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Charles Merwine

A new day, a new job.

Charles Merwine has added to his duties after being tabbed Thursday to be the new legislative representative for the Coupeville School Board.

He replaces Sherry Phay, who resigned from the board at the end of July.

With her departure, that opened up the legislative rep position a bit early.

Normally a two-year gig, it’s a role typically filled by Coupeville in odd years, meaning things will be revisited in late 2025.

Merwine, who is in his first term on the board, was nominated by fellow director Alison Perera, with the vote going 4-0 in favor of the move.

Prior to being voted in as a board member in 2023, Merwine was a teacher at Coupeville High School for nearly two decades.

After retiring, he worked as a part-time tech support employee for the district and has been actively involved with the Coupeville Schools Foundation, first as president, and now as its treasurer.

School board legislative reps are responsible for a number of things, from attending state-level meetings and workshops to meeting with lawmakers and “engaging in year-round advocacy efforts.”

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Coupeville School Board directors, ready for their closeups. (Bailey Thule photo)

Want to see the Coupeville School Board at work?

It’s a lot easier thanks to a new move to record board meetings and post them on YouTube where they can be seen in their entirety at later dates.

Previously, regular meetings, but not workshops, were streamed, but vanished into the ether moments later.

So, unless you had the time and desire to traipse out to the Kathleen Anderson Boardroom in person and watch things unfold in front of you, good luck on watching “the sausage being made.”

But now, Coupeville is joining South Whidbey and others in embracing all that technology can offer.

July’s meeting, where board directors approved the budget for the 2024-2025 school year, is the first to be offered under the new arrangement.

To view Morgan White and Co. in action, or other school-related events, pop over to:

https://www.youtube.com/@coupevilleschools2198

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There’s an opening at the top.

Over the next month and change, the Coupeville School Board will move forward on replacing one of its directors, Sherry Phay, who resigned effective at the end of July.

She was in her second term with the board.

The position is open to residents living in District 3, which can be seen in the map below.

District 3

Applications are due by September 12 and can be found here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6GEN_iCbkiH7hBu9u-Ca8OUYLnPFF2sQIL76KPZRbwNvZjg/viewform

Candidates for the position will meet with new Coupeville Schools Superintendent Shannon Leatherwood between Sept. 12-19, then interview with the current board at a public meeting Sept. 19.

The board plans to announce Phay’s replacement Sept. 20, with her successor sworn in at the Sept. 26 board meeting.

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Coupeville School Board directors arrive for graduation. (Bailey Thule photo)

They’re taking some time for self-reflection.

Prior to participating in a board retreat Friday, Coupeville School Board directors filled out self-evaluations.

The survey features approximately 20 questions, said Board President Morgan White, and is aimed at allowing directors to “assess our work and the districts work under each standard.”

White was joined in taking the survey by fellow directors Sherry Phay, Charles Merwine, Nancy Conard, and Alison Perera.

Phay has resigned after serving most of two terms and exited after July’s board meeting, where directors approved the budget for the 2024-2025 school year.

Setting up a timeline to replace her is on the agenda for Friday’s retreat, where the assembled group will include new superintendent Shannon Leatherwood.

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If approved by the school board, the cost of a lunch at Coupeville Middle/High School will jump by 40 cents a day starting this fall.

In a memo to Superintendent Steve King, Finance Director Brian Gianello and the school’s Connected Food Program call for the cost to go from $3.45 to $3.85.

The change, which is on the agenda for Thursday’s school board workshop, would be the first price raise since the 2018-2019 school year.

That workshop, which can be attended by the public, is set for 5:30 PM in the Kathleen Anderson Boardroom at CHS.

Workshops, unlike regular board meetings, are not streamed.

The lunch price change will affect only the secondary school, and not Coupeville Elementary, thanks to the National School Lunch Program.

That program requires elementary schools to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students if 30% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals.

Coupeville Elementary currently sits at 38.05%.

State legislators have not stepped up to implement a similar program for secondary schools, however.

CHS/CMS offers lunch, but there is no plan to add a breakfast option for the 2024-2025 school year, according to the memo.

 

To read the memo in full, pop over to:

Click to access Meal%20Price%20Recommendation%202024-2025_Signed.pdf

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