Northwest
Educational Service District 189
2024-2025 Annual Report

A Year of Impact

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of the Northwest Educational Service District 189 (NWESD), I am pleased to share this annual report for the 2024-25 school year. This annual report highlights how NWESD strengthened systems, expanded services, and partnered with districts to support educators and students across our region.

Dr. Ismael Vivanco
Superintendent
NWESD 189

Board of Directors

Kelly Bashaw
District 1

Dr. Jack Thompson
District 2

Mark Venn
District 3

Beth Niemi
District 4

Dr. Alan Erickson
District 5

Cory Duskin
District 6

Ann McMurray
District 7

Sue Phillips
District 8

Merle Kirkley
District 9

Financials

Report Period: Sept. 1, 2024, to Aug. 31, 2025.

ESD Funding

ESDs – unlike school districts which receive most of their funding from the state – are largely self-supporting organizations sustained by competitive grants and contracts, cooperative services models, and fee-for-service revenue. This year NWESD secured nearly $46 million in revenue to provide programs and services that meet the needs of students, educators, schools, and districts in our region.

Core Funding

Core funding refers to the portion of state funding allocated to ESDs. In 2024-25, core funding accounted for just 2% of NWESD’s budget. Core funding is determined by the number of school districts served and the geographic size of the region.

Return on Investment

For every $1 of core funding provided to NWESD, $44 of service is provided for students and educators in our region.

2024-25 NWESD Revenues: $45,967,523

Unaudited numbers.

NWESD Demographics

Students in our region

Female students

Male students

Gender X students

Teachers in our region

Female teachers

Male teachers

Gender X teacher

Student Ethnicity
(167,392 total students)

For the 2024-25 school year.

Teacher Ethnicity
(10,233 total teachers)

For the 2023-24 school year.

Student Enrollment By Program
(167,392 total students)

For the 2024-25 school year.

Data Source: OSPI’s Data Portal

Highlights

Two boys stand in graduation caps and gowns, giving thumbs up signs in the trees.

The NWESD connects educators and school districts to valuable resources.

Report Period: Sept. 1, 2024, and Aug. 31, 2025.

Accreditation

Our accreditation team and coaches supported 93 high schools through the accreditation process. Forty high school teams completed the full process, including 12 first-time schools and 28 renewals. Another 53 high school teams completed their third-year review.

Online Learning Program

Our online learning program served 2,557 participants. This program enables educators to earn clock hours through asynchronous classes on their own time. The top three classes by registrations were: Issues of Abuse, Women in STEM, and STEM Kahoot.

Mental Health

As a licensed mental health agency, NWESD mental health programs provide in-school care to many young people throughout the region. This year, our Student Assistance Professionals provided prevention education and intervention support to 1,593 students. And our licensed Mental Health Professionals provided outpatient, therapeutic services to 800 students.

Fingerprinting

Our team processed fingerprinting for 1,001 individuals—that’s over 10,000 fingerprints. This service helps expedite hiring so districts and other youth-serving organizations can more quickly place staff in service to students.

Classes

NWESD subject-matter experts – with expertise in teaching and learning, special education, behavioral health, technology, equity and more – offered 445 professional learning classes and workshops, serving 4,715 educators both in person and online.

Qmlativ Migrations

Our Northwest Regional Data Center (NWRDC) assisted eight school districts in 2024 and 10 more in 2025 with the switch from Skyward to Qmlativ. This work supports more than 82,000 students and their families, 3,500 educators, and 300 school district support staff, enabling access to critical student data.

In addition, NWRDC, offered 300 classes to Qmlativ users.

Top Eight Stories of the Year

Celebrating the Success of the 2025 School Safety & Wellness Symposium

August 21st, 2025|Comments Off on Celebrating the Success of the 2025 School Safety & Wellness Symposium

Together We Thrive: Celebrating the Success of the 2025 School Safety & Wellness Symposium From Aug. 12–13, the NWESD School Safety & Wellness Center hosted its 2025 School Safety and Wellness Symposium at the [...]

Two graduate from NRLC

June 24th, 2025|Comments Off on Two graduate from NRLC

Congratulations to Jason Plunske and Amante Prieto, 2025 graduates of the Northwest Regional Learning Center (NRLC). These two graduates, who accepted their diplomas last week, have seen their fair share of challenges. Jason and [...]

NWESD names 2026 Regional Teacher of the Year

May 29th, 2025|Comments Off on NWESD names 2026 Regional Teacher of the Year

Ruwani Brohier was recognized with the Great Teaching Award as part of the 2024 Promise Awards last spring. Pictured with her is a fifth-grade student, Cordata Principal Dr. Craig Baldwin and Superintendent Greg [...]

NWESD names 2025 Regional Classified School Employee of the Year

May 29th, 2025|Comments Off on NWESD names 2025 Regional Classified School Employee of the Year

Jim Logan is the 2025 Northwest Educational Service District 189 Regional Classified School Employee of the Year! Logan is a programmer and database analyst with the Burlington-Edison School District. When Logan started with the [...]

High school students dive in at Blue Tech By the Bay

May 22nd, 2025|Comments Off on High school students dive in at Blue Tech By the Bay

Fishermen’s Pavilion and Squalicum Boathouse filled up with more than 150 high school students from 16 schools interested in learning more about marine trades and maritime careers at the Blue Tech By the Bay [...]

NWESD 189 hosts GSA Summit

May 2nd, 2025|Comments Off on NWESD 189 hosts GSA Summit

On April 19, 2025, ten high school GSA (Genders & Sexualities Alliance) clubs from Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties came together at the NWESD for the first annual GSA Summit. The GSA [...]

Student-organized regional leadership conference empowers student board representatives

March 11th, 2025|Comments Off on Student-organized regional leadership conference empowers student board representatives

Pictured: Student leaders Gabby Lenssen (Ferndale), Maggie Litvachuk (Oak Harbor), Harleen Malli (Ferndale), and Allena Locklear (Oak Harbor) presenting a signed mission statement developed by student board representatives to regional superintendents. On Friday, [...]

WAVE Tour offers hands-on experience to area students

November 5th, 2024|Comments Off on WAVE Tour offers hands-on experience to area students

Among the sound of hammers and a jackhammer, students moved from station to station, taking the chance for hands-on experiences of different trades. The annual WAVE (Washington Apprenticeship Vocational [...]

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.