- Message from Superintendent Thompson
- ABC - Skyward Registration
- Honoring & Raising Awareness This April
- BISD Volunteer Appreciation
- Substitute Nurses Needed
- Highly Capable: CogAT Update
- Mark Your Calendars: Key Dates Ahead
- Local Community Events
- Stay Connected: Follow Us on Social Media
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I am writing to provide additional clarity regarding the proposed 2026-27 school calendar. I understand that any shift in the school schedule creates a ripple effect for our families, and I want to be as open as possible about our process and the constraints we are working within.
Why You Are Hearing From Us Now
I’ve received questions about why this wasn't shared earlier or opened for community feedback sooner. It is important to understand that the school calendar is a central part of collective bargaining—the formal legal negotiations between the district and our employee unions.
By law, we cannot share specific details or "go public" with proposals until negotiations reach a certain milestone. I shared this draft with you as soon as we were legally and procedurally able to do so.
Addressing the Feedback on Wednesday Releases
Regarding the lack of a community survey: I am a firm believer in only asking for feedback when that input can meaningfully influence the outcome. Because the calendar is tied to legal labor contracts and strict budget mandates, many of these "big picture" decisions were dictated by those requirements. I did not want to be disrespectful of your time by asking for input on items that were legally bound.
The Change: Moving from Weekly Early Releases to Monthly Full or Half-Day Releases
Currently, our students get out 90 minutes early every Monday so that staff can work on training and planning. We are proposing to end those weekly early releases.
Instead, we plan to have five full days of school, Monday-Friday. To make up for the lost staff training time, we would schedule eight specific days throughout the year where students are released for a half-day or have the day off entirely.
Why are we doing this?
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Consistency for Students: A regular Monday–Friday schedule makes it much easier for students to receive specialized services (like special education and intervention) without being interrupted by a shortened Monday.
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Better Training for Staff: 90 minutes isn't enough time for teachers to collaborate on common instructional, assessment and grading practices, or to dive into new state math and reading standards. By grouping that time into full or half-days, our educators can work together more effectively to improve how they teach your children.
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Financial Responsibility: We have a lot of focused professional development to accomplish. Trying to meet collective bargaining agreements and new state requirements under our old "Monday early release" model would actually cost the district significantly more money.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does a "half-day" still count as a school day? Yes. Even on a shortened schedule, these days count toward the 180 days of school required by the state. We will still be teaching and learning on these days!
What about childcare? We continue to work closely with local childcare providers and organizations like Parks & Rec to ensure families have support on these release days. As a reminder Boys & Girls Club operates out of Ordway, xalilc and Sakai, serving Blakely and Odyssey students out of these buildings as well. We will also ensure that scholarship opportunities through various entities (BCF, Helpline House, PTOs) remain available for confidential access through our counselors and/or administrators.
Can you go back to having full conference days? No. Under state law, you can only receive one 5 day waiver, either for the purpose of conferences or professional development. If we utilize the 5 day waiver for professional development, we cannot take any more full-day release days, even to hold conferences.
Can you just pay staff to stay after school for extra hours on Mondays? No. We cannot require staff to stay for extra time, and we cannot afford to pay staff for extra time. It costs between $11,000-$22,000 per hour to compensate our entire certificated staff, depending on rate of pay.
Can you just take these days at the end of the school year? No, that is not an effective model for professional development for our staff. This would mean that our staff would have no time (zero minutes) devoted to professional learning or collaborative work from August until June.
Can you just add days to the end of the school year? No, not only would this push our school year to end later in June, but we would also have to extend our employee contracts by 5 days, and compensate them for 5 additional days, which we cannot afford.
Next Steps
This plan is still a proposal. It needs to be officially agreed upon by BIEA (Bainbridge Island Education Association (our certificated staff labor partner) and then approved by the School Board.
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See the Calendar: Link
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Ask a Question: Link
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Meet in Person: Join us for a community meeting on Thursday, April 30th at 4:30 PM in the BISD Boardroom.
Thank you for your patience as we work to build a schedule that better supports both our students and our educators.
In collaboration,
Amii Thompson
BISD Superintendent
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We are at 23% registration for the 2026-27 school year! If you haven't registered yet, please take a moment to complete your child's registration. Having an accurate headcount is essential for us to determine staffing, class sizes, and building capacity.
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Attending Next Year? Log in to your Family Access account, select ABC 26-27 in the left menu, and complete the process ASAP. It takes less than 15 minutes! (Note: This is required for ALL students, including those in Running Start. For students with more than one household, only the Primary Family can complete this step).
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Not Returning? Please contact your school office or email studentrecords@bisd303.org with your educational plans so we can update our records.
For more details, guidance for split households, and step-by-step instructions, please visit: bisd303.org/enrollment
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Autism Awareness Month
BISD recognizes Autism Acceptance Month as a time to reflect on how we create schools where all students feel seen, supported, and included.
Autism represents a diverse range of experiences and identities. Moving beyond awareness, this month invites us to continue strengthening practices that ensure every student has access to meaningful learning, strong relationships, and a sense of belonging.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Throughout April, BISD recognizes Sexual Assault Awareness Month as an opportunity to raise awareness, support survivors, and reinforce our commitment to safe, respectful school communities.
Sexual violence impacts individuals and communities in many ways. This month serves as a reminder of the importance of prevention, education, and ensuring that all students and staff feel safe, supported, and heard.
Learn more and access resources:
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This week is Volunteer Appreciation Week, and we just have to say it: we have the absolute best volunteers! Whether you are reading with students in the library, chaperoning field trips, helping out in the front office, organizing PTO events, or supporting our athletic and arts programs, your impact is felt every single day across the district.
Schools simply cannot do what they do without the time, dedication, and heart of community members like you. You help make our buildings vibrant, welcoming, and successful places for our students to learn and grow.
To everyone who has given their time to support our students and staff this year—thank you! We see you, we appreciate you, and we are so incredibly grateful for everything you do. 💙
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We are currently seeking substitute nurses to support our schools. This is a meaningful opportunity to spend time with students, provide care, and play an important role in supporting the health and well-being of our school community. Substitute nurses are compensated at a rate of $35.68 per hour. If you are interested in a rewarding way to help our students and schools, we would love to hear from you.
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If your student participated in CogAT testing this spring, you can expect to receive results in mid to late May. Families will be notified if a student receives a Highly Capable designation, and score reports will be available in Family Access following notification.
We recognize the importance of this process and remain committed to ensuring students are thoughtfully identified.
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MAY
SBA Testing for grades 3-8, 10 - look for school specific dates and times in your child's school newsletter
25: Memorial Day (No School)
JUNE
16: Last day of school
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Looking for things to do around town?
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Follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on what is happening within our school district.
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Bainbridge Island School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, homelessness, immigration or citizenship status, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, neurodivergence or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. The BISD provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.
The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:
Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator & Title IX Coordinator:
Kristen Haizlip, Associate Superintendent
206-780-1058
khaizlip@bisd303.org
Section 504/ADA Coordinators:
Annalisa Sanchez, Director of Student Services
206-780-1069
asanchez@bisd303.org
Maria Kuffel
206-780-1088
mkuffel@bisd303.org
8489 Madison Avenue North Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
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