The entities meet every few months to update each other on what is going on.

Berg said student use of Chromebooks is going well, with low breakage rates and few being lost because of “tracking devices in them.”

School board president Pete Lundberg said professional development is finally getting to all teachers. “It’s a big leap for teachers,” he said.

Board member Chris Nation said the Marysville School District was behind others, but now, “They want to be like us.”

Berg is proud of that. “We’re in the process of leap frogging.”

Assistant superintendent Ray Howser also is proud of that. “We’re a couple of years ahead” of many other districts in technology now, he said. “It’s nice to be on the cutting edge, the lead dog. We did what we said we would do, and we’re getting results.”

Berg also told the council about the district investing $1.8 million in a new middle school math curriculum and an English-Language arts curriculum.

“If we’re going to invest the public’s money we want to make sure we get results,” she said.

Berg also said the district plans to be down about 100 students next year, but with some new Navy ships coming in to Everett that could change.

Berg also announced that finance director Jim Baker is retiring at the end of the school year. “He helped us get back on track,” she said.

Mayor Jon Nehring spoke for the city, saying it is taking “baby steps” in downtown revitalization. In the next few months the city will intensively study what to do with the waterfront and trail system.

“It’s underutilized,” he said, adding if the public invests in it public money will follow.

“It was a great setting” for the city’s 125th birthday, Berg interjected.

Nehring also talked about a tax incentive passed by the state legislature to attract manufacturing to the Marysville-Arlington area.

“That’s the next area of real growth,” he said, adding it would attract family wage jobs to the area.

Nehring said the city “will not lose anything” because of the tax breaks because they are only for improvements. The city will still make the tax money from the land, which will go up in value, Chief Administrative Officer Gloria Hirashima added.

Nehring said Marysville is not a rich community like Mukilteo and Mill Creek, so it needs jobs. Having a higher tax base for commercial property also would provide some relief for residential property owners, he added.

Participants ended the meeting showing their respect for each other.

“When I first moved here things just happened,” school board member Bruce Larsen said. “Now, there’s a plan.”

“It’s not by accident, but hard work,” Lundberg said of progress being made. “We’ve both learned to tie into the community to do what they wish us to do. It’s taken a long time to build that trust.”

City Council Member Michael Stevens said while volunteering in support of the recent schools bonds he saw a lot of momentum building.

“There’s support from the community,” he said. “It wasn’t always like that years ago.”

Council president Camille Norton said people are finding out that the city and schools are responsible.

“Trust is growing,” she said.