Island teens raise $13,000 for YouthCare
Inspired by the awareness efforts of Seattle musicians Pearl Jam and Macklemore supporting homeless youth nonprofit YouthCare, Mercer Island High School sophomores Jordano Mark and Nadja Li created the group Teens Helping Teens to collect donations to support homeless youth.
Mark and Li were recognized for their efforts at the Feb. 24 School Board meeting. So far, the group has raised $13,000 for YouthCare.
“You’ve made Mercer Island High School and the school district look very good with your work,” MIHS principal Vicki Puckett said.
Teens Helping Teens will have donation bins at MIHS, Mercer Island Beach Club and the Community and Event Center. Recommended donations for YouthCare include coats, hats, pants, jackets, gloves, toiletries, or any new or gently-used clothing items. Monetary donations are also accepted, with checks made payable to YouthCare.
Elementary No. 4, IMS project bids awarded
The Mercer Island School Board authorized bids for Elementary No. 4 to Bayley Construction and for Islander Middle School to Kassel and Associates Inc.
The low bid from Bayley Construction was for a total amount of $30,385,900, while the Kassel and Associates Inc. bid for the middle school was $33,629,000.
Bayley Construction previously worked on the Boys and Girls Club PEAK building. Kassel and Associates Inc. served as a contractor recently at Liberty High School.
Changes made to School Board compensation policy
At its Feb. 12 Board of Directors meeting, the School Board voted 3-2 to approve revisions to Board Policy 1733, regarding board member compensation.
In effect since 1987, the policy allowed compensation of board members of $50 per day for attending board meetings and for performing other services on behalf of the school district, not to exceed $4,800 per year. The policy also recognized the ability of each board member to waive such compensation during their term.
The revised policy eliminated a paragraph stating “…If the Board chooses to rescind funding of Board member compensation for the upcoming budget, individual Board member compensation will not be an option during the affected budget year.”
In the first reading of the revised policy on Jan. 27, Superintendent Dr. Gary Plano said a revision was necessary in order to comply with “modern state law,” as the “state constitution prohibits a sitting elected official from acting on their salary, whether to increase or decrease or eliminate during their term.”
School Board member Dave Myerson asked for more information about whether compensation would trigger pension considerations, and asked for discussion about board member expense reimbursements at a future meeting.
Taylor receives degree from Boston University
Boston University awarded academic degrees to 1,664 students in January 2015.
Among the graduates was Islander Victoria N. Taylor, who received a Master of Science in Business Continuity and Emergency Management.
