PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles School District and Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe highlighted expanding cultural offerings, new educational supports and initiatives to address the needs of Native American students during a government-to-government meeting at the Elwha Klallam Heritage Center.
A central focus Thursday night was the district’s continuing work of incorporating Native American culture into teaching.
Carmen Watson-Charles, the district’s Native American liaison, said the goal was to create “meaningful opportunities” to guide curriculum, teacher training and services which affect American Indian and Alaska Native students.
A renewed memorandum of understanding between the district and tribe formalized that work for another two years.
The collaboration has reached every level of the district. This was the third year of Klallam language instruction at Stevens Middle School, and demand continued to increase at Port Angeles High School, where teacher Wendy Sampson teaches four language classes, as well as U.S. and world history from a Native American perspective.
Native American educational advocate Jennifer Mobley said she had seen “a great influx” of non-Native students enrolling in the language and history classes. But with only one full-time language teacher covering both beginning and advanced classes — and traveling between the middle and high schools — the need for additional staff was clear.
“I’m running out of options for how many different ways we can get tutors for our kids,” said Mobley, who works with 130 Native American students.
Superintendent Michelle Olsen said the district is trying to rebuild a volunteer corps of tutors that had disappeared during COVID-19. The district is working to identify school-specific needs and reaching out to the community and tribal members to step up.
“We know people are out there, and they do want to help,” Olsen said.
District staff outlined how state-level data that undercounted Native American students created problems when trying to develop programs and services for those who qualified for them.
While OSPI listed 218 Native American students in the school district, the real number was closer to 475, including 257 students coded as “two or more races,” a designation that removed them from the state’s Native American category and skewed data the district used to make decisions.
Charles asked what the district did to track students who “fell through the cracks.”
Mobley said she tracked every student who withdrew, entered alternative education or attended truancy hearings, and she worked directly with probation officers. However, once students left the district, it was difficult to follow them.
The district said 61 percent of Native American students missed fewer than two days a month during the 2023-24 school year, compared with 79 percent of Asian and 74 percent of white students. Schools were implementing creative incentives to improve attendance.
Dry Creek Elementary, for example, held an attendance challenge in October for which every one of its Native American students qualified.
At Stevens Middle School, staff reported attendance improvements across the board for Native American students. Parent participation also rose, with 50 percent of families attending conferences — matching the general student population. Principal Melissa McBride called it “a huge win.”
Tribal leaders urged closer coordination when attendance or discipline issues arise, saying tribal programs could help keep students engaged.
At Port Angeles High School, Mobley and principal Jeff Lunt detailed supports for academic success, graduation and career pathways. The school reported a 92 percent Native American graduation rate last year, with only two students not finishing on time; both later completed requirements through Peninsula College or continued as fifth-year students.
As the meeting ended, Olsen and Tribal Chair Frances Charles thanked each other’s teams for staying late and for their ongoing work.
“The work is growing, and we are walking together and supporting all of our students,” Olsen said. “Your students are all of our students, and we want everyone to grow.”
The school district also recognized board president Sarah Methner and director Mary Hebert during their final meeting.
Methner, who served for 16 years, and Hebert, who served four, were defeated in their reelection bids in the Nov. 4 general election. Winners Ned Hammar and Nancy Hamilton will be sworn in at the board’s Dec. 11 meeting.
The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe also honored Methner and Hebert for their contributions and support.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
