BISD’s preschool tuition rates to slightly increase

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Tuition is going up for the Bainbridge Island School District’s preschool, but not by much.

School board members approved a $50 increase to annual tuition rates for BISD’s part-time preschool program at its March 26 meeting. Starting next school year, families will pay $3,950 annually, or about $395 per month.

Maria Kuffel, BISD director of student services, explained that the increase was determined through an analysis of comparable childcare services, and assessing internal costs of staffing, materials and hours available.

“Programs that function primarily as whole-day childcare were reviewed for context, but were not used as primary comparables, as the BISD preschool is a part-day program,” said Kuffel. “Our analysis shows that the BISD preschool’s annual tuition is consistently lower than, or comparable to, other part-time preschool options, particularly when factoring in that BISD preschool has no additional fees. On a cost-per-hour basis, BISD preschool remains within the lower range of comparable programs, supporting accessibility while maintaining program quality.”

Skills students learn in preschool can form the foundation for the remainder of their experience in grade school. Enrollment in preschool is mandated for students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), though most students benefit, per the Learning Policy Institute.

“The focus of our preschool is to prepare all students for kindergarten and beyond, focusing on skills such as following routines, schedules, directions, encouraging independence, and social-emotional problem solving and regulation. They also teach pre-academics, engage in weekly book studies, science projects, and of course, loads of dramatic play,” said Kuffel.

BISD’s preschool operates four days per week for two and a half hours per day.

District financial leaders floated the idea of raising preschool tuition in 2025 while trying to resolve a massive budget shortfall discovered in fall of 2023. While the rate increase at the March 26 meeting did not reference the district’s budget, childcare is not exactly the most lucrative line of work, Kuffel noted.

“With preschool, we’re never making money on things a lot. We’re just covering costs, and so it goes towards staffing, but it is a mandatory program for us to run,” Kuffel said.