MISD Board takes no action after public comment
I gave a public input comment at the Mercer Island School Board meeting Thursday, warning about the school safety risks posed by low-barrier Permanent Supportive Housing and requesting the Board to add amending HB 2266 to their list of legislative priorities.
Video: comment and board discussion
Specifically, I asked the Board to advocate for the following:
- Mandatory district consultation whenever PSH facilities are proposed near schools.
- The state to fully fund additional security measures for schools near PSH facilities, so that local classroom dollars are never diverted for them.
A lively discussion followed, where all of the Directors in attendance expressed some level of personal concern about the potential safety impact of PSH. However, the prevailing opinion was that PSH safety was a city issue rather than a school district issue, and that the Board needed to “stay in their lane” and let the City Council handle it.
Director Burnett brought up a valid point that if children are living in a PSH unit, a buffer forcing them to live further from their school would be harmful. I agree, and we must take care to narrowly define the type of housing we are concerned with to be low-barrier PSH for adults only.
I sincerely appreciated the opportunity to speak and I respect the Board’s opinion while disagreeing with its decision to take no action.
I’ve noticed that the desire to “stay in our lane” can be so strong in this community that it sometimes prevents us from standing up for what we know is right. Sometimes you have to get out of your lane to get things done.
The Mercer Island City Council is scheduled to review its legislative priorities in the upcoming November 3, 2026 meeting. Let’s hope they rise to the occasion.