6 positions cut in BISD’s Technology Department
Published 1:30 am Thursday, June 11, 2026
At its June 9 meeting, the Bainbridge Island School District board of directors approved a reduction in force for classified staff for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
The reduction includes a minor decrease in paraprofessional hours due to the elimination of an unutilized crossing guard position and the elimination of six positions within the technology department, one of which will be left unfilled through attrition.
“This difficult but necessary measure is required to ensure long-term financial stability while maintaining our core commitment to student needs,” per meeting documents. “These actions were carefully evaluated to balance our fiscal responsibilities and operational efficiency.”
The board’s resolution says that anticipated financial resources are not adequate to maintain the district’s educational program and services. The resolution goes on to say that even if additional funding in excess of current projections becomes available, the board desires to “exercise its discretion to allocate funds in the best interest of the district’s educational program.”
In terms of technology use within BISD classrooms, community concerns are still prevalent. Numerous parents of BISD students gave public comment at the June 9 meeting, including co-leader of Intentional Tech BI, Annie Cumming.
“I’m pretty disappointed,” said Cumming. “We’ve had parents, physicians and children stand up here and tell you what they’re experiencing…and the response has not been adequate. Seven months ago, your own community survey identified reducing screen time as the number one parent concern, and you have had that information. You have watched districts across the county act. The largest teachers’ union has called for no screens in K-12 education, and this community has shown up saying the same thing over and over.”
At the June 9 meeting, BISD superintendent Amii Thompson gave a report on the BISD Technology Advisory Council. She shared that by September, TAC will finalize and publish four structural accountability deliverables, including a standardized glossary, procurement system guardrails, a draft screen time matrix and a comprehensive tech audit.
Immediate steps that have been taken to support a balanced approach to technology within BISD include three actions. All take-home student Chromebooks will be deactivated between the last and first days of school; families will have better management tools and tighter controls for Chromebook usage at home, and lastly, BISD is analyzing YouTube usage data to guide their technology expectations. YouTube access remains entirely blocked for K-6 BISD students.
