Phew — there is certainly a lot going on these days, and much of it feels heavy, overwhelming and out of our control. I came across a part of this quote (above) in a mailer from Partners in Health (thank you to our Global Health Club students for their work and partnership with this non-profit organization) and it gave me the slightest glimmer of hope, and was a powerful reminder to “live as we think human beings should live” - with dignity, justice, heart, care and compassion. 

As we face continued uncertainty both locally and afar, I wanted to provide you with an update regarding our BISD budget reduction process, because I know that the area of gray (the in-between and the waiting) can make the difficult feel even more trying. 

In the BISD we continue to work through the process of creating a balanced 2025-26 budget by making roughly $6.6 million in reductions for next year. At last night's school board meeting, I provided an update on this process. (You can view slides from the presentation here, and/or watch the recording here. It begins around the 32-minute mark.)

While a large majority of our cost savings will occur through the elimination of positions (because salary and benefits make up 85% of BISD's overall budget), other non-personnel reductions will be required in order to close the gap. This reality is juxtaposed with the non-negotiable truth that our staff members are what makes the BISD community the truly special place that it is. Knowing that I cannot change the fact that we have to close such a giant budget gap, the thing that I try to do each day is to think about how I can hold students at the center of my decisions, while also holding space, and taking great care to think about the adults who will be impacted by these reductions. We are working with our administrative teams and labor partner leaders in order to ensure we can make staffing decisions as soon as possible. One of the most respectful things that we can do is to give as much notice as possible to impacted employees so that they can secure employment elsewhere.

TIMELINE

• The goal is to have the first round of certificated staffing, including reassignments and Reductions In Force (RIFs), completed by the third week of March.
• Due to course requests and scheduling at the secondary level, we will most likely need to complete another round by mid-April. NOTE: The BIEA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and state law outline that certificated staffing reductions must be made no later than May 15th.
• Ideally, our administrative and non-represented reductions and cost-saving measures will follow our certificated staffing timeline. 
• BISD hopes to have all classified staffing reassignments and reductions completed by the last week of May. NOTE: BIESPA’s CBA and state law outline that classified staff reductions must be made by June 30th.

In addition to position reductions, a balanced budget will be achieved by recapturing funds from district and building budgets, initiating and increasing student fees across K-12, and increasing accessibility and use of facilities rentals. 

Beyond planning for reductions, I continue to work to secure additional revenue sources and to create a pathway for a long-term funding fix for K-12 public education in Washington. We are hoping to increase our number of Choice Transfer (off-island) students by encouraging employees (through the Chamber of Commerce, City of Bainbridge Island, Bainbridge Island Fire Department and BI Parks and Recreation) who work on Island, but live off island, to bring their children to the BISD. Additionally, I continue to collaborate with many different groups about potential donation opportunities, and to continue to address a shortage of affordable housing for young families. Lastly, I have continued to work with a small group of superintendents from across the state in order to have concerted advocacy during this legislative session, and to create a long term funding fix. We met earlier this week and learned a lot from the many states that have a more progressive funding structure than Washington state. I will devote more time to this in a future communication, but in the meantime, please reach out to me if you have questions or would like to learn more. 

Wishing you a weekend of hope and light in the small “infinite succession of presents.”

Take care,

Amii Thompson
BISD Superintendent