The school board’s monthly business meetings are held in person and via Zoom. Please see the calendar for details. Meetings also can be viewed on Comcast channel 328.
Citizen comments: If you wish to make comments via Zoom, please fill out this form by noon on the day of the school board meeting. Include your full name and affiliation with the district for the record along with your topic. Written comments or questions also may be sent to the board of directors.
- Email all board members
- Individual board members:
Once your request to address the Board has been submitted, you will receive an email confirmation with directions. If you have any questions, please contact Silvia Navarro, executive assistant at silvia.navarro@vansd.org or by phone at 360-313-1200.
Video recordings of the board meetings will be posted one to two business days after the meeting.
School board
Members of the Vancouver Public Schools board of directors are elected by the citizens of the community to four-year terms. The board sets the district’s goals and policies and is the governing body for adoption of school budgets.
Acting as secretary to the school board, the superintendent is responsible to them for implementing policies and operation of the schools.
Board meetings are accessible to all regardless of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability or the use a dog guide or trained service animal. If you require special accommodations or an interpreter, please contact the superintendent’s office at 360-313-1200, before 4 p.m., at least four school days prior to the meeting date to allow sufficient time to make appropriate accommodations.
The board of directors is responsible for district policy, budget and hiring and supervising the superintendent. Read the board/superintendent goals.
Individual board members serve as a committee of the whole. They hold monthly workshops to examine topics of interest including policy issues and topics such as curriculum and facilities. Board members also meet for monthly study sessions during which they review items that will be put forward for a vote at their monthly business meeting. The study sessions cover topics including budget, district performance scorecards and policies.
Annually, board members select a board chair and co-chair. The board chair oversees meetings using parliamentary procedure. Workshops, work sessions and business meeting are open to the public and the media. Exceptions are executive sessions, which are limited by law to discussions that concern issues regarding legal matters, personnel or property, in which public disclosure would be damaging to individuals or the general welfare of the district.
Board members are elected by the public to serve four-year terms. To be eligible to fill any of the five board positions, a person must reside within the school district’s boundaries and be a registered voter. If a member leaves during a term, the board may choose a replacement to fill the position until the next general board election.
The board welcomes comments from parents, students, and community members. Comments may be submitted by:
- Email: The board chair serves as the spokesperson for the board of directors.
- Letter: Attention: Board of Directors, PO Box 8937, Vancouver WA 98668-8937
- Public comment: See directions below.
Public comments regarding policy, finances or other responsibilities of the board are taken at a designated time during the board meeting. Anyone who wants to address the board during the regular business meeting via Zoom can sign up to speak by filling out this form by noon on the day of the school board meeting. Written comments or questions also may be sent to the board of directors at the above email address. Public comment must be relevant to the meeting agenda. Comments are limited to three minutes. The board will not respond or make decisions regarding comments during the meeting.
State law requires that board meetings be open to the public, per RCW 28A.343.380. However, there is no legal requirement to provide an opportunity for public comments during a board meeting. There also is no legal requirement for board meetings to be videotaped and broadcast to the community. The VPS board and staff have chosen to provide this service for expanded community access and public awareness of the board’s business.
School board guidelines on public comment can be found in section X of policy 1400.
Concerns or issues regarding a specific school, teacher or student should always begin with district staff member(s) closest to the area of concern. The procedure is:
- Visit with the teacher or a guidance counselor.
- Visit with the principal (if a school-wide concern, this becomes step one).
- Contact one of the following district administrators:
- Elementary education • Kristie Lindholm • 360-313-1010
- Secondary education • Jim Gray • 360-313-1011
- Special education • Daniel Bettis • 360-313-1250
- Human resources • Jeff Fish • 360-313-1080
- Nutrition services • Katy Bretanus • 360-313-1190
- Transportation • Grace Elligott • 360-313-4800
- Safety • Dave Bennett • 360-313-1044
- Communications office • Jessica Roberts • 360-313-1230
- Education ombuds • Rachel Cason • 360-313-1187
- In rare circumstances, the board may conduct hearings or appeals of administrative decisions. Most matters are expected to be resolved using the administrative structure described above.
VPS board of directors believes that schools, families and communities interact as partners to strengthen opportunities for students to learn and grow. Your input is valued and critical to our continued success. Citizens, patrons, partners and families are encouraged to get involved. Citizens wishing to express opinions on policy, finances or other responsibilities of the board which have not been placed on a regular agenda should use one or more of these alternatives:
- Attend a regular board meeting.
- Write to the board of directors. You may address the letter to individual board members or send one letter to the board as a whole.
Use this address: Vancouver School District #37, P.O. Box 8937,
Vancouver, WA 98668-8937 - Email the board of directors. The board chair serves as the spokesperson for the board and will respond to email on behalf of the board. Concerns that require additional information or administrative action will be forwarded to the superintendent.
- Email all board members
- Individual board members:
Board members encourage citizen input. In general, anonymous information will not be acted upon.
Concerns will be communicated to the superintendent, who will direct the administrative work necessary to address the issue.
Marketing director
Kyle Sproul was born and raised in Washington state and moved to Vancouver in 2006. Sproul has a Master of Business Administration degree from Indiana University. Her career includes working as a marketing strategist for two Fortune 500 companies. Currently, she is a part-time marketing director for a small business. She and her husband, David, have three children; two are VPS students and one is a future VPS student.
Served since 2019 • Term expires 2027 • Position 1
Meet the directors
Retired teacher
Kathy Decker, a former VPS teacher, began her career after earning her Bachelor of Arts in elementary education from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. She has taught in three states and Japan. She and her husband, Mark, have three children; two are VPS graduates and one is currently at Columbia River High School.
Served since 2019 • Term expires 2027 • Position 4
School psychologist in Evergreen Public Schools
Tracie Barrows is a school psychologist in Evergreen Public Schools. She has been a school psychologist for more than a decade and has lived in Vancouver since 2009. Barrows earned a master’s degree from Argosy University in Hawaii. Her husband, Doug, is a teacher in Evergreen Public Schools.
Served since 2019 • Term expires 2027 • Position 5
Teacher at Heritage High School in Evergreen Public Schools
Wendy Smith is a lifelong Vancouver resident and product of Vancouver Public Schools. She attended Felida Elementary School, Jason Lee Middle School and Columbia River High School. After graduating, she earned bachelor’s degrees in history and anthropology from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in education from Washington State University Vancouver.
Smith, a social studies teacher, sees her work on the school board as a natural extension of her commitment to public education.
Smith and her husband, Rob Lutz, have two young children: George and Eleanor.
Served since 2017 • Term expires 2025 • Position 3
Business owner
Sandra Zavala-Ortega has served in several capacities as a representative of the local Latino community to improve cultural diversity and increase opportunities for people of color.
Zavala-Ortega grew up in Vancouver and attended VPS schools. She also was previously employed by the district as a Family-Community Resource Center coordinator at Harney Elementary School.
She is currently pursuing her master’s degree at Washington State University Vancouver. She and her husband, Enrique, have a son who attends school in VPS.
Served since 2021 • Term expires 2025 • Position 2
Meet the Board
We are excited to bring you a series of interviews featuring each of our School Board Directors. Learn about their goals for serving our students and get to know them a little better.
Sandra Zavala-Ortega, VPS Board President
Sandra Zavala-Ortega, VPS Board President (Interview in Spanish)
Kyle Sproul, VPS Vice President
Tracie Barrows, VPS Director
Wendy Smith, VPS Director
Kathy Decker, VPS Director