So, if the Marysville School District has ideas on things it should do as a result of the shooting, “Don’t feel like you have got to wait,” Trenery said at a school board work session March 2. “You should be moving forward.”

Misty Napeahi, interim general manager of the Tulalip Tribes, said tension is building because of the length of the investigation, and it will only get worse.

“What would help release that tension?” Trenery asked.

Napeahi said people feel like they are being left out.

The sheriff said it might be a good idea for him and the local police chiefs to meet with groups to explain the process.

“We could meet with whomever wants to talk to us,” he said.

Trenery explained that the Snohomish County Multi-Agency Response Team, or SMART, is doing the investigation of the cafeteria shooting Oct. 24. A freshman killed four students before turning the gun on himself. One other shooting victim survived.

SMART consists of the elected sheriff as director, along with law enforcement from Everett, Lynnwood, Marysville, Arlington, Lake Stevens, Monroe and the Washington State Patrol. It usually is called in on officer-involved shootings because the review needs to be transparent. Because of the magnitude of the scene at M-P, Trenery called in SMART.

“There were a lot of moving parts, time was of the essence and decisions had to be made on the fly,” Trenery said. “It has the best and brightest detectives in the county.”

The sheriff explained that SMART will comb through all of the information and come up with a report probably by late 2016.

“We don’t want to push them. It needs to be very factual and complete,” he said.

Recovery director Mary Schoenfeld asked if the district would be able to see the report before it is released to the public.

“So we can build support before the public knows,” she said.

But the sheriff said because of the need for transparency, “You may not get any lead time.”

Council Member Chris Nation said people are wanting assurances that the schools are safe.

“We have taken all the steps necessary, but one-hundred percent safe – we can’t” say that, the sheriff said.

Trenery said even though the final report will have some recommendations, it won’t have all the answers.

Superintendent Becky Berg said while some may have been hoping for closure, “We’re in it for the long haul.”

“Instead of looking for their report to provide a sense of closure, we will keep moving forward in supporting our students, staff and community in the recovery process,” Berg said March 4. “We realize that we may never be able to understand why the events of October 24th occurred, and that our energy needs to be spent on supporting one another in the slow process of healing.”

In other news at the school board meeting:

• Scott Irwin gave a mid-year update on Advancement Via Individual Determination. The goal of AVID is to close the achievement gap and help students become college ready. Irwin said students taking AVID have better attendance figures and grade point averages. About 46 percent  take Advanced Placement classes, compared with 16 percent of other students. Irwin said 3,764 students have received some type of help using AVID strategies, including study groups for college testing.

“AVID opens doors,” said Alisa Sahin, who moved here from Turkey in 2008. She said she was way behind but was able to catch up in the fifth grade. “College was out of the question,” she said. “I didn’t know what higher ed was.” A teacher saw potential in her and talked her into joining AVID. She said she used to be quiet and sat in the back of the class. As a freshman, she said she started to blossom and change from an introvert to an extrovert.

“I got into the groove of school and was able to make friends and talk to teachers,” she said. Sahin said AVID gave her discipline and structure and taught her leadership and organization skills, such as using Cornell notes, which saved her in math. She now sits in the front of class. “We are held to a higher standard and lead by example,” she said. Now, Sahin has received a total of $82,000 in scholarships to five different schools. When she decides on one, she plans to take international business.

• Athletic Director Greg Erickson talked about honors awarded to Craig Iversen, Killian Page, Bary Gould and Michael Painter, all of M-P. Iversen was named Region 1 3A Wrestling Coach of the Year. Page was introduced as a state wrestling champion. Gould was named Coach of the Year for taking the Tomahawks to state in basketball for the first time since he was a player 23 years ago. And Painter was named basketball Player of the Year.

• Angela Delgado talked about the Bio-Med Academy at Marysville Getchell. She said a goal of the school is for 100 percent recognition of students, either for academics, behavior or attendance. She said the school is very involved helping students fill out financial aid forms for college, because that makes them more likely to go. Delgado said the school plans to use STAR assessment scores to change the curriculum. Once that information is available, they could use help with interventions. MG ranks high in attendance, scores and graduation. Their biggest problem is getting students “there on time,” Delgado said.

• The district simplified its Vision to say: Students of the Marysville School District are prepared for further education, technology, economic change and social realities because they Think Critically, Create and Innovate, Collaborate, Communicate effectively and Care compassionately. “It’s clearer than it was,” Nation said.

• Cecelia Watson of Marysville-Pilchuck was awarded a Daniel J. Evans Award in memory of the state’s former governor. She was honored for her community service, civic leadership and classroom abilities. Samuel Shelton, now in Arlington but formerly of Cedarcrest Middle School, also won the honor.

• Because of lower-than-planned enrollment and tax changes finance director Jim Baker said the district will have to take $1.5 million out of capital projects for about 30 days to pay its bills. Historically, March is a bad month for cash flow, he said, because property tax money doesn’t come in until April.