Fact Check: Superintendent Rundle’s 2025 Letter to the Community
Superintendent Fred Rundle’s 2024–2025 year-end message offered a positive summary of the school year—but left out critical facts that shaped it. Missing were the $241 million bond failure, a second credit rating downgrade, and the elimination of key programs in reading, math, nursing, libraries, and dyslexia support. Nearly $13 million will be pulled from capital reserves to cover operating costs by the end of the 2025 - 2026 school year. These are not minor details—they signal deeper structural issues the district must address.
2024–2025 also brought real successes. Mercer Island High School won state titles in boys tennis, girls cross country and second in state for girls lacrosse. Students earned national arts and writing honors. West Mercer put on an amazong production of Willy Wonka. MIHS students won Telly Awards for filmmaking projects. Plus many more. These are accomplishments to celebrate—but they, too, were left out of the Superintendent’s message.
We fact-checked the actual claims Fred made in his letter using state records, district reports, and publicly available data. Here's how they hold up:
📊 Truth Scorecard (Based on Stated Claims)
| Category | Claim | Verdict | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation Rates | Rose to 97.2% in 2024 | ✅ True | Graduation rates have increased post-COVID. However, MISD averages a 94% graduation rate over the past 7 years and was 92% in 2022. Good improvements. |
| AP Participation | AP scores increased | ✅ True | Test volume and scores are up, with 91% of tests scoring 3 or above. However, no new AP or STEM programs were introduced during that time. |
| Enrollment | Enrollment is stabilizing due to new students joining | ❌ Misleading | Resident student enrollment has declined 19.5% since 2018. The “stabilization” Fred refers to is due to open enrollment from off-island students, not returning Mercer Island families. Local taxpayers are now subsidizing nearly $1M annually for these students due to state funding gaps. |
| Fund Balance | Fund balance improved | ❌ Misleading | While technically accurate, the improvements came from transferring over $10M out of the capital fund—not from budget surpluses or improved revenue. This masks a structural deficit and leaves critical infrastructure underfunded. |
| Audit Results | Clean financial audits | ✅ True | The district did receive clean state and federal audits, confirming financial compliance. |
| Staff Excellence | Teachers and staff achieved regional recognition | ✅ True | Multiple staff were recognized for excellence in arts, media, and extracurricular education. These individual achievements are well documented. |
| Student Safety (Survey) | 90% of parents said their child feels safe at school | 🟡 Partial Truth | While the survey result is accurate, it leaves out ongoing parent-reported issues with bullying, safety supervision, and facility concerns. A 90% rating still leaves 1 in 10 families reporting that their child does not feel safe—a significant number. |
Overall: 4 True · 1 Partial Truths · 2 Misleading
🚫 What Fred Left Out
🎓 Academic Performance
- No mention of MISD’s fall from #1 to #5 in statewide rankings
- Omitted that college readiness now ranks 11th and last in math comprehension compared to the top 15 districts
- Ignored the 3.5% real decline in curriculum spending since 2019
- No new academic initiatives in STEM, literacy, or digital learning
📉 Enrollment & Demographics
- Enrollment among resident families declined 19.5% since 2018
- 34% of Mercer Island families now opt out of public schools
- Stabilized enrollment is due to open enrollment, not return of local families
- Taxpayers now subsidize nearly $1 million annually for off-island students
💸 Financial Management
- Two credit rating downgrades in the last three years not mentioned
- Over $10M has been diverted from capital reserves to cover operating shortfalls
- Financial health score drops to 20/100 without open enrollment padding
🏫 Facilities & Bond Failures
- No mention of the failed $241M bond and community’s preferred facility plan
- District and PTA pushed to eliminate the 60% bond supermajority requirement
📉 Community Trust and Engagement
- PTA donations down 33% since 2018; volunteerism down 40% this year
- Community dissatisfaction continues to rise, as acknowledged by PTA leaders
🔐 Student Safety and Privacy
- Ignored an ongoing WA Attorney General investigation into PTA privacy violations
- No reference to parent-reported bullying or safety concerns
⚖️ Program Cuts and Resource Shifts
- Reading, math, and dyslexia support programs were eliminated for 2025–26
- ASB funds dropped nearly 50%—impacting clubs, sports, and events
The good should be celebrated. But the bad must be acknowledged. Skipping over serious challenges creates a false sense of stability and delays real solutions.