The Methow Valley School District Board of Directors appointed Ben Avery to the empty at-large board position. The position became open when former long-time director Frank Kline resigned on September 1, 2025. Ben will complete the remainder of Frank's term at which point the seat will be decided by public election.

Ben Avery has spent his career in nonprofit leadership and currently serves as State Director of the Sierra Club’s Washington State Chapter, where he focuses on environmental advocacy. He lives in Twisp with his wife, their 6th grade daughter, and a lively household that includes two dogs, a cat, and a small flock of chickens. Ben is deeply invested in public education, both as a parent and as a community member, and believes in ensuring every child has access to a high-quality education.

Ben was selected after an interview process and executive session in the regularly scheduled board meeting on September 25th facilitated by Linda McKay, Deputy Superintendent of North Central Education Service District. Two other applicants interviewed, Ina Clark and Kellie Zahn.

In partnership, the Methow Valley School District and the Methow Valley Elder Care Coordination Network are offering a class at Liberty Bell High School called, “Introduction to Healthcare Careers”. This class is a pilot program working to introduce youth to a variety of healthcare fields and allow students to experience local and non-local health care career skills. Interested students will be able to sign up for a Healthcare career internship. 

The MVSD is seeking an instructor to develop a rigorous, industry-standard, regionally relevant healthcare careers program rooted in industry best practices, individualized instruction, and practical skills. The instructor will create, design, and assess meaningful, real-world learning opportunities for students in the fields of healthcare, with an emphasis on collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills.  This instructor needs to hold a valid Washington State Nursing license, other Allied Health licensure, and/or the ability to qualify for CTE certification based on industry experience. Teaching hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00-3:20 and Fridays 1:00-1:30. The class will start in January but paid prep hours are available in Fall 2025.

This is a .2 FTE position. Salary is based upon the District salary schedule.

Application Procedure: 

Current employees of the district may apply by submitting a letter of interest to HR@methow.org. External applicants apply online using Fast Track at methow.org/district/employment. Please email HR@methow.org with questions. 

This teaching position is 100% funded by The Methow Valley Elder Care Coordination Network, funded by a Network Development Grant awarded by the Health Resource & Service Administration (HRSA) as part of an award totaling $300,000. To learn more about HRSA funding go to HRSA.gov.

Over the next two weeks each of the District's schools will be hosting open house nights. Families should be receiving more information about these nights from their student's building principal. Here is the basic info:

LBHS Open House and Curriculum Night

Wednesday 9/24 5-7 PM Meet in the LBHS Commons

Independent Learning Center Family Night

Monday 9/26 6 PM

Methow Valley Elementary Open House and Family Resource Fair

Wednesday 10/1 5-6 PM

The 2025-2026 Family Handbook and Calendar should be coming to your mailbox soon. Until then here is the digital version

Student and Family Handbook 2025-26

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Individual portraits will be taken of students. Order forms were sent home with students, and there are order forms in the office, as well.

You can order online by using this link, which will direct you to MVE's Fall Picture Day ordering site. You can order online by using this link, which will direct you to LBHS/ILCs Fall Picture ordering site.

Please take a look at this graphic from Washington State OSPI for guidelines on when to say home.

The Methow Valley School District is committed to protecting the health and well-being of all students and staff. Just as we monitor road conditions to ensure safe travel, we also closely monitor air quality to provide a safe and healthy learning environment.

Below is a rundown of Methow Valley School District (MVSD) procedures for optimizing student and staff well being through air quality monitoring and associated practices, followed by a more detailed explanation of some of the considerations informing the adoption of these procedures. 

MVSD procedures: 

Air quality monitoring. Outdoor and indoor air quality monitoring is conducted on an ongoing basis through the consultation of reliable monitors located in Winthrop and Twisp and maintained by the WA Department of Ecology. When values from these monitors are significantly different, or if conditions are rapidly changing  (as is common during wildfire smoke episodes) the Purple Air sensor on campus and/or a handheld Kaiterra sensor may be used as additional reference points. The network of Purple Air monitors offer an accessible and time-sensitive tool for evaluating air quality, but are less reliable than Department of Ecology monitors and require a conversion in order to be interpreted according to the scale outlined below. Follow these directions in order to apply that conversion if referencing Purple Air network data. 

The principals, Athletic Director, superintendent and others may be involved in looking at air quality information and making determinations concerning acceptable activity levels and communicating these expectations to staff, students and families. The school will work to accommodate any parent who has health concerns and specific directives about their child’s need to remain indoors if they are concerned about air quality. 

Outdoor air quality. 

• Unhealthy–Stay indoors: When the AQI is greater than 150, students will not engage in outdoor activities.
• Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups–Limit outdoor activity: When air quality is in the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (orange)” range, outdoor time and activity levels will be limited.

Athletic Practices and Competition: Athletic practices and events will follow the WA DOH guidelines. The athletic director will monitor air quality and make determinations about adjustments to scheduled practices or competitions. Due to sometimes rapidly changing weather conditions and associated air quality measures, this may involve “day of” adjustments to schedules, but every effort will be made to reach a determination no later than the end of lunch each day.

Indoor air quality. Our school is committed to maximizing the quality of indoor air for our students. During episodes of poor air quality, purifiers with HEPA filtration are operated in every classroom and activity space throughout the school. Monitoring of indoor air quality is conducted throughout the day to ensure student safety. We additionally follow the recommendations of the Washington State DOH “Improving Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality during Wildfire Smoke Events.” This includes: 

● Giving staff guidance on the optimal use of air purifiers

● Closing windows and doors and minimizing traffic flow in and out of the building 

● Closing fresh air intake on HVAC system 

● Using the highest MERV rated filter possible on the HVAC system and running the system at full capacity to filter air 

● Following maintenance steps for HVAC systems and classroom air purifiers to ensure filters are routinely replaced

For more information please visit

Dear Methow Valley Community,

The Methow Valley School District Board of Directors is announcing the pending vacancy of an "at-large" board seat, which is scheduled to be vacated by long-serving board member Frank Kline, effective September 1, 2025. In accordance with District Policy 1114, Board Member Resignation and Vacancy, the school board is now seeking applications from qualified individuals who wish to be considered to fill this position.

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Application Process

Interested candidates are invited to submit the following materials:

• A completed application and questionnaire: Link to Application and Questionnaire English Español
• A brief letter of interest
• A current resume

Completed applications may be submitted in person at the District Office, located at 18 Twin Lakes Rd, Winthrop, WA 98862 or via email to: HR@methow.org. The deadline for submission is Wednesday, September 10, 2025, by 4:00 PM.

Selection Process

The Board will review all completed applications submitted on or before the deadline. They will invite up to five candidates for interviews. Interviews will take place during an open public meeting scheduled to take place on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 5:30 PM during a portion of the Methow Valley School District Board of Directors regularly scheduled school board meeting. In an effort to promote transparency, fairness, and equal opportunity, the screening and interview process will be facilitated by Michelle Price, Superintendent of the NCESD or Linda McKay, Deputy Superintendent of the NCESD. Following the candidate interviews, the board will appoint the new member based on a majority vote of the remaining board members, The selected candidate will be expected to serve until the next regularly scheduled school board election, at which time, a school board director will be elected.

Candidate Eligibility

To be eligible, candidates must:

• Reside within the school district attendance boundaries
• Be a U.S. citizen
• Be a registered voter

Additional Information

For more information on the roles and responsibilities of a school district board member, we encourage you to reach out to current school board directors, the superintendent, and/or review the WSSDA School Board Standards at: https://wssda.org/member-services/governance-resources/washington-school-board-standards/.

Thank you for your interest in supporting the continued growth and development of the Methow Valley School District!

Sincerely,

Dana Stromberger, Methow Valley School District Board Chair