Latest news with #ChrisReykdal
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
WA student summer food program open for applications
Jun. 3—OLYMPIA — This summer, approximately 620,000 children across Washington will benefit from SUN Bucks, a program designed to help families purchase food when school is not in session. The initiative, funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program, is aimed at providing nutritional support during the summer months. "The Washington SUN Bucks Summer EBT Program is a vital resource for many of our Ephrata families, especially those experiencing housing instability," Ephrata School District Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning and McKinney-Vento Liaison Deb Knox said in a statement to the Columbia Basin Herald. "During the summer months, when school meals aren't available, this program helps ensure students still have access to nutritious food. It eases some of the burden families face and supports the health and well-being of our kids during a critical time." In December 2022, the federal government established a permanent summer EBT program to ensure that children have access to food amidst rising costs and limited resources. With federal approval secured, the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services has partnered with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to kick off the distribution of SUN Bucks starting June 1. "Students learn better when their basic needs are met," State Superintendent Chris Reykdal said in a statement. "During the school year, we ensure students are fed during the day with our recently expanded school meal program. While school isn't in session, the summer EBT program provides an essential opportunity for children in Washington to access nutrition and meals." Each eligible child in participating households will receive a one-time payment of $120, which will be deposited onto existing SUN Bucks cards beginning June 1. People who qualify have 122 days to use the funds before they expire. For newly eligible participants, cards will be mailed starting mid-June. Eligibility requirements vary for children aged 8 to 18 from households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Benefits will qualify automatically. "I think the biggest thing is that having a program provided by the state that enables families to access food for school-aged children during the summer is always going to be important," Moses Lake School District Director of Public Relations Ryan Shannon said. "While it's a one-time benefit, a lot of families find that benefit immensely important, especially during the summer months, when kids are home more versus in school and their grocery bills naturally tend to be a little bit higher during the summer months." Additionally, students who attend schools offering the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program and are certified for free or reduced-price meals may qualify as well. "Food is foundational to everyone's well-being," Cheryl Strange, acting secretary of DSHS, said in a statement. "We are pleased to partner with OSPI to ensure as much support for children and families as we can, especially during the summer months." Families who do not automatically qualify can apply online for the SUN Bucks program, which is available in both English and Spanish. Applications will be accepted through August 29, 2025. Moreover, families receiving SUN Bucks can still participate in existing Summer Child Nutrition Programs, including grab-and-go meals at local schools and community sites, ensuring comprehensive food access during the summer. The Columbia Basin Herald published an article yesterday on where students can access grab-and-go meals and sit-down meals during the summer months. For more information or assistance, families can contact the SUN Bucks Contact Center at 833-543-3230 during regular business hours.
Fox News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Washington state school district votes to keep biological males out of girls sports despite state pushback
A school district in a state with a Democratic governor has voted to keep biological boys out of girls sports. The Quilcene School District in Washington voted 3-2 to keep sports competition based on athletes' birth gender. The ruling defies a policy by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), enacted in 2007, that allows transgender students to participate based on their gender identity. According to Fox 13, board member Ron Frantz said "Title IX is the law," and sports should be kept based on birth gender. But another member, Vivian Kuehl, said it is "immoral" to keep transgender females out of girls and women's sports, according to The Seattle Times. The vote was taken May 7. The state's governor, Bob Ferguson, defeated Republican nominee Dave Reichert in November. The state has not had a Republican governor since John Spellman, from 1981 to 1985. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February to keep biological boys out of girls and women's sports, but Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal said the order defies state law. "State law prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity, and we will not back down from that," Reykdal said at the time. Later that month, Reykdal said it would be "inaccurate" to say there are only two genders. Bills that would prohibit transgender athletes from participating in girls and women's sports have been introduced in the state but have not passed. However, the issue became so concerning for residents that the WIAA announced a proposal in December to create a separate open division for transgender athletes to compete in. In May, a trans athlete competed in a girls cross-country championship and won. The athlete won the 400-meter heat race in the girls division with a time of 55.59 seconds. The second-place runner finished in 58.83 seconds. In the finals, the trans athlete won with a time of 55.75 seconds, a full second ahead of the second-place runner who finished in 56.75. In February, a civil rights complaint was filed with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights on behalf of a teenage girl in Washington state who was allegedly punished for refusing to play a basketball game against a trans athlete. The complaint said the Tumwater School District in Washington is investigating 15-year-old Frances Staudt for "misgendering" the opponent and violating the district's policies against bullying and harassment. Several other states have defied Trump's executive order on the issue, resulting in Maine temporarily losing federal funding. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Feds to investigate WA schools agency over gender inclusivity conflict
The office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, seen here being sworn into office on Jan. 15, 2025, has seen rising tensions with the federal government since President Donald Trump took office in January. (Photo by Ryan Berry/Washington State Standard) The Trump administration on Monday launched an investigation into the Washington office tasked with overseeing public schools, citing allegations that the state directed a school district to implement a gender inclusion policy that conflicts with federal law. The investigation puts the 1,800-student La Center School District at the middle of the escalating battle between the U.S. Department of Education and the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction over approaches to inclusivity in schools. The Department of Education alleges OSPI is violating the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment and Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools and education programs that receive federal funding. An OSPI spokesperson called the Department of Education's intervention a 'potential overreach of the federal government's authority.' The probe is the latest development in a yearslong battle between the Clark County district and the state. The saga has consumed La Center to the point that a timeline of the conflict is posted on the district website's landing page. The clash is centered on a debate over preferred pronouns. In 2022, district Superintendent Peter Rosenkranz ordered staff not to ask students about their pronouns. Rosenkranz told teachers they should still use students' preferred pronouns if requested. A teacher, who was also the adviser for the La Center High School Gay Straight Alliance, argued the policy 'creates a systemic barrier towards full inclusivity of LGBTQ students.' In late February of this year, the state found La Center violated state law related to discrimination based on gender identity. Its gender-inclusive policy also didn't comply with statute, the state investigation determined. Washington's model policy, adopted in 2020, says school staff must 'privately ask known transgender or gender-expansive students how they would like to be addressed in class, in correspondence to the home, and at conferences with the student's parent/guardian.' The district also differed with the state policy on communicating with parents of gender-expansive students, according to the OSPI investigation. The district's policy tells staff to 'be transparent with parents/guardians of children who question their gender identity so that the parents/guardians may provide appropriate support for their children.' It also states that 'curriculum, instruction, and gender affirming activities may cause gender confusion for children.' In a school board meeting, a former La Center student shared how this policy affected them. They said district staff 'forcibly outed' them to their family, leading to 'physical abuse by a family member, significant disruption to their education, and a negative impact on their mental health,' according to the OSPI investigation. The state's report said La Center's policy 'does not address the unique challenges and needs faced by transgender students in public schools in a nondiscriminatory manner.' The state ordered La Center to rescind the pronoun directive and send a new proposed policy that complies with state law within 45 days. Within 35 days of approval, the district had to implement the policy. OSPI also required training for staff on bias based on gender identity. The district appealed the findings last month. In an interview Monday, the La Center superintendent, Rosenkranz, said he was 'very happy' to hear of the federal inquiry. He wants the district to be able to focus on academics, but said 'OSPI is trying to bully the La Center School District into submission,' with threats to withhold federal funding if school officials don't follow state law. 'We continue to move forward to support families as they raise their children,' Rosenkranz said. 'The state is choosing to deny parents of that right.' After reading a news story about the district's battle with the state, Department of Education officials reached out to Rosenkranz to learn more, he said, leading to Monday's investigation announcement. OSPI spokesperson Katy Payne said in an email that the agency 'will continue to steadfastly follow the laws of the state of Washington, which provide clear civil rights protections for our transgender and gender-expansive youth that fit squarely inside the protections provided under federal law.' The U.S. Department of Education didn't provide comment late Monday. The inquiry significantly intensifies tensions between the state and federal government. Most of this conflict in the education sphere since President Donald Trump took office in January has focused on transgender athletes. For example, the Kennewick School District in eastern Washington late last month filed a complaint with the feds over the state allowing trans athletes to participate in girls' and women's sports. Also last month, the Department of Education launched an investigation into the Tumwater School District, near Olympia, for letting a transgender athlete from another school compete in a girls' high school basketball game. Washington is now also the latest state to face the education department's ire. Federal officials have also launched investigations in California and Maine over alleged Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act violations. In a letter last month, Education Secretary Linda McMahon told schools they must abide by the law 'if they expect federal funding to continue.' 'Attempts by school officials to separate children from their parents, convince children to feel unsafe at home, or burden children with the weight of keeping secrets from their loved ones is a direct affront to the family unit,' McMahon wrote. 'When such conduct violates the law the Department will take swift action.'
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WA Superintendent Reykdal resists federal DEI order
Washington State Superintendent Chris Reykdal says he will not sign the Trump administration's order to end diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in public schools. Federal officials argue DEI programs violate civil rights law, which bans discrimination based on race, color, or national origin. In a letter to the Federal Education Department, Superintendent Reykdal appears to question the legality of the order, writing in part, 'Washington will not suppress its core values or cede our right to determine our own education system to the federal government.' If the trump administration doesn't accept the state's response, Washington will join several Democratic-led states at risk of losing federal education dollars, including Title I funds. Title I is a federal grant program that supports districts with students from low-income families. According to data from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, it accounts for more than 12% of our total federal education funding, and benefits about 1/3 of Washington schools, serving 300,000 students. Some Title I schools include the Puyallup School District, Tacoma Public Schools, Federal Way School District, Everett Public Schools, and Kent School District.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New federal mandate forces US schools to drop DEI policies or lose aid
The Brief The White House has issued a directive requiring schools to certify they are not implementing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies to maintain federal education funding. Washington Superintendent Chris Reykdal is reviewing the legality of the directive, defending DEI initiatives as aligning with state values and supporting critical programs. The directive follows a Supreme Court ruling and could lead to funding loss and penalties for noncompliance, affecting districts differently based on their reliance on federal aid. The White House is now requiring schools across the country to 'certify' they are no longer implementing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies or risk losing federal education funding. In a directive issued by the U.S. Department of Education, school districts were warned that continued use of DEI frameworks could be in violation of federal law. The move comes as part of a broader push from the Trump administration, which argues that federal funding is a privilege, not a right. What they're saying Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal says his office is reviewing the legality of the directive before providing guidance to school districts. "They're trying to intimidate us into that which we will not be intimidated," Reykdal said in a message he shared in February, responding to the department's warning. Reykdal defended DEI initiatives, saying they align with Washington's values and help expand opportunity. "Most of us, if you really look into the mirror, would say diversity is a good thing. Equity is an important way we live our lives to create more opportunity and inclusion is where it starts," Reykdal said. The directive follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which found that race cannot be used negatively or as a stereotype in admissions. The decision stated, "Eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it." The new certification schools must sign reaffirms this ruling and outlines potential consequences for noncompliance. "But DEI is not a harmful thing, it's a good thing," Reykdal said. "We cannot allow the federal government to take money away from the state of Washington on a right that is clearly in the states and clearly in our local governments and in our communities." About 7% of Washington's K–12 education budget comes from federal sources. Reykdal said that while the number isn't massive, it supports critical programs. "Seven percent is not small, but it's also really, really doable if they'll protect the real key civil rights elements - what we call Title I for high poverty communities, meals for kids, and support for students with disabilities," Reykdal said. According to the Superintendent, those three areas comprise nearly all the state's federal funding for schools. The impact, however, varies by district. Districts like Tahoma, Issaquah, Snoqualmie, Bellevue and Monroe receive only a few hundred dollars per student in federal aid. Seattle Public Schools received just over $1,100 per student last year. On the other hand, small rural districts are far more reliant on federal dollars. The Nespelem School District received more than $23,000 per student. Keller, Queets-Clearwater, Cape Flattery and Mount Adams each received between $10,000 and $15,000 per student. With the state facing a $12 billion budget shortfall, and many districts asking for more equitable funding, the question lingers on whether schools can afford to reject the directive outright. "As long as the federal government doesn't change their legal stance interpretations from the U.S. Department of Education, they're not going to change us," Reykdal said. The Department of Education said schools that fail to comply could lose future funding, be sued to recover past grants, and face thousands of dollars in penalties for each violation. The mandate makes clear that these conditions are not new. The certification states that compliance with Title VI "has been in force and effect for decades" and is a condition that schools "literally sign contracts" to uphold when accepting federal aid. FOX 13 has reached out to multiple Washington school districts for comment and is awaiting their responses. ICE arrests 37 people at Bellingham, WA roofing company 7 million pounds of WA food at risk as federal cuts loom 1 juvenile dead, 2 in critical condition in Skyway, WA New study reveals you need $169K to be financially happy in Seattle 12 WA residents made Forbes's list of 2025 billionaires Everything to know about the Washington State Spring Fair Seattle Restaurant Week 2025 by neighborhood To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.
