REGULAR BOARD MEETING

February 25, 2026

5:00 P.M. Work Session - Policy

6:00 P.M. Executive Session

6:30 P.M. Board Meeting

Kent School District Administration Center Boardroom

SPECIAL BOARD MEETING

March 4, 2026

Joint Meeting with Covington City Council

6:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.

Kent School District Administration Center Boardroom

REGULAR BOARD MEETING

March 11, 2026

5:00 P.M. Work Session - Policy

6:00 P.M. Executive Session

6:30 P.M. Board Meeting

Kent School District Administration Center Boardroom

SPECIAL BOARD MEETING

*TUESDAY* March 24, 2026

Joint Meting with Kent City Council

6:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.

Kent School District Administration Center Boardroom

Policy Updates

Policy Work Session: Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 5:00 P.M.

The following policies will be discussed:

• Policy 1760 Board Member Use of Electronic Communications (First Reading)
• Policy 6225 Private Vehicle Transportation (Second Reading)

Links to board members’ individual policy work folders will be sent out on Friday, February 20, 2026. Any comments and/or suggested changes should be made by 2:00 P.M. on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, in order to be included in the work session documents. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Hawley. 

World Language Proficiency Testing

World Language Proficiency testing provides a valuable opportunity for students to showcase their knowledge and pride in their heritage. This fall, 441 students completed the World Language Proficiency testing, earning a total of 1,797 possible competency credits. Of the students tested, 284 are now eligible for the Seal of Biliteracy at graduation. Highlighting the rich linguistic diversity of Kent School District students Spanish, Dari, Somali (Maxaa), Punjabi (Eastern), Ukrainian, and Vietnamese were the top languages of the 33 total assessed. Planning is underway for additional testing in March.

Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD)

Secondary teachers have begun training in and implementing GLAD strategies in their classrooms. These strategies promote comprehensible input and output, enhancing multilingual learners' access to grade-level content. Classroom demonstrations were conducted at Northwood Middle School and Kentwood High School. Professional learning opportunities will continue to be offered for teachers at all levels.

Equity, Learning, and Community Connection

The Equity & Employment Support team was invited by Teaching & Learning's Student and Family Engagement team to present at the January Family Liaison meeting. During the meeting, key information, tools, and resources designed to strengthen collaboration with Family Liaisons and enhance support for students and their families were shared.

Irene and Sabrina also joined several school communities in honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The celebrations included powerful student-led events across the district. Highlights included Meridian Middle School who welcomed Darice Johnson, Executive Director, School and Leadership Success, and Kent-Meridian High School's tribute, which was led by the Black Student Union and featured a special address from Erin Jones, spokesperson, author, Washington State Teacher of the Year, Champion of Change, and the inaugural Hanford Education Leader.

Alternative Routes to Teaching Partnership Programs

This fall, the Professional Development Operations team applied for four grants to continue supporting the KSD Alternative Routes to Teaching Partnership Programs. These grants support KSD paraeducators and guest teachers in earning a teacher certification in a high needs area through direct tuition support.

At the January Professional Educator Standards Board meeting, it was shared that 180 seats were requested out of the 100 available. These requests represented 10 programs. KSD and University partners were awarded up to 50 of these seats statewide. Four of the seven approved programs are directly aligned to KSD and the Alternative Routes to Teaching partnership pathways.

This accomplishment strengthens access to certification opportunities and continues to elevate rising educations across the community.

As part of this work, the team hosted a Teacher Certification Information Session for paraeducators, guest teachers, and community members. Participants learned about district university partnerships and gained clarity on pathways to becoming certified teachers in Washington state. Attendees also received individualized support with unique certification challenges. Examples included a teacher trained and experienced in another country who needed assistance transferring a certificate to Washington and a teacher out of state who initiated the Washington certification process more than a decade ago and required guidance to complete the transfer.

These sessions provide meaningful opportunities for community members and staff to access personalized support as they prepare to build lasting careers in KSD.

Kentwood Unveils Unified Champion Schools national Banner at "Pack the Gym"

"Pack the Gym" nights are always special in KSD, but February 5, 2026, marked an unforgettable milestone for the entire community.

Kentwood (KW) High School officially became the second school in Washington for the Class of 2025 to earn the honor of being named a Unified Champion School by Special Olympics Washington. This distinction recognizes schools that meet ten rigorous standards promoting inclusive sports, leadership, and whole school school-engagement. Now in its third year, KW's Unified program has grown from 14 students to more than 140.

The program is led by coaches Honey Sychtysz and Stewart Kunzelman, who have cultivated a culture built on connection, belonging, and opportunity.

Before a thrilling Unified basketball game against West Seattle, which ended in a 29-29 tie, the KW community gathered to celebrate the banner unveiling. Food trucks filled the lot, fans streamed in, and the gym lived up to its name: absolutely packed. 

Congratulations to all the athletes, coaches, staff, and supporters who made this achievement possible. This banner represents more than recognition, it represents a commitment to inclusion, leadership, and unity at KW.

Kent Reporter: National Banner School

Historic Day at Canyon Ridge Middle School

Canyon Ridge (CR) Middle School hosted its first Unified "Pack the Den" event on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, and the turnout was incredible. nearly 150 students filled the Den for this free afterschool celebration of inclusion, community, and Unified spirit.

The event kicked off with KSD Athletic Director, Brian Smith, bringing high energy hype to the crowd before unveiling the school's brand-new 2025 Unified Track Championship banner. The highlight of the day came during the Unified team's game, where a close and exciting matchup ended with Team Yellow taking the win, 12-10. 

Staff involvement was outstanding, showcasing the heart and commitment that made Unified programming thrive at CR, where they continue to lead the way to inclusion as the first middle school in Kent to fully embrace the Unified Champion Schools vision and the first middle school in Washington to host a "Pack the Gym" style Unified event.

Cheerleading State Championship Highlights

Local teams delivered outstanding performances at the State Cheer Championships, showcasing spirit, precision, and incredible teamwork across multiple divisions.

• Kentwood High School places 3rd for 4A NonTumbling - Small Division
• Kentwood High School places 6th and Kentridge High School places 10th for 4A Game Day - Small Division
• Kentlake High School places 2nd for 3A Game Day - Small Division

About the Divisions

Game Day routines highlight the energy cheerleaders bring to the sidelines. Teams perform a Band Chant, Situational Chant, Cheer, and Fight Song all within one dynamic routine that showcases school spirit.

NonTumbling routines include both a music portion and a cheer portion, requiring teams to demonstrate sharp motions, synchronization, and spirit without tumbling skills. 

Varsity Small Division teams consist of 5-15 cheerleaders. 

Kent Schools Shine at the Inaugural WIAA Flag Football State Championships

History was made as Kentlake, Kentridge, and Kentwood High Schools all earned spots in the first Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) Flag Football State Championship Tournament, showcasing the rapid growth of the sport and the rising strength of Kent programs.

• Coming in as the #16 seed, Kentlake drew a tough first round matchup against #1 Lincoln (Tacoma). Despite a strong effort and plenty of grit, they fell 23-7, closing out a proud season.
• #12 Kentwood battled fiercely in their opening game but came up just short in a tight matchup with #5 Emerald Ridge, losing 28-21 in a back-and-forth contest.
• #10 Kentridge made a statement in the first round with a 21-14 win over #7 South Kitsap, advancing to the Elite Eight. There, they took on a strong #2 Sumner squad, ultimately falling 28-14 after a competitive fight.

Across the board, Kent high schools proved they are building a reputation for excellence in this emerging sport. With the talent, commitment, and momentum shown this season, there is no doubt these programs will be back next year, stronger, more determined, and ready to contend.

District 3 3A/4A State Gymnastics Qualifiers

The North Puget Sound League (NPSL) proudly recognizes the outstanding athletes who have earned their spots at the WIAA State Gymnastics Championships, showcasing power, precision, and consistency throughout the season.

4A State Qualifiers

• Kentwood
  • Camilla Wilson - All Around (2nd Place)
  • Aubrey Kestle - Vault (3rd Place), Bars (1st Place), Floor (2nd Place)
• Kentridge
  • Keaira Sinclair - Vault (5th Place), Bars (3rd Place), Floor (5th Place)
  • Kolbie Mannin - Bars (5th Place)

3A State Qualifiers

• Kentlake
  • Savanna Peters - All Around Champion
  • Chloe Haller - Beam (3rd Place)

Congratulations to all qualifiers for their exceptional achievements and best of luck as they compete at the State Championships.

NPSL Wrestling Championship Highlights

Congratulations to all KSD wrestlers for an incredible showing at the NPSL Wrestling Championships.

Kent-Meridian boys dominated the 3A field, capturing the NPSL Team Title behind 6 individual league champions:

• Farzad Karimi - 106
• Luke Garza - 132
• Adoni Garza - 144
• Aydin Nuraddiov - 165
• Jerrilund Sampson - 215
• Jacob Najera - 285

Their success continued in the 3A Girls NPSL Tournament, adding 2 more league champions

• Naveah Tantoco - 135
• Aminah Conrad - 140

At the 4A Championships, both Kentridge and Kentwood celebrated individual girl titles:

• Brylee PeralesArgote (KR) - 120
• Dayna Vi (KW) - 190

On the boys' side, Kentwood finished an impressive 3rd place as a team, led by three league champions.

• Patrick Amer - 175
• Abhi Saroya - 190
• Lee'Andrew Rubin - 285

Congratulations to all athletes, teams, and coaches on their outstanding performances.

Kentwood Crowns Two District Swimming Champions

Kentwood High School had a powerhouse weekend in the pool, bringing home two individual District Championships and several State qualifying finishes.

District Champions:

• Schuyler Wright (Senior) - 200 Individual Medley District Champion
• Ryley Clough (Junior) - 500 Freestyle District Champion

With all three Kentwood relays advancing to the Finals, the Conquerors powered their way to an impressive 7th place team finish, achieved with a small but mighty roster of just 10 swimmers. Schuyler and Ryley are hoping to be joined at the Championships by the 200 Medley Relay and 200 Freestyle Relay, who are awaiting potential wild card berths.

Kentridge

• Jack Ball earned a 2nd place medal in the 4A Adaptive 50 Freestyle and has qualified for the WIAA State Championships

Kent-Meridian

• Ryder Morris earned a 2nd place medal in the 3A Adaptive 50 Freestyle and will also advance to the WIAA State Championships.

All qualifiers will compete at the King Count Aquatic Center on February 20 and 21, 2026.

Congratulations to all swimmers and coaches on their outstanding achievements and best of luck at State.

West Central District Basketball Tournament Tips Off

Tournament season has arrived, and excitement is building as Kent schools begin their journey on the road to the State Championships.

Girls Bracket

• #15 Kentridge travels to take on #2 Sumner in a challenging first round matchup.
• #16 Kentwood heads south to face #1 Union, looking to spark an upset and advance.

Boys Bracket

• #5 Kentridge will host #12 Union, aiming to defend homecourt and move on.
• #6 Kentwood also enjoys homecourt advantage as they welcome #11 Olympia

Best of luck to all teams as post season play begins - Kent basketball is ready to compete, battle, and make a statement.

New Partnership Enhances 5th Grade Outdoor Education Experience

The Athletics & Activities department is proud to partner with Teaching & Learning - Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) to support a smooth and efficient registration process for this year's 5th grade outdoor education extended day field trip.

The departments are working together to bring FinalForms integration to the elementary level, which will allow students and families to complete all required field trip paperwork electronically. This effort streamlines communication, improves accessibility, and helps ensure every student is ready for a meaningful outdoor learning experience.

What a Day for Kentwood Unified Basketball

The Kentwood Unified Basketball team delivered an unforgettable performance, truly the strongest showing in program history. The team played with heart, energy, and incredible teamwork, leaving Coaches Honey Sychtysz and Stewart Kunzelman absolutely buzzing with pride.

Kentwood Unified finished 2nd in their division, marking the highest placement the program has ever achieved. Even more exciting, the team has officially punched its ticket to the Unified Basketball State Championship, taking place February 27 - March 1, 2026 in Wenatchee.

Congratulations to every athlete and partner whose dedication, effort, and passion have led to this moment. The growth and unity on display this season have been nothing short of inspiring.

Special Olympics of Washington All-Star Selections

Congratulations to Koper Jones (senior) and Jordan Shults (junior) from Kentwood High School, on being selected for the Special Olympics of Washington Unified Basketball All-Star Team. These outstanding young men will compete in the All-Star Game this March at Bellevue College, representing Kentwood with pride and sportsmanship. Koper and Jordan will join nine other pairs of Unified Athletes and Partners to form this year's All-Star roster - an incredible honor that highlights their dedication, teamwork, and leadership on and off the court. 

January Coach of the Month: Kendall Anderson

The Kentwood Boys Wrestling program has been on the rise this season, powered by the leadership of Coach Kendall Anderson. The team secured an impressive 5-1 NPSL record with many Conk wrestlers pushing into post season competition.

Coach Anderson is an inspiring leader who brings out the best in his athletes, setting clear expectations, building confidence, and emphasizing success both on the mat and in the classroom. His focus on accountability, preparation, and balance helps his wrestlers grow into responsible, confident young men.

Leading with humility and modeling integrity, he always shows respect for opponents, officials, and the sport. Coach Anderson's dedication to developing the whole student athlete makes him a truly deserving Coach of the Month. 

Donations from the Community

The Warehouse & Distribution Services team had the opportunity to pick up a generous donation to KSD of over 400 chairs from Grace City Community Church in Auburn Washington and deliver them to Meeker Middle School.

These chairs will be utilized to support Meeker students, staff, and families for classroom activities and school events.