Edmonds School Board hears Scriber Lake students’ stories

Scriber Lake High School was in the spotlight Tuesday night as Interim Principal Dan Falk presented the school’s improvement plan to the Edmonds School Board of Directors.

According to Falk, Scriber – an alternative high school that offers a more hands-on, alternative learning environment for grades 9-12 with small class sizes and a focus on individualized support – aims to increase its graduation rate from 51.9% to 65%. He reported that while less than 20% of incoming students were on track to graduate before transferring to the school, Scriber Lake graduates 52% of its students. 

“We chose this goal because a high school diploma is the fundamental measure of student success,” Falk said. “A person without a high school diploma, the median income is $27,000 a year. With a high school diploma, their median income is $37,000 a year. And that’s just the beginning. Our theory of action is that if we provide wraparound support, along with careful progress monitoring and interventions, an increased percentage of students will graduate on time because progress towards graduation will be understood by all.”

Falk reported that students nearly double their annual credit completion after transferring to the school, a key factor in improving the graduation rates. He presented data that show seniors who entered as 12th graders had a 45% on-time graduation rate last year, and all continued working toward diplomas this fall.

Failing grades dropped from 23% in fall 2024 to 17% in fall 2025. Seniors who are on track to graduate after the first quarter rose from 31% to 42%.

He credited weekly student assistance team meetings, the attendance team and on-site mental-health services that helped to promote students’ success. Staff are trained in trauma-informed practices, and students participate in twice-yearly, student-led conferences with families and teachers. 

Falk said that Scriber Lake offers additional credit-earning opportunities that allows full-time students to earn seven credits a year, plus competency-based contracts and week-long mini-courses.

“The data shows that we don’t just teach students, we transform their trajectory at Scriber, we offer hope,” Falk said.

Board Director Thom Garrard asked what happens to the seniors who didn’t graduate yet are still engaged with the school.

“There are some students that are still in school pursuing their diploma, some students that are in Open Doors, and then there are other diploma offerings around that they’re in,” Falk said.

The Open Doors program is a flexible, re-engagement high-school completion program for 16- to 21-year-olds who dropped out or are far behind in credits.

“You have wonderful expectations for bringing success to all the kids, but in a very caring and appropriate way for their needs,” Board President Nancy Katims said.

The tale of two Scriber Lake students

After Falk’s presentation, Scriber Lake High senior Quentin Montalvo and junior William Tonga shared how the high school had improved not only their academic performance but also their physical and mental health.

Montalvo had been homeless since age 15. Tonga’s mother left his family when he was in eighth grade and his father died when he was in ninth grade. At Scriber Lake, staff members connected both students with critical resources, such as housing support, hotel vouchers, hygiene supplies, food from the school pantry, phones for medical needs, and even an airline ticket for Tonga when his grandmother died. 

Both got involved in athletics; Montalvo took up boxing and Tonga got into football and weightlifting. They credited the school culture, such as calling staff by first names and building genuine relationships, with making them feel respected and supported.

Montalvo said that staff would also participate in activities with students. He described how Falk came to the gym and started to do some pull-ups. “I’m like, What the heck! You have a gray beard and you’re doing more pull ups than I can do,” Montalvo said.

Before going to Scriber Lake, Tonga said he had a GPA of 0.8 in eighth grade. In ninth grade, it was 1.5. By 10th grade, it soared to 3.7.

“The staff, the students in 10th grade, they made me process everything, and I was able to like rise from the depths,” Tonga said. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to like be where I’m at right now.”

Meanwhile, Montalvo said he had a GPA of 0.7 and 1.8 in eighth and ninth grades, respectively. He reached a 4.0 in his senior year.

“I believe that our opportunities here you can’t get at other schools,” he said. “Scriber has given us both the chance to graduate high school and an opportunity to accomplish our dream, and we wouldn’t have been able to do any of those things if it wasn’t for Scriber.”

Tonga and Montalvo will be attending the University of Washington next year. Montalvo said he will be pursuing a career in physical therapy.

“The strength in you sharing your stories and vulnerability is very powerful,” Board Vice President Carin Chase said. “You’ve heard that from everyone, but I really want you to really take that into yourselves and appreciate that.”

After Katims wiped her tears, she said many people who have less traumatic stories wouldn’t come forward or have the strength to tell the public. “And I know Scriber and the staff are so special, the people in Washington Kids…all of the groups that have supported you, but the strength has come from you, and the intelligence has come from you, and the willingness to accept that support has come from you.”

Washington Kids is a nonprofit that provides emergency support, such as food, motel vouchers, clothing and other basic needs, to homeless and at-risk children and families in its school district.

Office staff

Several speakers focused on office staff and their contract negotiations during the public comments. They consistently portrayed office workers as essential, overextended and undercompensated.

Edmonds School District teacher Maryjo Green read parts of her letter describing  her school’s office manager, who was afraid she would lose her position due to budget cuts.

“The front office is a hub in our building, and she handles the noise, the chaos and the activity with kindness and grace,” Green read. “Additionally, as a dual-language school, there are lots of different languages being spoken, and she is able to connect families with the right person to interpret for them and help meet the needs of every single person who shows up. She’s responsive to others needs in a timely and professional manner to every imaginable situation. I don’t know how she does it, but she does and she does it well.”

Hazelwood Elementary kindergarten teacher Sara Hedges described how her office manager rescued one of her students who loped from the classroom and out to the streets. Hedges said she reported the issue using the school’s walkie‑talkie, and the office manager was the first adult out the door, even running outside with only one shoe on. 

“I’m not joking. She literally gets up and runs out the door to help me keep that child safe,” Hedges said. “There are people, I’m sure, in our offices across the district who would not do that. I don’t blame them because I’ve run down 204th, and it is scary when you’re chasing a 5-year-old.”

Negotiations between the Edmonds School District and its office-personnel union have dragged on for eight months with no contract agreement. Union members said the District rejected 39 of the union’s 61 initial proposals, leading the union to file for mediation with the state.

In other agenda items:

• Board Director Thom Garrard was sworn in after being elected to the District 4 seat. Garrard, who had been appointed to fill the seat in the District 4 director position after Director Deborah Kilgore resigned in 2024, won the 2025 primary election with 70.08% of the votes.
• The board unanimously re-elected Katims as board president and Chase as board vice president. Garrard was elected as the board’s new legislative representative, succeeding Chase.
• The board approved a revised student discipline policy (Board Policy 3241) that aligns with current state emergency rules, emphasizes culturally responsive practices and clarifies purposes, such as providing a safe, supportive learning environment and supporting students’ personal and academic success.
• The board adopted Board Policy 1815 that establishes ethical standards and expectations for school directors’ conduct in areas, such as conflicts of interest, use of position and adherence to laws and district values.
• The board adopted Board Policy 1825 that outlines procedures and mechanisms for addressing alleged violations of board policy or ethical standards by school directors, including how concerns can be raised and handled.
• Several students were recognized for completing their Open Doors graduation. Student Isabel Cordova was the only student who attended the recognition while everyone else had already received their diploma.
• Fourteen student athletes from three high schools were recognized for their leadership and athletic skills during the Fall Sports Recognition ceremony. Ten of them showed up to receive their certificates from Athletic Director Angie McGuire.
  
  “It takes the demands on these young people, their demands in the classroom, and many of them play multiple sports,” McGuire said. “I just want to say to you, I’m proud of all of you and for all your hard work.”

The full school board meeting can be viewed on the ESD website.