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Going on retreat was the best path forward for La Conner schools officials last week.

School board members spent their three-hour retreat May 21 applying the finishing touches to the district’s new strategic plan, a process that has been two years in the making. They worked on next year’s budget and discussed capital improvements and naming two new student reps.

That set the stage for formal action at its May 24 meeting.

Members unanimously adopted a strategic plan designed to create a learning environment in which the academic and social emotional skills of students are nurtured to assure they are prepared to thrive at the next level of career and education.

The plan embraces a holistic approach, putting in place steps intended to develop strong relationships between home, school and community – an approach that taps into the strengths of diverse perspectives within the district.

“We need the whole board to do a happy dance,” said Board Chair Susie Gardner Deyo. “We’ve been working on this for a couple years.”

Financial consultant Jim Baker praised members for maintaining a $1.5 million general fund balance while navigating challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and setting aside $200,000 toward pressing capital improvement needs.

“Starting the school year with a $1.5 million fund,” said Baker, “is very, very good news.”

While anticipating a return to full-day, in-person instruction in the fall, the district is still budgeting conservatively when it comes to student enrollment in 2021-22, due in large measure to a large graduating senior class. The district projects having 582 K-12 students next school year, a drop of about 17 students, three percent.

Projecting fewer students means the district will receive reduced state funding but will avoid costly repayments if enrollment predictions proved inflated.

“Enrollment is everything,” Baker said. “You have a very tight budget picture going into next year to maintain what you have.”

Baker noted that post-COVID the system should expect increased expenditures related to re-starting full-time educational programs and services.

He added that the district will transition from part-time interim superintendent Rich Stewart to Will Nelson and fill the now vacant business manager position, resulting in additional salary expenses.

Still, Baker softened those concerns, returning to the healthy fund balance status.

“You do enjoy a high fund balance at this point,” he reminded. “The general fund balance will be no less than $1.5 million.”

Building a more robust capital fund balance is the next step for district officials.

“We don’t have enough to buy a new roof,” said Deyo, stressing the need to continue allocating a minimum $200,000 annually toward future capital projects.

The board will have two student reps for a third year. They formally accepted the applications of Delaney Cobbs and Eleanor Drews to succeed graduating seniors MacQuaid Hiller and Avery Sloniker.

Board member John Agen, assigned the student rep interview process, said Cobbs will be a senior and Drews a junior in the fall.

“Both are very good,” said Agen. “Delaney was exceptional and Eleanor is very intelligent and well-spoken.”

Hiller agreed that the board got it right.

“They are excellent choices,” he said. “They’re really good students and people.”

Hiller and Sloniker were asked to reflect on their year as student voices on the school board.

“I feel real good about it,” Sloniker said of the experience. “I’m glad I got to know the district staff more and I liked the sense of community that comes with serving on the board. Relating to other people, I think, is one of the skills I’ll take away from this experience.”

Hiller said being on the board reinforced the value of compromise.

“You can’t force anything,” said Hiller. “You have to work with people. You need to compromise. Luckily, here, we tend to get along. You need to find ways to work around differences. It’s good to work with people and meet them in the middle.”

Among Hiller’s personal highlights was having the opportunity to lead board discussions reviewing books related to race and equity issues.

He said he learned the importance of leaving no detail untended.

“I was surprised,” Hiller said, “by how much stuff comes down to the minutiae. It’s the small things that turn out to be quite impactful.”

The board also:

• Accepted an InvestEd fund donation of $2,210 toward helping secondary students in need meet school-related costs.

• Approved a resolution continuing the district’s relationship with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, the governing body for co-curricular programs in the state.