Northwest Educational Service District 189

Mission

Together we can…
promote equity and excellence
through leadership and service.

Vision

To be an indispensable partner
to our region’s school communities.

Values

Responsive customer service.
Open communication.
Regional collaboration.
Flexible teamwork.
Adaptable professional learning.
Positive relationships.

Goals

Provide quality services
that meet our region’s needs.
Prepare students for college,
career, and citizenship.
Foster educator effectiveness
to assure equity and opportunity
for all students.

NWESD trees

A Letter from Our Superintendent

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of the Northwest Educational Service District 189 (NWESD), I am pleased to submit this annual report for the 2023-24 school year.

During the 2023-24 school year we continued to focus our efforts on providing the best possible care and resources to our students and to the educators and administrators working in our region.

The 2023-24 Annual Report is a recap of some of the great work happening in our region. I hope that you will take a minute to explore the report below to learn about the impacts the NWESD has on our region of 35 school districts, a Tribal Education Compact School and several private schools.

As the effects of the global pandemic continued, we looked at the challenges our staff and district staff were facing and explored possible solutions. Included in that effort was an emphasis on mental health. We continue to develop our program of providing direct support for students in schools. We employ both Mental Health Professionals and Student Assistant Professionals who work directly with students.

Our work with students doesn’t stop there. While we work in school districts throughout our five-county region, the NWESD 189 also operates schools of our own. These locations provide direct schooling for some of the most vulnerable students. Last year, three students graduated from our programs, earning their diplomas in front of family, friends and fellow students. We couldn’t be prouder!

The efforts of the NWESD staff are evident by the information included in this report. I am excited to have joined the NWESD team and partner with the NWESD staff to provide the programs and services needed to meet the needs of our 35 school districts.

Dr. Ismael Vivanco
Superintendent
NWESD 189

Our Top Stories of the Year

NWESD School Nurse Corps Administrator earns national recognition

July 12th, 2024|Comments Off on NWESD School Nurse Corps Administrator earns national recognition

The Northwest Educational Service District (NWESD) School Nurse Corps Administrator Lynnette Ondeck is receiving national recognition for her decades of hard work as a school nurse. Ondeck was recently inducted as a Fellow in [...]

From our Superintendent: A final message of hope

June 25th, 2024|Comments Off on From our Superintendent: A final message of hope

By Larry Francois NWESD Superintendent The annual end of the school year and the start of summer break is typically met by a collective sigh of relief from educators, students, and families after a [...]

Two graduate from Whatcom Discovery

June 14th, 2024|Comments Off on Two graduate from Whatcom Discovery

As graduates sat with their families and supports during a graduation ceremony at Whatcom Discovery on June 12, rows and rows of students lined the back of the gym, cheering them on each step [...]

  • A man in a graduation robe and hat smiles and holds up a diploma.

Graduate celebrates journey during NRLC ceremony

June 11th, 2024|Comments Off on Graduate celebrates journey during NRLC ceremony

Only one student graduated at the Northwest Regional Learning Center (NRLC) this year, but that didn’t mean a small amount of cheer during the ceremony. “Today, we gather to celebrate a singular yet monumental [...]

  • A woman smiles in front of a background that includes greenery and a wooden shelf.

NWESD names Regional Classified School Employee of the Year

June 5th, 2024|Comments Off on NWESD names Regional Classified School Employee of the Year

UPDATE: Geancarla "Carla" Shanks Morales went on to win the title of 2024 State Classified School Employee of the Year! Geancarla “Carla” Shanks Morales, an elementary school reading paraeducator and a SAFE advocate in [...]

Regional partners host Migrant Wellness Days

May 29th, 2024|Comments Off on Regional partners host Migrant Wellness Days

By Tanya Rojas NWESD Migrant Out-of-School Youth/Health Services Coordinator Migrant Education Programs from across the Northwest Washington region hosted two Migrant Wellness Days this year for migrant youth to have the opportunities to [...]

ECHO Tour allows students to explore healthcare field

March 26th, 2024|Comments Off on ECHO Tour allows students to explore healthcare field

From dentistry to chiropractic health, students from around Snohomish County had the chance last week to learn about a variety of healthcare careers - and what steps they needed to take to get there. [...]

  • Green background banner with photo of Dr. Ismael Vivanco and his name and future title of superintendent

Vivanco to step into NWESD superintendent role in July

February 27th, 2024|Comments Off on Vivanco to step into NWESD superintendent role in July

Dr. Ismael “Ish” Vivanco will be the next superintendent of the Northwest Educational Service District 189 (NWESD). “I’m super excited for this opportunity to help with brighter, bigger and greater things for our 35 [...]

Mini grant will help fund robots for Discovery Centers

February 6th, 2024|Comments Off on Mini grant will help fund robots for Discovery Centers

Mini grant will help fund robots for Discovery Centers A new AASA (School Superintendents’ Association) Helping Kids Mini Grant will allow the Northwest Washington Educational Service District to bring robotics to students at Snohomish [...]

NWESD Demographics

0
Students in our region
0
Female students
0
Male students
0
Gender X students
0
Teachers in our region
0
Female teachers
0
Male teachers
0
Gender X teacher

Student Ethnicity

For the 2023-24 school year.

Teacher Ethnicity*

For the 2023-24 school year.

Student Data Enrollment By Program*

For the 2023-24 school year.

Demographic information courtesy of OSPI’s Data Portal

HIGHLIGHTS

The NWESD links educators and school districts with valuable resources

0
NWESD Staff Hired
0
Fingerprints Taken
0
Professional Learning Classes and Workshops Offered
0
Teachers, Attendees & Participants

All values between Sept. 1, 2023, and Aug. 31, 2024.

Department: Behavioral Health & Prevention Services

A huge focus in the Behavioral Health and Prevention Services Department for the 2023-24 school year was providing mental health services for students. 

Many of the new hires for the NWESD were for the BHPS Department, which staffs many different Student Assistance Professionals and Mental Health Professionals in the districts across the region. 

Many of the staff are funded through a Department of Education grant, which helps to make sure that students have access to free mental health services. 

As the program moves forward, we are working on processes for billing through insurance and Medicaid thus allowing more students to receive services. 

The BHPS Department also worked to create a Skagit Open Doors program. This program, which matches similar ones in Snohomish and Whatcom, offers youth between the ages of 16 and 21 a safe and encouraging environment where they can complete high school, obtain a GED or retrieve credits.

This program is also looking at a summer pilot program, to help extend the school year. 

The NWESD School Safety and Wellness Center  continues to grow, completing threat assessments for many of the districts and increasing the professional development offerings. 

Department: Teaching & Learning

The Teaching and Learning Department continued its work on many different prongs, bringing support to districts across the NWESD region in many different ways including a variety of professional learning opportunities on many subjects. 

Department staff also relaunched the Young Writers conference, providing students with the opportunity to work with an author and NWESD staff to learn about different writing styles.  

Throughout the department, the 2023-24 year’s theme was partnership. Many of the programs within the Teaching and Learning Department are made up of one or two people. This past year they worked collaboratively to find how their programs intersect and to see where they could combine efforts to meet regional needs. The addition of the Stronger Connections grant has been a great opportunity for the Teaching and Learning department to work in partnership with the Behavioral Health Department by providing student support and academic enrichment. 

The continued work of the  EdTech staff has allowed us to develop digital literacy tools focusing on AI. This area of work has proved to be a great resource to our districts and will continue to grow in the coming years. 

Department: Administration

The Administration Department continues to grow to meet the needs of our 35 school districts.    

The Online Learning Program has expanded its offerings this last year, making available more than 30 classes to educators providing options for specialized credit types for those teachers who need to meet their clock hour requirements.  

 In the 2023-24 school year, the Online Learning Program saw roughly 2,420 registrants who earned more than 10,300 clock hours. 

The Bike Education Program has been a welcome addition to the Administration Department. The NWESD served as one of the pilot ESDs for this statewide program offered in partnership with the Cascade Bicycle Club.  

This program brought education to seven schools in its first year.

Department: Special Programs & Services

The Special Programs and Services Department continues to thrive, connecting directly with students across the NWESD 189 region to help them find jobs, access resources and get the educational tools they need to make it to graduation. 

This department operates two Discovery Programs, offering students who are not succeeding in a traditional classroom the chance to learn in a different environment.  In many cases, the students return to their home school. This year, three students graduated directly from our Discovery Programs, allowing fellow students, family and staff the chance to cheer them on as they finish their high school journeys. 

For the 2023-24 school year, 48 students attended Whatcom Discovery, nine attended Northwest Regional Learning Center (in Snohomish County) and 21 attended Snohomish Discovery Center. 

The Special Programs and Services Department expanded its services by adding a teacher for the visually diverse. This teacher has been working with districts across our region, with demand continuing to grow. The department is looking to add two more teachers to keep up with the need. 

The Pre-Employment Transition Services program, which provides workplace readiness training and work-based learning, including paid internships, was able to provide much needed expanded services in 2023-24. The program met with 1,463 students that qualified for its services. The team also organized and facilitated 860 job site tours at 56 companies.  

The program served 553 students from 23 schools in Workplace Readiness Training/Self Advocacy workshops and placed 81 students in paid internships. 

Financials

2023-24 NWESD Revenues: $40,722,389

Values shown as approximate percentages.

ESD Funding

ESDs (unlike local school districts, which receive the majority of their funding from the state) are largely self-supporting organizations sustained by competitive grants, cooperatives, and fees for service.

“Core” funding – the amount allocated by the state – totals only 3% of NWESD funding. Core funding is based on the number of school districts and the size of the geographic region served.

Core Funding

For every $1 of core funding provided to the NWESD, $38.42 dollars of service is provided for students in our region.

Core funding allocated to the NWESD totaled about $1,033,140 and accounted for approximately 3% of annual revenue sources.

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Thank you for your partnership!