December 2024

Dear ESD,

It has been an unexpectedly busy fall. Students have enjoyed many annual activities including our awesome District-wide Veterans Day and holiday programs and concerts, our sports teams going to State competitions, and this year featured the premiere of the first Washington state production of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” We are always so proud of our students, not only for their accomplishments, but for the grit and tenacity they demonstrate in and out of the classroom.

We have also faced some challenges this fall. As you are likely aware, the District has been working with Department of Justice (DOJ) team to finalize their investigation and reach a settlement agreement with them. We have always known that the most likely scenario would be to enter into a settlement agreement at the end of the investigation.

When I received notice of the investigation and started looking into the history of events it was clear from the beginning that we did not follow our own district policies and procedures, and would end up with a settlement agreement. Straying from the procedural process was a conscious decision made by my predecessor and it resulted in a series of semi-related investigations into specific incidents, rather than a comprehensive HIB and/or Title IX investigation as called for by the law and our own policies. She was honest about owning that decision when interviewed (according to the DOJ team). Throughout the entire investigative process, we were open and honest with them. That stance was appreciated and their team expressed to us that they believe everyone they interacted with during the investigation was working with them in good faith.

Under the agreement, ESD will be required to implement a series of reforms, including hiring a third-party consultant to support implementation of the agreement, provide training to staff and students, designating a Spanish-speaking liaison for Latino families, and creating a new reporting system to monitor and track all reports of harassment.

We appreciate the work of the DOJ team, as well as the openness and honesty of our staff, administrators, students, and families that were interviewed. We will begin working hard to fulfill our obligations in the agreement in order to improve our systems, and responses, so all students feel valued and safe in our schools and community. If you would like to view the full agreement or a summary of the agreement, visit our website here.

We also launched our District Strategic Planning Committee this fall. We are nearly 60 members strong with representation from ESD administrators, teachers, staff, students, parents and community members. We are about a third of the way through the process, with the group weighing in on our new vision statement and the Portrait of an Ellensburg Graduate. We are excited by how the process is going and look forward to our next meeting in January.

I always have the most fun going out to see our students. Earlier this month I had the honor of presenting the morning announcements at Lincoln and even got a certificate, as you can see.

Finally, I just want to take the opportunity to wish each of you a restful and happy holiday season filled with laughter and joy.

Your Partner in Education,

Superintendent Troy Tornow
troy.tornow@esd401.org