The Vashon Island School District does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin (including language), sex, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, creed, religion, age, veteran or military status, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in any district programs or activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The Vashon Island School District is an equal opportunity employer. Vashon Island School District is tobacco-free, drug-free and weapons free. Appropriate fingerprint screening results are required for employment.

Equity and Civil Rights | OSPI .

For specific information, contact:

• VISD Title IX and ADA/504 Coordinator,

          Kathryn Coleman, PO Box 547, Vashon, Washington 98070, (206) 463-2121 kcoleman@vashonsd.org

• VISD Compliance Coordinator for 28A.640 and 28A.642 RCW

           Amy Sassara, Human Resource Director, PO Box 547, Vashon, WA 98070, (206) 463-2121 asassara@vashonsd.org

Governance

• A five member Board of Directors elected by the public heads the Vashon Island School District.  The Board is the policy making body for the district and selects the superintendent, who reports to the Board and is responsible for all administrative and operational functions.  It is the duty of the Superintendent to implement the policies developed and approved by the Board.
• Regular board meetings begin at 6:00 p.m. and are held the fourth Thursday of each month.  The second Thursday of the month is reserved for Board work sessions or other non-business activities. Meetings are held in the District Office Conference Room. If there are cancellations, postponements, changes of location or start time or additional special board meetings, the change will be posted on the district website and at the district office.

Our Schools

• District P-12 programming is offered through Chautauqua Elementary School, McMurray Middle School, and Vashon Island High School, as well as the Student Link and Family Link alternative education programs.
• You will receive a phone and room number directory for your building at the beginning of the school year and a full directory is available on our website at www.vashonsd.org.  All phones may be dialed from within the district using the 4-digit extension, dialing from external or cell phones requires using the 206-463- prefix flowed by the extension (i.e. Internal dial use 8529, from an external phone use 206-463-8529)

District Office

• Our district offices are located on the third floor, east wing of Chautauqua Elementary School.  Here you will find Human Resources, the Business Office, Student Data and Student Services, the Director of Teaching and Learning, and the Superintendent’s Office.

Food Service

• From the main kitchen located at Vashon Island High School, our highly skilled Child Nutrition staff produces delicious meals for students and staff using whole grains, lean proteins and fresh fruits and vegetables, locally sourced whenever possible.  Meals are available at all three schools and purchased using an individual PIN at point of sale to access funds from pre-paid accounts.  Employees may set up a monthly payroll deduction to fund the pre-paid account; there are also drop boxes in each school office to pay by check.  Employees with a balance of $20 or less in their lunch account will receive a reminder email to add funds. Employees with a negative balance will have funds withheld from their payroll (see pg. 72 - Procedure for Board Policy 6700.1).
• Adult breakfasts / lunches:       $3.00 / $6.00
• Middle and high school ala Carte options: Costs vary
• If you have any questions please contact Tory Gateman, tgateman@vashonsd.org ext. 8638

Staff Parking
Each building has designated areas for staff parking.

• Chautauqua – the second and third parking bays back from the CES main entrance. Please leave the bay closest to the entrance for parents and other guests.
• McMurray – the same as Chautauqua as well as along the secondary access road parallel to the front of the MCM main entrance.
• Vashon Island High School – The first three rows of parking directly across from the VHS main entrance.

Student Support
Homeless Student Liaison:    Peter Woodbrook x8534

• Please contact Peter with any concerns you may have regarding potential homelessness among our student population.

Vashon Youth and Family Services: 206-463-5511

• Local support organization for at-risk children and families.

Emergency Schedule Changes

• In the case of an emergency or weather related schedule change, staff will be notified by a variety of methods including phone tree, regional media and/or text message. There are two possible scenarios for a schedule change:

1.5 Hour Late Start:

• Staff may choose to arrive at their regularly scheduled time if they can reach their assigned work site safely but there is no expectation that staff arrive before the late start.  Hourly employees who miss part of their shift may stay later to complete their assigned hours, use any leave they may have available or make up the hours later IN THE SAME PAY PERIOD.

Schools Closed:

• Instructional/building staff should remain home.  District and facilities staff may be asked to report to work on an as-needed, safe-arrival basis.  Staff who work to the student calendar will make the day up with students at the end of the school year, year-round staff may take any leave they have available or take leave without pay for any time missed.

Employment Information
Placement/Verification of Experience and/or Education

• Salary placement is determined by experience and/or education and is subject to verification by appropriate documentation which should be sent directly to the Human Resources Office. The Human Resource Director can provide you with Employment Verification documents to send to all prior school district employers.
• Experience for work with other school districts will be granted per the collective bargaining agreement and OSPI regulations.

Social Security Card

• You will be required to complete new employee forms at the time of orientation. You will need to provide your valid photo identification and original social security card at that time. If you have misplaced your social security card, or had a change of name, please go to the Social Security Office and order a new or corrected card. Just knowing your social security number is not enough, as we must be able to photocopy the actual card. Please note that the name on your social security card will be the name that the District will use on its employment records.

Sick Leave Balances

• For those new employees who have previous experience in another Washington State school district or other state entity and who have a sick leave balance, the Vashon Island School District will arrange for a transfer of any sick leave balance.

Fingerprint Requirements

• In June of 1992 a Washington State law was passed that requires any person hired by a school district who has regularly scheduled unsupervised access to children to be fingerprinted for a State and National background check. Since all school district employees have the potential to have access to children, the Vashon Island School District requires all new employees to be fingerprinted. Only if an employee has been fingerprinted and deemed clear for a Washington State school district within the last two years would an employee be exempt from this requirement.

Fingerprint Process

• The background check requires a fingerprint card to be submitted to the Washington State Patrol Identification and Criminal History Section and to the FBI. This clearance normally takes approximately two to four weeks. Results from the fingerprint background checks will be kept confidential. Any action taken against the employment of an individual who has had a fingerprint background check will be kept within the guideline of the law.

Setting Up Your Phone For the First Time

1. Press Voice Mail or lift the handset and press #.
2. At the prompt, use the dial pad to enter your password. (This would have been given to you by a tech department member via email.)
3. Follow the prompts to set up your name (option 1) and phone greeting (option 6)
4. Press #.

Log into your voicemail by pressing the voicemail button and enter your temporary password. Then, when you do log on a voice prompt will walk you through the steps.

Checking Voicemail From Home

1. Call (206) 463-8539.
2. Enter your extension.
3. Enter your password
4. Follow the prompts.

Logging in/out of your phone

Logging into a phone

1. Lift handset or press the speaker button.
2. Press # button
3. Press # button again.
4. Enter your extension and password
5. Press 7 – Options
6. Press 3 – Reassign
7. Press 1 – Assign extension to this telephone

Note: If you login to a different phone you will be logged out the last one you logged into, including your normal phone.

Logging off of a phone

1. Press the Voice Mail button
2. Enter your password
3. Press 7 – Options
4. Press 3 – Reassign
5. Press 2 – Log off this telephone
6. Extension will now go to your normal phone.
    

504 Plan

• Section 504 of the IDEA. Support plan (federally mandated) for students who have a medical or emotional condition which interferes with their access to education.  May include a variety of accommodations and is a plan developed collaboratively with designated staff. Not the same as Special Education.

AYP

• Adequate Yearly Progress - federal requirement for student achievement results.  To meet AYP currently in Washington 100% of students must meet grade level standard OR each grade group in a school must make an overall 10% improvement on the previous year's scores (Safe Harbor)

CES

• Chautauqua Elementary School

ECEAP (E-Cap)

• Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program

EDS

• Educational Data System, online location for most state reporting and data submission as well as individual teacher certification information.

ELL

• English Language Learner.  This is the same program as the former ESL, English as a Second Language

ESD

• Educational Service District - we are affiliated with Puget Sound ESD (PSESD)

FAPE

• Free and Appropriate Public Education

FLINK

• Family Link - Parent Partnership Program for homeschoolers

FTE

• Full-time equivalent. Used for both staff and students to identify the total number of fulltime individuals. 

IEP

• Individualized Education Plan. Required for all students identified for special education services.

IDEA

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

LAP

• Learning Assistance Program. A state grant to fund supplemental instruction for identified struggling learners. 

LEP

• Limited English Proficiency.  Federal funding to support ELL students

MCM

• McMurray Middle School

MSOC (Em-sock)

• Materials, Supplies and Other Costs (formerly NERCs, Non-Employee Related Costs) - term for budget items other than salaries and benefits

OCR

• Office for Civil Rights

OSPI

• Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction  - State education department

PDD

• Professional Development Day – 2.5 hour late arrival for students

MTSS

• Multi-Tiered System of Support - Identification of and support for struggling learners through a variety of tiered interventions. Formerly called Response to Intervention (RTI)

VEA

• Vashon Education Association - Teachers' collective bargaining unit

VESP

• Vashon Educational Support Personnel - Non-certified instructional support collective bargaining unit.

SEIU

• Service Employees International Union - Facilities and food service collective bargaining unit

SERS

• School Employee Retirement System

SLINK

• Student Link - Alternative Education Program

SpEd

• Special Education. Specially designed instruction at no cost to the parents to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability.

Title I

• Federal grant to support identified struggling learners. 

TPEP

• Teacher and Principal Evaluation Protocol

TRI/Enhancement

• Supplemental teacher pay for additional activites not covered under basic education. 

TRS

• Teachers' Retirement System

VHS

• Vashon Island High School

A complete list of Vashon Island School District policies and procedures can be found here:

Current Board Policies

Below are selected policies relating to different aspects of employment with the district. This list is important but does not represent all policies relevant to your roles and resposibilities as a district employee. Review each of these policies and procedures below in their entirety and refer to the link above to see all possible relevant policies:

In The Classroom

• Policy 2022 - Electronic Resources / 2022P - Procedure Electronic Resources 
• Policy 2025 - Copyright Compliance
• Policy 2331 - Controversial Issues/Guest Speakers
• Policy 3220 - Freedom of Expression

Interactions with Staff, Students, and the Public

• Policy 5015 - Civility / 5015P - Procedure Civility
• Policy 4020 - Confidential Communications
• Policy 5253 - Maintaining Professional Staff Student Boundaries
• Policy 3211 - Gender-Inclusive Schools
• Procedure 3211 - Transgender Students
• Policy 3421 - Child Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Prevention / 3421P - Procedure Child Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Prevention
• Policy 3207 - Prohibition of Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying/ 3207P - Procedure Harassment and Sexual Harassment
• Policy 5011 - Sexual Harassment / 5011P - Procedure Sexual Harassment
• Policy 5010 - Non-Discrimination / 5010P - Procedure Non-Discrimination

Health and Safety

• Policy 6512 - Infection Control Program / 6512P - Procedure Infection Control Program           
• Policy 3432 - Emergencies
• Policy 4210 - Regulation of Dangerous Weapons on School Premises
• Policy 4215 - Use of Tobacco on School Property
• Policy 5201 - Drug Free Schools, Community, and Workplace         

Employee Expectations

• Policy 5252 - Staff Participation in Political Activities
• Policy 6700.1P - Food Service Program Meal Payments
• Policy 5271 - Reporting Improper Governmental Action
• Policy 5281 - Disciplinary Action and Discharge /5281P - Procedure Disciplinary Action and Discharge 

• Staff Protocol for Preventing and Reporting Boundary Invasions

• Washington State Code of Professional Conduct

FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT (FMLA) IN GENERAL

ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEE
The term "eligible employee" means an employee who has been employed:

• * for at least 12 months by the employer with respect to whom leave is requested under section 102; and
• * for at least 1,250 hours of service with such employer during the previous 12-month period (750 hours for VESP members)

ENTITLEMENT TO LEAVE
An eligible employee shall be entitled to a total of 12 work weeks of leave during any September-August period for one or more of the following:

* Because of the birth of a son or daughter of the employee and in order to care for such son or daughter.

* Because of the placement of a son or daughter with the employee for adoption or foster care.

* In order to care for the spouse, or a son, daughter, or parent, of the employee, if such spouse, son, daughter, or parent has a serious health condition.

* Because of a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of the position of such employee.

• * Because of any qualifying exigency (as the Secretary shall, by regulation, determine) arising out of the fact that the spouse, or a son, daughter, or parent of the employee is on active duty (or has been notified of an impending call or order to active duty) in the Armed Forces in support of a contingency operation.

EXPIRATION OF ENTITLEMENT

• The entitlement to leave under for a birth or placement of a son or daughter shall expire at the end of the 12-month period beginning on the date of such birth or placement.

SERVICE MEMBER FAMILY LEAVE

• An eligible employee who is the spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin of a covered service member shall be entitled to a total of 26 workweeks of leave during a 12-month period to care for the service member. The leave described in this paragraph shall only be available during a single 12-month period as described above.

COMBINED LEAVE TOTAL

• During the single 12-month period described above, an eligible employee shall be entitled to a combined total of 26 workweeks of leave under paragraphs (2) and (4). Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to limit the availability of leave under paragraph (1) during any other 12-month period.

Benefits during FMLA Leave

• Basic health benefits (medical, dental, life, accidental death/dismemberment, and long term disability insurances) will continue to be provided by the Vashon Island School District. These benefits are for the duration of such leave under the same conditions that would have been provided if the employee had continued in employment. That is, the District will pay the same portion of the premium it did while the employee was working. The employee must also pay his/her portion of the premium during such leave. All voluntary benefits, if any, will also have to be paid by the employee. If the employee fails to make timely payments of his/her portion of the premium or all of the voluntary benefits, the District will cease to maintain basic health coverage or cancel the voluntary benefits.

• If the employee fails to return from FMLA leave, the employee is required to refund premiums to the District paid for maintenance of health plan coverage during the leave period. However, if the employee does not return due to continuation, recurrence, or onset of a serious condition beyond his/her control (i.e., seriously ill family or disability) FMLA exempts repayment during the leave period. If the later situation occurs, the District may require the employee to furnish medical certification from a health care provider to support the employee’s claim.

Return from FMLA Leave

Upon an employee’s return from authorized family and medical leave, the eligible employee will be restored to the same position or another position with equivalent pay, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment provided:

• * The eligible employee provides the required notice of intent to return to work on the established ending date with an approved “fitness for duty” report if the leave is for personal medical reasons;
• * The eligible employee has not been voluntarily transferred to protect his/her employment status when intermittent or a reduced work schedule is requested and approved or is medically necessary.

FMLA Leave for Spouses

• FMLA limits the leave that may be taken by spouses who work for the same employer to a combined total of 12 weeks during any 12 month period if the leave is taken for birth or placement for adoption or foster care, or the care of a seriously ill parent. This limitation applies even if the spouses work at different work sites or in different divisions for the same employer. This limitation does not apply, however, to leave taken by either spouse to care for the other who is seriously ill and unable to work, or a child who is seriously ill.

ANNUAL AND PERSONAL LEAVES

• Employees who fall within VEA, VESP and SEIU bargaining groups have collective bargaining language, which governs the accrual and distribution of annual and personal leave days. A leave-sharing program is available for all employees.
• Full time employees will be front-loaded 12 days of sick/wellness leave per fiscal year.
• If an employee depletes all front loaded leave and does not complete the school year, un-earned balances will be deducted from the final paycheck as Leave Without Pay.
• Annual leave is prorated for less than full time employees.
• Annual leave shall accumulate to the legal limit and can be cashed in at retirement in accordance with state guidelines.
• Accrued annual leave can transfer at termination to any Washington State Public School within the state guidelines.
   

Legal Reference: RCW 49.78-Family Medical Leave Act of 1993

JURY DUTY AND LEGAL LEAVES

Jury Duty Leave

• In the event an employee is summoned to serve as a juror the employee shall receive a normal day’s pay for each day of required presence in court. A maximum of two days leave may be granted to an employee subpoenaed to appear as a witness in court provided that leave with pay will not be granted to a staff member for a case brought of supported by a staff member union or association or for a case in which the staff member has a direct or indirect interest in the proceedings. For details and restrictions please see Board Policy 5408 – Jury Duty and Subpoena Leave. Any compensation received by a staff member for jury duty performed on a contract day is to be reimbursed to the district.  Any expense reimbursement received by a staff member for jury duty performed on a contract day shall be retained by the staff member. In the event that an employee is a party in a court action, such employee may request a leave of absence.

• Employees called to jury duty are instructed to follow the guidelines below:

• When reporting for jury duty, request a “Certification of Time Served” form from the court. This form is to be turned in to Payroll as soon as possible following the conclusion of an employees jury duty. 

• Reference Guide to the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act

Payday for all regular employees is the last business day of the month. With direct deposit, your check is automatically deposited to your designated account. Whether you work 12 months or not, your pay will be pro-rated over a 12-month period and you will receive a check each month.

 Classified employees use the electronic timekeeping system in Time Clock Plus to clock in and out at the start and end of their shift.  keypad kiosks are located in or near the front office of each building as well as in the Facilities Office. Please do not clock out then return to work, only clock out when your day is fully complete.

 Although there may be occasions when unanticipated events cause an employee to work past his or her regularly scheduled day, these events should be the exception rather than the norm and typically, overtime and compensatory time are permitted only with a supervisor’s prior approval.

 Certificated employees complete paper timesheets only when performing pre-approved extra duties or when an exception to their normal workday occurs. Timesheets are to be submitted to the building secretary or supervisor approving the additional work.

 Accessing Payroll Information

 Pay information is available each month through Employee Access in the Skyward School Data System.  When you log in to Skyward select ‘All Areas’ on the dropdown menu on the login page.  Once you are logged in select ‘Employee Access’ from the menu on the left.  In the Employee Access area click on ‘Employee Information’.  Here you will find: 

• Check History (electronic pay stubs)
• Check Estimator
• Year To Date pay information
• Direct Deposit information
• W2 Information
• W4 Information
• Time Off/Leave Totals

 Union Dues

All employees in a position represented by a bargaining unit shall be given the opportunity to become a member of said union. Each bargaining unit agreement has specific guidelines in determining which employees are eligible to become a member.

Association/Union Name and Classifications Represented

VEA                                                                

• Non-Admin. Certificated Employees

______________________________

VESP                                                                                 

• Office Personnel
• Para-educators
• Campus Monitors                                                                         
• LPN
• Support Specialists

_______________________________

SEIU                                                                                    

• Custodians
• Grounds
• Maintenance
• Food Service              

________________________________

Retirement

If you are working in an eligible position that requires at least 70 hours of compensated services per month during five months of the school year, you are an eligible a member of the Washington School Employees’ Retirement System (SERS) or the Washington State Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS).

 Retirement contributions are mandatory when in an eligible position and will be deducted from your monthly pay. Retirement contributions are deducted on a pre-tax basis, therefore reducing your federal taxable gross pay. You must complete an enrollment form and provide your original social security card within 90 days of your work start date as a mandatory requirement by the Department of Retirement Systems.

 If your marital status changes please remember to update the following:

• Beneficiary
• Address
• Surname

It is your responsibility to contact the Payroll/Benefits Coordinator to make these changes.

ALL ABSENCES MUST BE ENTERED INTO THE RedRover ONLINE SYSTEM REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT YOU REQUIRE A SUBSTITUTE.

Red Rover may be accessed by clicking on the Clever link on the district homepage or via https://app.redroverk12.com/

Login is your vashonsd.org email

You will not be able to enter a request if you do not have enough hours remaining in the selected time-off bank.

• Absences must be entered as early as possible. 
• Employees may not enter absences for the same day. Please contact the appropriate building coordinator with any last-minute absence:

1. Chautauqua Elementary          Gillian Callison (gcallison@vashonsd.org)
2. McMurray Middle School          Kelly Murphy (kmurphy@vashonsd.org)
3. Vashon Island High School      Jackie Merrill (jmerrill@vashonsd.org)

All employees anticipated to work 630 hours or more in the school year are eligible for full benefits:

DENTAL INSURANCE (mandatory)

VISION INSURANCE    (mandatory)

MEDICAL INSURANCE

• Uniform Medical Plan (Regence) (5 plan options)
• Kaiser Permanente (6 plan options)
• Premera Blue Cross (2 plan options)

LIFE INSURANCE – Basic and Supplemental

Long Term Disability – Basic and Supplemental

FLEXIBLE SPENDING PLAN (pre-tax deduction): 

• Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan
• Dependent Care Assistance Plan

OTHER OPTIONAL BENEFITS (Employee Paid)

• 403B Tax Sheltered Annuity
• 403b Plan managed by Omni & TSACG

1. 2025 Meaningful Notice
2. 2025 Annual Retirement Benefits Guide
3. Plan Participation Guide
4. 403(b) Salary Reduction and Allocation Agreement

• 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan

Employee Assistance Program

Open Enrollment Oct. 1- Nov. 15 with NO grace period after the deadline.

Failure to select a plan results in a default Employee Only, Uniform Medical Plan selection with no changes allowed until the 2021-2022 plan year including adding dependents.

Four subscriber options:

•   Employee Only
•   Employee plus Spouse
•   Employee plus Child(ren)
•   Employee, Spouse, and Child(ren)

OVERVIEW

Under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986 (COBRA), the Vashon Island School District is required to offer all covered employees and their covered dependents the opportunity for continued health coverage at group rates upon loss of coverage. This notice is a summary of those rights as mandated by COBRA.

ELIGIBILITY TO CONTINUE COVERAGE

Employees with medical, dental and/or vision, and their covered dependents, have the right to choose to continue these benefits if coverage is lost for the following reasons:

EMPLOYEE: Loss of eligibility due to termination of employment (other than for gross misconduct), layoff or retirement.

SPOUSE & DEPENDENT CHILDREN: Loss of eligibility due to the employee's loss of eligibility (covered above) or due to employee's death, divorce or legal separation, employee's entitlement to Medicare or other loss of dependent status.

NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

• The Vashon Island School District must notify the individual within 60 days from the date coverage ends. The COBRA enrollment forms must be completed and returned to the District Office within 60 days of termination of coverage or receipt of notification, whichever is later.

PAYMENT FOR CONTINUED COVERAGE

• COBRA rates are the full premium amount for the benefit being continued, plus 2% for administrative costs. The first payment must be received within 45 days of the eligibility date and must cover the premium costs from eligibility through the month paid. Payments continue on a monthly basis for the duration of coverage, due to the District Office by the 15th of each month prior to coverage.

DURATION OF COVERAGE

The duration of COBRA coverage is as follows:

• -18 months for employees
• -29 months for individuals covered through social security disability, and
• -36 months for dependents.

Coverage may be terminated if Vashon Island School District determines a participant ineligible, no longer provides health coverage to any employee, or if participant payments are not remitted in a timely manner.

For all technology questions please contact the technology Help Desk at:

helpdesk@vashonsd.org

Your question will be routed to the appropriate staff member for resolution.

Here is a link to the district tech guide with information on TeacherWeb, Google Classroom, SeeSaw and many other topics:

VISD Technology Guide

Listed below are some of the more frequently asked questions about our technology systems.

Q - Who has an email address?

A - All employees have an email address using the protocol ‘firstinitiallastname@vashonsd.org’

Q - How do I access my email?

 Open a web browser and go to http://mail.google.com . Enter you’re your complete district email address (e.g., tsmith@vashonsd.org) as the username then enter your email password.

Q - Where do I get additional information on our technology system?

A – Visit http://vashonsd.org/help for links to more information.

Q - What if my district computer doesn't work, what do I do next?

A - If you are able, you can create a help desk ticket by emailing helpdesk@vashonsd.org . If you don’t have email access you can contact your building’s office manager and ask them to open a case on your behalf. Finally, you may contact your building Technology Integration Specialist.

Q - Can I bring a personal computer from home to work and hook-it up to the network?

A - Unfortunately, no. Technology Services staff is unable to connect personal computers to our network and will not work on personal computers. You may log on to the internet through V-Cloud Guest with your own devices.

Q - Can Technology Services staff help me fix my computer or solve a software problem that I am having at home?

A - Again, the answer is no unless you are in a remote working situation using district devices. If you have a question about accessing Gmail or IEP On-Line from a home device, however, you are welcome to contact the Help Desk.

Q - What about my classroom phone? What do I do when it doesn't work?

A – Submit a Help Desk ticket for non-critical issues with a full description of the problem.