School Board Guiding Principles for BEX VI Capital Levy Planning

At the Oct. 11, 2023, meeting of the Seattle School Board, the Directors approved Guiding Principles for the Building Excellence VI Capital Levy (BEX VI).

Board Policy No. 6901, Capital Levy Planning, sets principles for all capital levy planning and provides for Board adoption of guiding principles specific to each levy. These principles provide direction to staff in presenting proposals for levy projects.

Universal Expectations

These guiding principles set universal expectations for the selection and implementation of all capital levy projects:

Place-Based Strategies

Honor the communities in which our schools are located and comprised of through place-based approaches. Our project selection and ranking processes will consider the land, resources, and history, since time immemorial, of each setting and its people.

Equitable Access

Fulfill policy commitments to provide every student with equitable access to a high-quality curriculum, support, facilities, and other educational resources, even when this means differentiating resource allocation (Board Policy Nos. 0010, Instructional Philosophy, and 0030, Ensuring Educational and Racial Equity).

Welcoming Environments

Provide school environments that ensure all students, staff, and families feel seen, heard, and welcomed regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, disability, socioeconomic status, religious affiliation, LGBTQIA+ sexual orientation and gender identity, primary language, and any other identifier, so that every student is a fully included member of their community.

Scoring and Ranking of Projects

Scoring and ranking will prioritize projects based on the following guiding principles:

High-Quality Learning Environments

Invest in educationally inspiring and inclusive schools in the pursuit of academic excellence. Align with district goals and commitments toward an inclusive, collaborative, and high-quality educational experience for all students including, but not limited to, serving students with disabilities in general education settings (Board Policy No. 0010), the prohibition of isolation (Board Policy No. 3246), and gender-inclusive restroom access (Board Policy No. 3211  and School Board Resolution No. 2019/20-28). Maintain healthy, flexible, and accessible educational spaces; outdoor education and play spaces; and critical systems like roofs; mechanical; HVAC; and seismic safety, as part of the long-term preventative maintenance plan.

• Intent: Students will learn, and educators will teach, in well-maintained schools that inclusively meet student needs and support educational outcomes.

Facilities Planning

Ground capital construction planning in district capacity analysis, enrollment projections, and forecasted development and population changes at the local and regional levels. Planning will utilize principles of financial prudence, leverage funding and other partnership opportunities, and incorporate economic and demographic trends to position the district to match building capacity effectively and efficiently to district enrollment, resources, and student needs in the near and long-term while minimizing portables.

• Intent: Facilities planning will be responsive to students needs in the near and long-term.

Accessible Schools

Prioritize accessibility improvements that meet the needs of students with disabilities and requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including investment in an expedient district response to the accessibility study to be undertaken through BTA V Levy funding.

• Intent: Schools, classrooms, playgrounds, outdoor spaces, and other student facilities will be safe and accessible for all, including students with disabilities.

Safe and Secure Schools

Prioritize recommendations identified in the system-wide safety review that will improve building and site safety, security, and emergency response preparedness and that align with best practices while reflecting our vision for welcoming schools.

• Intent: Schools will be safe for all students, staff, and families.

Technology

Ensure technology provides a cohesive learning environment that fosters academic growth and administrative efficiency and allows for continuous improvement. New and existing tools must enrich student learning and empower educator instruction with investments aligned across districtwide infrastructure and support, student and employee data security and privacy, and classroom hardware and software.

• Intent: Students, educators, and staff will have the technological resources needed for a high-quality educational experience.

Environmental Sustainability

Leverage Clean Energy Task Force recommendations to transition to clean, renewable energy and reduce energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and our carbon footprint consistent with our commitments in School Board Resolution No. 2020/21-18. Construct and renovate buildings with a focus on conservation, operational costs, and preservation of district investments.

• Intent: Students and educators will work and learn in school facilities that support their health, their environment, and their futures.