A look back at our district’s accomplishments this past school year

Published 1:30 am Friday, June 19, 2026

Bainbridge Island School District serves over 3,400 students and employs 500-plus people across seven public schools, welcoming all students into our halls and classrooms. As we close the 2025-26 school year, we’d like to highlight the achievements of students and staff and invite the Bainbridge Island community to celebrate with us.

Bainbridge is the 6th-ranked school district in Washington state – outperforming 98% of districts nationwide in average math performance and 99% in average reading performance. Our students excel beyond the classroom: this year, our high school sports teams won seven state championships, our Spartronics Robotics team attended the world championships, 13 students earned the Seal of Biliteracy and four students are National Merit Scholars. A student-led attendance initiative produced the strongest gains in school engagement since before the pandemic.

This was also a year of institutional progress. Successful collective bargaining occurred for all four represented employee associations, and local voters approved a crucial supplemental levy that sets our district finances on a more sustainable trajectory, a meaningful achievement given the ongoing public school funding crisis at the state level.

When superintendent Amii Thompson stepped into the role in December 2023, the district faced the prospect of closing two schools and confronted serious financial challenges. In just over two years, she helped steer our district to a balanced budget and streamlined operations, all while guided by an unwavering commitment to each and every student. This year she led a comprehensive effort to develop a robust three-year strategic plan, providing our district an exemplary tool for empowering our students’ futures.

None of this happens without a village. We are grateful to our dedicated staff, our students, our families and our local partners. We especially want to acknowledge the Bainbridge Schools Foundation, our booster clubs and school PTOs. We would not be able to do this without the many Bainbridge Island organizations that show up for our students every day. Your investment in our district is reflected in every one of these accomplishments. Our success is your success; thank you for your continued support and we look forward to another fantastic school year this fall.

This op-ed was written by the Bainbridge Island School District Board of Directors (Jill Anderson, Kelly Cancialosi, Robert Drury, Sanjay Pal and Evan Saint Clair).