2024 – 2025 Dates (Schedule Subject to Change)
School Board Meetings are typically held on the 2nd and last Thursday of the month. Meetings begin at 5:45 p.m.
- July 25
- August 29
- September 12
- September 26
- October 10
- October 24 (held the second-to-last Thursday due to a conflict)
- November 14
- December 12
- January 9
- January 30
- February 13
- February 27
- March 13
- March 27
- April 24
- May 8
- May 29
- June 10 (held on a Tuesday due to a conflict)
- June 26
Location: BISD School Board Room
The BISD Board Room is located off High School Road between Bainbridge High School and Commodore Options and adjacent to the lower gym. Map to Board Room
Facilitator: School Board President
Description
The Role of School Board Members
School directors work together to oversee the school district. As a board, the primary responsibilities are:
- Hire, supervise and evaluate the superintendent
- Set the vision, mission and strategic goals for the district
- Review, revise and adopt policies
- Establish and oversee the budget
- Serve as community representatives
- Monitor the district’s progress towards its goals
Are you passionate about education and have the desire to help guide the future of BISD?
Download this informational packet to learn more about becoming a school board member: Serving on Your Local School Board
School Board Student Members - 9th-12th Graders
The Board of Directors of the Bainbridge Island School District recognizes the value of student representation on the School Board so that student voice and input is included in the Board’s work.
At least one student board member should attend each Board Meeting, which are held twice per month on Thursday evenings. See exact schedule below.
The student members will contribute to Board by:
- Providing student insight and perspective
- Serving as a liaison for the associated student body
- Reporting to students about the work of the Board and District activities
Student representatives will not:
- Attend executive sessions
- Hold Board offices
Student representatives provide the Board with advisory votes on agenda items as follows: immediately before the Board votes on an agenda item, the Student Board Representatives will provide their advisory vote – whether pro, con, or abstain.
Communicating with School Board Members
The BISD School Board values the public's suggestions, thoughts and opinions and welcomes the community to reach out to the school board in various ways. It is important to note that due to rules outlined in Washington State’s Open Public Meetings Act, there are certain things that school board members cannot do such as:
- Engage in dialogue on public comments if the topic is not on the agenda
- Be present at a meeting/event with a total of three or more school board members unless prior written notice was provided
Ways to Communicate with the School Board Members
- Through email — if you email all five members of the board, they will see your message, but typically, only the School Board President will respond.
- Attend a school board meeting and provide public comments either during the time for general public comment or following the agenda item on the topic you wish to speak about. If you wish to provide in-person public comment, please sign-up at the start of the meeting. If you provide public comment via Zoom, you must sign up by 4 p.m. by emailing Lani Chaffee at lchaffee@bisd303.org. (See below for public comment instructions.)
- Attend the School Board Coffee Chats held at various coffee shops throughout Bainbridge Island (check the BISD calendar for details). Coffee Chats are usually held on the Friday following a school board meeting.
- Invite members of the School Board to attend a meeting of your organization to provide an overview of what is happening in the district and the district’s goals. (Remember, only up to two school board members can attend unless prior written notice is provided.)
How to Make Public Comment
The board values input from our community. This is an opportunity for you to share what’s on your mind and for the board to listen and learn.
- We ask that you follow the public comment process by signing in at the beginning of the meeting and sharing your name at the podium when called upon or over Zoom. Each person is allowed to address the board for up to three minutes. When you have one minute left, a member of the school board will hold up a sign.
- During public comment, the board listens but does not engage in dialog or offer a response at the time. In accordance with state policy, the board’s silence does not signal agreement or disagreement with a speaker’s remarks. The school board is limited in the ability to discuss items that are not on the agenda based on the Open Public Meetings Act. However, the school board may choose to incorporate your comments during its board discussion or direct the superintendent to follow up on issues that come up as appropriate.
- Freedom of speech is an important protection under the First Amendment. Please remember that your words have an impact, and you are responsible for this impact. We ask that you not make any personal statements about a student, staff, or community member. Help model what a respectful and inclusive community looks like for our students.
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