BISD Newsletter - June 5, 2026

As we look at the calendar and realize there are just 6.5 days left in the 2025-26 school year, I find myself pausing to reflect on what an incredible journey this year has been. It is easy to get caught up in the fast-paced whirlwind of performances, field trips, and year-end celebrations, but I want to invite you to take a moment with me to look back at everything our community has accomplished.

By the time the final bell rings, your children will have spent 180 days learning, growing, and discovering who they are alongside our staff. Think about who your child was when they walked through our school doors last fall, and who they are today. Because of the dynamic instruction of our educators, the deep relationships built in our classrooms, and the unwavering care present in our schools every day, our students have grown immeasurably. They have been challenged, supported, and cheered on every step of the way. Thank you for partnering with us and entrusting your children to our care.

As I look across our district, I am profoundly grateful for the immense hard work that has defined this year. Together, as a community, we have navigated challenges and achieved milestones that will stabilize and strengthen BISD for years to come.

While we must remain fiscally thoughtful and continue making hard decisions, our budget continues to stabilize. We are now projecting to end the year with 14.5 days of "cash on hand"—a massive leap forward for our district's financial health that provides the predictability we need to focus on our students' education.

At our last meeting, the School Board formally adopted our new Strategic Plan. This roadmap is a true reflection of our collective hopes for BISD, shaped by feedback from staff, students, and families. It will officially launch this August and will serve as our North Star, ensuring our resources, energy, and talents are directly aligned to support our students' success.

I wish you and your families a joyful, smooth, and memorable final few weeks of the school year. Thank you for sprinting through this marathon alongside us!

Take care,

Amii Thompson

BISD Superintendent

As we head into summer break, we want to share information about district-issued student Chromebooks.

To support student safety, protect district resources, and reduce the need for device monitoring during the summer months, student Chromebooks will be temporarily disabled after the last day of school and reactivated when students return in the fall.

Who: Students in grades 6–12 and Odyssey students in grades 5–12 who take their district-issued Chromebook home for the summer.

What: District-issued Chromebooks will be remotely locked for the summer.

Why: Student devices are provided to support learning during the school year. Because students are not under district supervision during summer break, devices will be temporarily disabled until classes resume.

Exceptions: Students who need a district device for educational programming over the summer, including some students with IEPs and those participating in Extended School Year (ESY) programs and/or credit recovery may be eligible for an exception.

Timeline: Devices will be locked immediately following the last day of school and will remain locked until the first day of classes for the 2026–27 school year.

Storage & Return: Students should keep their Chromebook in a safe place at home over the summer and bring it back to school, fully charged, on the first day of classes.

Thank you for helping us care for these important learning tools. We hope all BISD students and families have a safe, restful, and enjoyable summer!

BISD extends our sincere gratitude to the Bainbridge Schools Foundation (BSF) for its remarkable $450,000 contribution supporting academic intervention services, professional development for educators, and library resources across our schools.

As the school year comes to a close, BSF is already building support for the year ahead, helping ensure students and educators continue to have access to these important programs and resources throughout Bainbridge public schools.

Please consider supporting this important work by making a gift today: Bainbridge Schools Foundation Donation Page

We know many families and staff are beginning to make plans for the 2026–27 school year. Please note that the district calendar is currently in the final stages of review and approval.

We appreciate everyone's patience as we complete the remaining steps in the process and look forward to sharing the finalized calendar as soon as it is officially approved.

Full-Day Release Dates (No School for Students): September 28, October 26, January 25, March 22, May 17

Half-Day Release Dates: November 30, April 26, June 7

Grades K-6: Oct. 27-30, Feb 8-12

Grades 7-8: Jan 19-22

We are at 40% registration for the 2026-27 school year! This annual process lets us know that your student(s) are returning to our schools for 2026-27 and allows parents/guardians to review annual information. 

The ABCs must be completed* for all students attending BISD schools in 2026-27, including both new and returning students. Access the ABCs by logging into your Family Access account. It should take about 15 minutes (or less!) to complete. 

If you need assistance with the ABC process (such as translation, accessing technology, or other questions), please get in touch with the office manager at your student's school. 

NOT RETURNING? If your current K-11th grade student is not returning to BISD schools next fall, please inform your school's office manager or email studentrecords@bisd303.org.

As we near Summer Break, we want to ensure every student in our community stays fueled and ready for fun! Helpline House, in partnership with Bainbridge Island Rotary, is proud to offer the Kids’ Pantry program to provide supplemental groceries for local families. These bags are for any youth (ages infancy-18) in need of additional food during the summer break. Bags contain enough food for 1 youth for a week.

Pick-Up Information

If your family could benefit from extra groceries over the summer, you can stop by for a pick-up:

Delivery Options:

We know that work schedules and transportation can sometimes make it difficult to get to Helpline House. If you are unable to make it during pick-up hours, Rotary volunteers are available to deliver groceries directly to your home.

To Register for Delivery:

Please contact Sarah Frost, sfrost@bisd303.org, to coordinate a drop-off time that works for your family.

A talented group of Bainbridge High School musicians is earning attention across the island. The Flamingos—featuring Cascade Kaseler, Andrew Domansky, Quintan Faust, Jack Zyskowski, Sophia Saleh, Lauren Blakemore, and Stella Saleh—have performed at venues including the Historic Lynwood Theatre, Wing Point Golf & Country Club, and the Stan Pocock Rowing Center since forming in December 2025.

The student-led jazz ensemble hopes to expand its performances, collaborate with KNKX's School of Jazz program, and record some of its favorite songs together.

Read the full article and learn more about these outstanding student musicians here: https://www.pnwbainbridge.com/post/all-that-jazz

The latest edition of The Rock, Bainbridge High School's award-winning literary magazine, is here! This limited-edition publication features 132 pages of outstanding student writing, artwork, and photography, showcasing the creativity and talent of BHS students.

Copies are available for $10 while supplies last. To purchase a copy, please contact Melissa Dupre at mdupre@bisd303.org.

Don't miss the opportunity to own this beautiful collection of student voices and artistic expression!