Last week, private school representatives met with OSPI department leads to offer feedback and receive new information to share with schools. The Private School Advisory Committee (PSAC) is made up of school representatives from different kinds of private schools. The group is chaired by Debbie Schindler from Pacific Christian Academy and meets twice each year with OSPI. Summarized below are topics discussed at the committee meeting.
Enrollment Reports:
Private schools are returning their enrollment forms to the State Board promptly. Twenty new schools are opening, and ten closed this year. Four of the closures were schools that requested approval but could not launch.
OSPI Summer Education Conference:
There were 383 participants in the free OSPI-sponsored teacher education Summer Conference. The 2-day sessions were offered twice in August on Zoom, with two follow-up sessions on March 28 and April 2, 2024, from 4:00- 6:00 pm via ZOOM. The clock hours are STEM, not CCDEI. For the 2024 Summer Conference, we asked OSPI to extend the clock hours to include CCDEI.
EANS I Update:
EANS I ended September 30, 2023, but schools that spent the money before that date have until November 15, 2023, to turn in receipts.
Eighty-seven percent of the $39M of EANS I funds was spent. OSPI warned that if schools purchased equipment valued at $5K +, they need to continue to use the equipment as it was initially intended or face the potential of OSPI taking the equipment back.
EANS II Update:
EANS II ends on September 30, 2024. Seventy-nine percent of the $3.7M has been spent. Four of the nineteen schools have yet to spend any of their EANS II funds. If your school needs support, please contact WFIS.