It’s been another action-packed month in our schools.
Students at every school showed their appreciation for our community’s Veterans with music, songs, tributes and heartfelt gratitude. The students honored parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents, who proudly served our country. A shout out to our staff and PTA members who made sure the spaces were festively decorated and refreshments were on hand.
Our Child Nutrition team outdid themselves with a delightful, delicious and nutritious Thanksgiving meal at every school on Nov. 14. Home cooked, locally sourced and delicious food is the norm, but decorations and a theme made for a fancy and fun day for students to celebrate the spirit of the season together.
While the students were enjoying lunch, many of us were at the Sundome in Yakima for the State Volleyball tournament. We also had Girls Soccer, Swimming, and Cross-Country teams advance to post-season play. We are proud of your grit, determination and for representing your school and community so well at these events.
I hope you got a chance to connect with your students’ teacher or teachers at Fall Conferences. When we work together, the children always benefit.
Wishing you and yours a happy Thanksgiving holiday filled with love, laughter and joy.
Your Grateful Partner in Education,
Superintendent Troy Tornow
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At the Board Meeting of Nov. 19, the ESD Board of Directors approved a resolution to place an Educational Programs and Operation (EP&O) levy measure on the Feb. 10, 2026 ballot.
This is not a new tax, but the renewal of an existing levy that will expire in December 2026. About 14 percent of the District’s operating budget comes from local levy dollars.
“As the costs of providing education has gone up, the Legislature has not provided adequate funding to meet those costs,” says Superintendent Troy Tornow. “According to the State funding formula, a District our size is compensated for half of the salary of one nurse. As many parents are aware, nurses provide not only bandages for scrapes and bruises, but essential and life-saving medications, like insulin. We can’t operate with half a nurse to cover all of our buildings, so we pay the difference. This is only one example.”
More information will be provided in the coming weeks, including information sessions for local voters.
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If you haven't yet, please take a few minutes to participate in our confidential annual survey, administered by the Center for Educational Effectiveness.
The results from this survey help us better understand what we are doing well and where we could do better. The results of the last CEE survey were instrumental in helping the members of the Strategic Planning Committee design a strategic plan, goals and guidelines that will instruct our work throughout the District in the coming years.
We appreciate your time and input.
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After eight years of proudly serving the Ellensburg School District, Board Member Tosha Woods attended her last meeting on Nov. 19.
"I'm proud of what we've accomplished together," says Woods. "I’ve been privileged to work with three outstanding superintendents and in total - I think - 11 different brave and incredible board members and I believe 12 passionate and inspiring student board representatives."
During her tenure on the Board, she helped build two strategic plans, oversaw new school construction and, as she noted, dealt with some unexpected events like a global pandemic, water mitigation rights, traffic studies, and elementary school zones.
Each Board member thanked Woods for her service and she was presented with a token of appreciation. There were hugs and even a few tears. Later, during the Public Comment section of the meeting, her eldest son Luca, who graduated from EHS in 2025, joined the Zoom in to express his pride. Woods and husband Jared Vallejo have three other children who attend Ellensburg schools.
In her parting words, Woods said, “The work is never done, and while my position on this board is closing tonight, my commitment to students is not. See you in public comments!”
Woods, who chose not to run for reelection, will be replaced by Jeff Dermond, who will be sworn in at the December 10 Board Meeting. Because of the upcoming holiday, there will only be one meeting in December.
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Ellensburg students did a spectacular job of letting our community's Veterans know that they are valued and appreciated.
Ellensburg High School kicked off the celebrations on Nov. 6 with the annual Veterans Day celebration assembly and brunch.
Jane Peterson and Jennie Haak served as MC’s for this year’s assembly. Colors were presented by members of the local VFW. The orchestra performed Echoes of Bravery, Natalie Johnson sang America the Beautiful, the band performed the traditional Armed Forces Medley, and they all came together for a moving finale of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Student Luca Masuccio performed taps. After the assembly, Veterans were invited to enjoy a delicious brunch.
Nov. 10 marked the day of celebration at all other Ellensburg schools. Among the highlights:
At Valley View, Veterans were invited to enjoy breakfast before a rousing assembly featuring Ellensburg High School Band.
At Ida Nason Aronica, students welcomed Vietnam Veteran Allen Aronica, who is the son of the school’s namesake, and other Veterans for a celebration.
Morgan held a packed mid-day assembly where their orchestra wowed the crowd and students spoke about the importance of a day of honor.
At Lincoln, students took to the streets for the annual parade, with the assistance of our friends from EPD, who stopped traffic. Joining them was the EHS Band. The parade was followed by an assembly featuring talented and earnest students.
The final celebration of the day was at Mt. Stuart, where Vets were provided with a great program and treats. The school also continued the tradition of Veterans lining the hallway so students could provide thanks, high-fives, fist bumps and even a hug or two for a family member.
On Veterans Day, our students were still at it, even though there was no school. The EHS Band marched in the Ellensburg Veterans Day Parade. The Valley View Voices had the honor of performing at the annual KVFR BBQ that is held for Veterans after the parade. They sang five songs and did an amazing job of
honoring our community's heroes!
While every school has their own traditions and approaches, the tone at every location was respectful and grateful. Congratulations to all the students involved in these programs. You make us proud.
And a special thank you to all of the staff members, teachers and parent organizations that made Ellensburg Veterans feel special and appreciated. And of course, a huge thank you to the men and women who served.
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Snow days in Ellensburg are like unicorns: you may want to see one, but the chances are slim. School is seldom cancelled because of the volume of snow we receive and the fact that we’ve become good at traveling in these wintery conditions.
When it snows, Transportation staff members begin an assessment of the road and weather conditions at 4 a.m. Although roads within the city may not look bad, Transportation has to check roads out in the country.
After driving the routes, Transportation reports to Superintendent Troy Tornow. After consulting with Transportation, and any other necessary experts, the Superintendent makes the call by 5:30 a.m. if there will or won’t be school that day, or if school needs to be delayed for the day.
As soon as the Superintendent has made the call to cancel or delay, staff members post the information to the Transportation portal, and FlashAlert, a service that notifies the media. Additionally, the information is posted to Facebook, the ESD website, and sent out as a ParentSquare alert. If school will proceed as usual, no notice is sent out.
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Before you pick up the phone and demand to know why “they” didn’t do it yet, keep in mind there are only five of them – six if you count their director – and they are working pretty hard.
Our ESD Maintenance crew fixes everything that's broken, and does routine maintenance on the rest. Across eight campuses and acres of lawn, the team works to make sure everyone has properly cared for facilities and equipment.
“This crew had a really busy summer,” says Director of Maintenance Randy Acker. “With School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) funds to bolster our Capital Project funds this year, we were able to do some projects that were Value Engineered from the new schools and projects that were on our Capital Projects list. The crew also still maintained the grounds and performed preventative maintenance that is done every summer.”
And if you were out driving around our schools this past summer, you no doubt saw them at work. They did repair and sealcoating at the EHS and Valley View parking lots, as well as the boulevard between the two, as well as at the Transportation Department. They put new top soil and hydroseed in at Mt. Stuart and Ida, and installed an asphalt track at Ida as well. They constructed a new commercial kitchen at the high school, and an ADA platform at the stadium. And when they were finished with that, they painted all the lines back onto the parking lots and repaired damaged sidewalks. Oh, and a little irrigation bypass project at Mt. Stuart too.
Now that the school year is well underway, the team is still busy. Light bulbs go out, toilets plug and soon snow will fall. The team has been readying snow blowers, tractors and all of the other equipment needed to keep parking lots accessible and sidewalks safe.
Pictured below (left to right) Jesse Rutt, Cooper Naboychik, Director Randy Acker, Randy Leininger, Levi Martin-Rinehart and Alex Ansari
Alex and Levi are the newest team members. Please join us in welcoming them. And don’t worry. When it does snow significantly, this team will likely have the schools cleared before most of us are out of bed.
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Ellensburg School District Child Nutrition team outdid themselves with a delightful, delicious and nutritious Thanksgiving meal at every school on Friday.
Students enjoyed roasted turkey, herb-filled garlic Yukon gold mashed potatoes, roasted root vegetables, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, a beautiful salad bar, and of course a crustless pumpkin pie with whipped cream.
Home cooked, locally sourced and delicious food is the norm, but decorations and a theme made for a fancy and fun day for students to celebrate the spirit of the season together.
Here are some of our friends from Valley View Elementary School enjoying their special lunch.
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Congratulations to the City of Ellensburg 2025 Arts Treasure Kara Hunnicutt and 2025 Arts Advocate Mike McCloskey! Both were honored at a ceremony at The Ink on Nov. 12.
Hunnicutt, who retired in June, served as orchestra teacher for the District for nearly 24 years. Before coming to Ellensburg, she was the orchestra leader at Wenatchee School District for more than six years before finding her home here in the Ellensburg School District. She taught students from beginning elementary strings students to our amazing high school virtuosos for 17 years.
You don’t have to travel very far to find McCloskey. If help is needed, he is there. As the auditorium manager of the Morgan Performing Arts Center, he is on task and on site for every production, including District-sponsored concerts and plays, and performances by community and touring groups. If he’s not in the auditorium, then he’s leading historic tours of downtown or selling pickles at the Kittitas County Fair.
Congratulations to two terrific teachers and lifelong advocates for the arts!
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Our friends at FISH say: "Ms. Katrina Durham’s 4th grade class at Ida Nason Aronica Elementary organized a fantastic pet food drive for FISH—and they didn’t just match last year’s effort, they surpassed it by more than 300 pounds!
Thanks to their hard work, creativity, and big hearts, the students collected an incredible 566 pounds of pet food to support families and their beloved animals. Their posters, enthusiasm, and teamwork shine in every photo, and we are so grateful for the kindness they’ve shown our community.
To the students, teachers, and families who participated: thank you for making such a meaningful difference. Your generosity helps keep pets healthy and at home with the families who love them. We are truly inspired by you!
Thank you, Ms. Durham’s 4th graders—you’re amazing!"
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Congratulations to our student athletes who took their game to the post-season! You fought a good fight and made us proud at every step. And a special thank you to the coaches who give their time to mentor and guide young athletes to victory, but also teach them how to be gracious in defeat. Pictured below, in order, are the Cross Country, Girls Soccer, Swim and Volleyball teams. |
Ida Nelson Aronica Elementary
Dec. 18 – The choir, 4th graders, and kindergarten will perform at 2 p.m. for the school and at 6:30 p.m. for friends and family in the gym.
Lincoln Elementary
Dec. 9 -A fun night of singing and dancing with the TK-2nd grade classes. Performance begins at 5:30 p.m., but students need to get there by 5:15 p.m.
Mt. Stuart Elementary
Dec. 4 – Second and Third Grade at 2:45 p.m.
Dec. 4 – Fourth and Fifth Grade at 6 p.m.
Dec. 5 – Kinder and First Grade at 2:45 p.m.
Valley View Elementary
Dec. 17 - Kinder, First and Second Grades at 6:00 p.m.
Dec. 18 – Third, Fourth and Fifth Grades at 6:00 p.m.
Morgan Middle School
Dec. 15 – Morgan Choir Concert 6 p.m.
Dec. 18 – Morgan Band Concert at 6 p.m.
Ellensburg High School
Dec. 8 - EHS Choir at 7 p.m.
Dec. 16 – EHS Band at 7 p.m.
Dec. 17 – EHS Jazz Band Concert at 7 p.m.
Morgan Middle School and Ellensburg High School concerts will all be held at the Morgan Performing Arts Center. Orchestra performances were held in November.
Music in our schools is made possible through the support of our community.
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