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PSESD Welcomes New Student Board Representatives

We are excited to announce the selection of two new student representatives to the Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) Board of Directors. These student leaders will play an integral role in bringing student perspectives to the Board, ensuring that the voices of young people are heard in important discussions about education in our region.

Since 2021, the PSESD Board has proudly included student representatives, who participate in an onboarding workshop series, work with a PSESD Board member as their advisor, and attend all regular Board meetings. Their participation enhances the Board’s understanding of student experiences, and they engage in special meetings, study sessions, and training, supporting the work of the Board without formal voting privileges. They also help to orient and support future student representatives, ensuring that the student voice remains central to PSESD’s work.

We welcome Maricella Gonzalez from Puyallup High School (Pierce County) and James Young from Mercer Island High School (King County) to the Board this year. They will join current representatives, Aileen Transon from Chief Sealth International High School (King County) and Benjamin Bartoy from Henry Foss High School (Pierce County). Together, these four students will continue to advocate for the needs and interests of their peers across the region.

Please join us in welcoming Maricella and James to the PSESD Board. We look forward to their contributions to the Board’s work in the coming year.

James Young

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maricella Gonzalez

Maricella Gonzalez

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When districts need to understand their financial health but can’t afford expensive data visualization tools, they’re at a disadvantage. Joli Valentino, PSESD’s executive director of business and operations, envisioned a fiscal dashboard that would serve all districts. Under her leadership and the direction of Justin Lanting, director of school finance, a team spanning four educational service districts — PSESD, ESD 113, ESD 114, and ESD 171 — built a free, interactive fiscal dashboard using data from OSPI.

Read More about Making School Finance Data Work for Everyone
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Puyallup School District has announced their 2026 Celebrating Excellence Award recipients.

Now in its fourth year, the Celebrating Excellence awards program honors and recognizes staff, volunteers, and community partners for their outstanding work and unwavering commitment to excellence in supporting the success of students and schools within the Puyallup School District. This annual program serves as a testament to the remarkable dedication and contributions of those who go above and beyond in fostering a thriving educational community.

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An image of the Washington State Superintendent's Award for Educational Excellence

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Read More about 16 of Our Region's School Districts Just Earned a Statewide Honor
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Deadline alert!

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Read More about Last Day to Nominate a School Counselor for Top Honors at Seattle Public Schools!
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Math helps in developing logical reasoning, analytical thinking, and effective problem-solving, and it's also essential for managing personal finances, cooking, and navigating. In addition, math skills are part of a vital foundation for those pursuing work in science, technology, engineering, business, and more.

The Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD) offers regional math coordinators who operate as a statewide system to improve math instruction and increase student achievement through coordinated professional learning and customized district support.

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Last month, Washington state joined a nationwide effort led by Attendance Works to change what attendance means in our schools. It's not about tracking who shows up—it's about recognizing that when students are in class, they're connected to teachers, peers, and the support systems that help them to thrive.

The National Chronic Absence Challenge set an ambitious goal: to cut chronic absenteeism in half over five years. For Washington, that means reducing chronic absence from 27% to 14% by 2029. Our school districts across PSESD are stepping up to meet this challenge.

Read More about Getting Students in the Door: Why Washington's New Attendance Challenge Matters
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Taking place each year on February 11, the International Day for Women and Girls in Science is working to change that, and the day helps to showcase existing good practices and solutions for building more inclusive Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) ecosystems. 

Read More about Celebrating The International Day for Women and Girls in Science