On May 7, the Olympia School District Board of Directors held a work session to discuss Outcome Monitoring reports ahead of the next implementation of a District Improvement Plan (DIP), & on May 14, they held a meeting to rename the Capital High School Orchestra Pit and Scene Shop, as well as look at the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) contract for the upcoming school year.
May 7 Work Session
Superintendent Patrick Murphy said of the monitoring reports, “I really believe that our outcome reports are my personal goals. And… as the superintendent of the school district, when I ask to be evaluated on how we’re doing, I’d like it to be that I can say to you, we’re making progress towards these outcomes, and the goals that we make based on those outcomes.” The board discussed the need to revisit and refine reporting structures after several years of use. Existing reports have largely been “rolled over” with minimal changes, due to the COVID pandemic extending the DIPs timeline. A DIP usually tracks progress toward outcome goals every 3 years.
Reports being done asynchronously and using meetings for questions, as well as consolidating overlapping data was suggested. Aside from the streamlining and simplification of the monitoring reports, the board discussed more board meetings at schools, opportunities for structured school visits, and the success of the budget forums. Director Lamont hoped to integrate them more into evidence gathering.
Vice President Flores said, “We can’t just rely on physical people coming. We gotta give them a choose-your-own-adventure for every modality and accessibility, and do this, this, this, and this, but we want to hear from you, and whatever is the way that is easiest and most works with your life. You pick it… I think modeling that for the community would be huge, but I just want us to be real and thoughtful in the way that we would structure the activity or the data gathering to ensure safety of all participants, and especially if there’s going to be students there.”
May 14 Board Meeting
The meeting began with recognition of the 2026 Lauren Dolan Advocates of the Year, more commonly known as the Doleys. Congratulations to all of the winners!
- Avanti HS: Casey Allan
- Boston Harbor ES: Perla Newton
- Capital HS: Martha Summit
- Centennial ES: Belinda Lau
- Garfield ES: Nicole Grant
- Hansen ES: Amanda Hughes
- Jefferson MS: Kami Madsen
- Lincoln ES: Rick Perry
- LP Brown ES: Janel Bistrika
- Madison ES: John Naughton
- McKenny ES: Cory Plantenberg
- McLane ES: Janet and Brink Bastin
- Olympia HS: Teagan Murphy (at 14, the youngest Doley winner!)
- Olympia Regional Learning Academy: Elena Popovac
- Pioneer ES: Daniel Silver
- Reeves MS: Tara Wickham
- Roosevelt ES: Marc Hobbs
- Thurgood Marshall MS: Lorraine Manning
- Washington MS: Carrie Andrew
The meeting itself was as short as the work session the previous week, and the board happily accepted the Capital High School renaming of their Performing Arts Center Orchestra Pit. Student Donovan Jojola said, “Both of these people are extraordinary people who’ve had an amazing impact on Capital High School. Dan Lundberg, with his decades of experience… contributing not just as an orchestra teacher, but also contributing to graduation. And Paige Sorensen, who had a massive impact on the technical theater aspect, which I know has influenced people’s career trajectories and inspired them for the rest of their lives.” The spaces were named the Dan Lundberg Orchestra Pit and the Paige Sorensen Scene Shop.
The WIAA contract was last on the agenda. The WIAA is delegated by the district to organize statewide athletic activities and standards.
Director Seidel moved the contract off the consent agenda because, “My concern is that we are ceding a lot of authority and decision-making about access to athletics and activities to an organization, some of whose members have been actively organizing to pass a ballot measure to make it legal to discriminate against athletes.” She was hoping to eventually “amend the contract to not cede the authority about participation and who gets to participate in what sports to a body of folks who are not elected by our community.”
The WIAA contract was renewed unanimously, as they currently follow state guidelines on athletic participation, but the discussion regarding an amendment to the contract will likely continue.