Enrollment Numbers & Demographic Report
About BISD
Enrollment & Demographics
Planning responsibly for the students we serve today and in the years ahead.
Like school districts across the Puget Sound, Bainbridge Island School District has seen enrollment decline since the pandemic. To plan ahead, the district works with an independent demographer who studies birth rates, housing, population and enrollment trends to forecast future enrollment.
These forecasts guide staffing, budgeting and facilities decisions, so we can keep our schools strong while using resources wisely.
2026–27 Enrollment
[[2026 COUNT]]
students in kindergarten through grade 12
October 1, 2026 enrollment count. Does not include preschool or students enrolled only in Running Start.
At a Glance
Enrollment by the Numbers
[[2026 COUNT]]
K–12 students, October 2026
[[CHANGE]]
change since October 2019 (3,765 students)
3,028–3,359
forecast range for 2033 (low to medium scenario)
80–100
more kindergartners than island births each year, as families move to Bainbridge
The Forecast
Three Scenarios for the Future
Because no one can predict the future exactly, our demographer developed low, medium and high forecasts based on birth and kindergarten trends, how many students join or leave at each grade, and assumptions about population and housing growth.
Low
What could happen if kindergarten enrollment and housing growth stay at recent low levels. The demographer notes there is no reason to assume these trends will last indefinitely.
Medium
Enrollment trends lower, then begins to stabilize later in the decade, holding around 3,340 to 3,380 students.
High
Assumes stronger population and housing growth and more families enrolling, with enrollment growing later in the decade.
Where We Are Today
With [[2026 COUNT]] students this fall, BISD’s enrollment is tracking above the low scenario forecast for 2026 (3,213 students).
| October | Low | Medium | High | Actual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3,356 | 3,446 | 3,508 | [[2024 COUNT]] |
| 2025 | 3,269 | 3,386 | 3,482 | [[2025 COUNT]] |
| 2026 | 3,213 | 3,359 | 3,487 | [[2026 COUNT]] |
| 2027 | 3,188 | 3,364 | 3,527 | — |
| 2028 | 3,137 | 3,342 | 3,541 | — |
| 2029 | 3,102 | 3,337 | 3,569 | — |
| 2030 | 3,084 | 3,349 | 3,615 | — |
| 2031 | 3,068 | 3,359 | 3,656 | — |
| 2032 | 3,046 | 3,364 | 3,695 | — |
| 2033 | 3,028 | 3,377 | 3,745 | — |
Source: Educational Data Solutions, LLC, Bainbridge Island School District Enrollment Trends and Projections (January 2024). Counts exclude preschool, Transitional Kindergarten and students enrolled only in Running Start. Read the full demographer’s report.
The Bigger Picture
Why Enrollment Is Changing
Enrollment peaked at 4,223 students in 2005 and held steady between about 3,760 and 3,860 from 2011 to 2019. Since the pandemic, several factors outside the district’s control have pushed enrollment lower.
A regional trend
Public school enrollment in the four-county Puget Sound region is about 23,000 students lower than before the pandemic. In Kitsap County it is down about 2,250 students, and every Kitsap district remains below its pre-pandemic enrollment.
An aging island
Residents 55 and older grew from 23% of Bainbridge Island’s population in the 2000 Census to 43% in 2020. More enrollment growth depends on more residents ages 20 to 54.
Housing costs and limited new homes
Fewer homes were built on the island in the past decade than in the decade before, and single-family homes have become expensive. Neighboring districts have more family housing planned.
Smaller incoming classes
Kitsap County births dropped in 2020 and 2021, and those children are now reaching school age. Meanwhile, graduating classes have typically been 100 to 150 students larger than incoming kindergarten classes.
Families Still Choose Bainbridge
Bainbridge Island remains a district families move to. Kindergarten enrollment is typically 80 to 100 students higher than the number of babies born on the island, and the district gains students at most grade levels as families move in or return from homeschooling.
Using Resources Wisely
High Results, Responsibly Staffed
BISD students achieve well above state averages, while the district’s class sizes and per-student spending stay close to the state average.
Average Class Size
20.3
students per class at BISD, compared with 19.7 statewide (2024–25)
Per-Student Spending
$19,837
per student at BISD, within 3% of the state average of $19,341 (2024–25)
Student Achievement
31–35
percentage points above the state in ELA, math and science (2025–26)
How We Staff to Enrollment
[[STAFFING DETAILS: for example, how and when staffing is reviewed against projected enrollment each year, class size targets by level, and positions adjusted to match enrollment.]]
Source: Washington OSPI Report Card.
Demographics
Our Students
12.6%
of students are from low-income families (state: 48.4%)
1.6%
of students are multilingual learners (state: 15.1%)
Full Demographic Data
See enrollment by race and ethnicity, program participation and more.
Source: Washington OSPI Report Card, 2025–26 school year.