: Debbie Crabtree, Pullman High School Principal
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Spring Highly Capable Program Referrals for 2025-2026 School Year
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Referral forms for current Kindergarten through 11th grade students to receive highly capable services during next school year will be accepted March 3 - 14. Parents/guardians, teachers, students, and anyone else with direct knowledge of a student’s abilities may refer a student for highly capable services.
In addition to referrals, universal screener results will also be considered. Our district utilizes the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment in grades K – 8 as a universal screener.
For more information on the referral process and resources please click the link below. The Referral Form link below will be live on March 3. Translated Highly Capable Program information can also be found on our website at the link below.
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New Student Enrollment for 2025-26 School Year - Submit Enrollment Application Online Starting February 3, 2025
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Mark your calendars! Families can start enrolling NEW students in all grade levels for the 2025-2026 school year starting Monday, February 3, 2025!
Families with students not currently enrolled that would like to enroll with PSD for the 2025-2026 school year, can submit an enrollment application online starting February 3, 2025. Translated paper copies of the enrollment application will be available. If your child is already enrolled in one of our schools, there is NO need to complete the enrollment process again.
If you have a child who will be 5 years old by August 31, 2025, this will be the time to enroll them in kindergarten.
Visit our website for more information about enrolling your student in Pullman School District at:
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Pullman Public Schools is Proud to be a Safe and Welcoming School District
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Pullman Public Schools is dedicated to providing students with the highest-quality education in a safe, welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environment.
We recognize that changes at the federal level can bring uncertainty for students, families, and staff. As we navigate these developments together, it’s important to stay informed, support one another, and reflect on how policy changes may impact our district community.
We have created a webpage on our district website to serve as a resource for updates on executive orders and federal policy changes, along with their potential effects on Pullman Public Schools.
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Kamiak Elementary Recognized as 2024 State ESEA Distinguished School
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Kamiak Elementary School is being recognized by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA) as a 2024 State ESEA Distinguished School, and has been awarded $15,000 for exceptional student performance and academic growth!
Aligned with a project of the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA), OSPI’s State ESEA Distinguished Schools Program publicly recognizes qualifying federally funded schools for the outstanding academic achievements of their students. It highlights the efforts of schools across the state making significant improvements for their students.
There were four recipients of the 2024–25 ESEA Distinguished Schools Award, two schools were selected for national recognition and two schools were selected for state recognition.
Kamiak’s dedication to student success and academic excellence is truly commendable—congratulations to the staff, students, and families on this well-deserved recognition!
Learn more about the ESEA Distinguished School Award by visiting:
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Pullman High School Drama Presents: The Little Mermaid
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Dates:
- February 20 - February 22
- February 27 - March 1
Times: 7:00pm (& 2:00pm on Saturdays)
Tickets: $5 Student and $10 Adult
Location: Pullman High School (510 NW Greyhound Way)
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Save the Date! Join the Pullman School District Board of Directors for an open dialogue at our upcoming Community Listen
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Topics are still being finalized, so please visit our website or ParentSquare for updates and additional details.
The listening session will end at 6:30 PM and will be followed by a board work session that will be open to the public for observation only.
Our School Board values your input and looks forward to hearing from you! If you have questions about the upcoming Community Listening Session, please reach out to our District Office by email at info@psd267.org or by phone at (509) 332-3581.
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PSD Employment Opportunities
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Interested in Joining Our Team?
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We are in need of:
- 1.0 FTE Psychologist/Counselor beginning the 2025-2026 school year
- 1.0 FTE Counselors beginning the 2025-2026 school year
- High School Principal (Position to start July 1, 2025)
- Itinerant Head Cook
- Assistant Superintendent
- Regular Route Bus Driver
- School-Based Mental Health Therapist
- 0.2FTE Elementary Orchestra/General Music Teacher
- Assistant Softball Coach (PHS)
For more information, please visit our website at:
https://www.pullmanschools.org/departments/human_resources.
We welcome all interested applicants and are committed to hiring the most highly qualified and professional teaching and support staff to serve the students of Pullman.
To submit an employment application, click the button below.
For more information, please visit our website at:
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We Are Always Looking Substitutes!
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If you or anyone you know would be interested in subbing for Pullman Schools as a:
- Emergency Substitute Teacher
- Substitute Custodian
- Substitute Nutrition Services Staff
- Substitute Paraeducator
Please apply for these positions online at:
If you or anyone you know would be interested in subbing for Pullman Schools as a:
- Substitute Bus Driver
- Substitute Nurse
Please pick up an application at the District Office (240 SE Dexter St).
Questions about employment with Pullman School District?
Contact: Dagny Myers
Phone: (509) 332-3581 | Email: dmyers@psd267.org
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The Pullman School District Board of Directors and the Pullman School District shall provide equal educational opportunity and treatment for all students in all aspects of the academic and activities programs without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, honorably-discharged veteran or military status, sex, sexual orientation (including gender expression or identity), marital status, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, participation in the Boy Scouts of America or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. The district will provide equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and all other designated youth groups listed in Title 36 of the United States Code as a patriotic society. District programs will be free from sexual harassment. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights Coordinator and Title IX Coordinator, Assistant Superintendent, (509) 332-3144, compliancecoord@psd267.org, and Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Assistant Superintendent (509) 332-3144, compliancecoord@psd267.org. 240 SE Dexter Street, Pullman, WA 99163. Applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations in the application process by contacting the Personnel Coordinator at (509) 332-3584. Title IX inquiries may also be directed toward the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR): https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html. Information about the nondiscrimination and sex-based discrimination policies and grievance procedures, and how to report a concern or complaint: https://www.pullmanschools.org/families/hib-and-discrimination/discrimination_sexual_harassment.
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