The Bainbridge Island School District will decide whether to raise the fees it charges students before the beginning of the 2025-26 school year, including adding a baseline “school fee” per pupil.
Boardmembers approved a first reading of a new fee schedule at the BISD board meeting June 26 that would authorize two major changes to the cash that the district collects from students: a flat-rate fee for athletics and a new charge for enrollment at any of the district’s schools.
Students attending any elementary school, Sakai Intermediate or Odyssey K-6 will pay $50; upper-grade students at Woodward Middle, Odyssey 7-8 and both Bainbridge and Eagle Harbor High Schools will pay $55; and students at the upcoming BISD preschool, Mosaic and the Adult Living Program will pay $25.
Director of teaching and learning Whitney Skarbek explained that the fee structure is an extension of the budget reductions that the board approved in May, which included $6.3 million in staff and program reductions. The new school fees were projected to generate about $162,550 in May, with some flexibility depending on enrollment.
“Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch may have school fees and athletics fees waived with parent or guardian approval. Scholarships are also available for any family in need of support that does not meet the free or reduced lunch threshold,” Skarbeck added.
Like many public schools, BISD already charges students materials fees for some classes, for use of uniforms and tools in extracurriculars, for transportation to events and for parking. The new fee schedule would change the way student athletes, including cheerleaders, are charged for participation in their sport: instead of paying a separate transportation fee, the charge is now included in the athletics fee.
“There have been some adjustments of eliminating a separate athletics transportation fee, and instead it’s included with the fees in the athletics fee section as one line. So we collapse that section and then the other is we reduce the amount that we’ll be charging for athletics transportation,” said Skarbek. “This new schedule honors athletes who participate in one sport to pay one lesser fee, rather than charging a flat rate of $150 of a student athlete who pays to play one season.”
Community funds like the YES Fund, a program from food bank and social services hub Helpline House that offers financial assistance to students for one-time fees, no questions asked, can help families accommodate the fees if they present a financial burden.
“There’s no barrier to entry here, this is just a revised fee schedule to improve the finances and the outlay that we use for transportation?” asked school board president Evan Saint Clair, which Skarbek confirmed.
