Bainbridge High School principal Kristina Rodgers has resigned from her position, effective Feb. 4, per a school district communication obtained by the Bainbridge Island Review.

Superintendent Amii Thompson issued an announcement via email to the school community Feb. 4 that Rodgers had stepped down. Rodgers was arrested Jan. 12 for an alleged DUI near her home in Poulsbo. In her place, retired Seattle Public Schools administrator Ruth Medsker will serve as interim principal of BHS through June 30.

“Kristina has served as BHS Principal since 2021, and we are grateful for her time in the (Bainbridge Island School District),” said Thompson in the email. “Ruth comes highly recommended as a strong instructional leader who is known for her ability to connect with students, staff and families in authentic and meaningful ways.”

Medsker has been a principal of a high school or a school district administrator for the better part of 30 years. She led West Seattle High School as principal from 2010 to 2017, then moved to lead the reopening of Lincoln High School, where she worked until her retirement in 2023.

In 2025, between August and Dec. 19, Medsker stepped in to serve as interim principal of Roosevelt High School after SPS placed then-principal Tami Brewer on administrative leave for her role in illegal football recruitment practices. After Medsker left the role, RHS students and staff returned from winter break to a school without a principal. The school operated without one until Jan. 29, when SPS announced that the school’s assistant principal would serve as interim principal until the end of the 2025-26 school year.

BISD hopes to hire a new principal by mid-April, Thompson wrote in her email, with a start date of July 1. Staff, students, and community members will have opportunities to provide input during the hiring process, Thompson said.

“The search for a new principal is about more than just filling an administrative vacancy […] After analyzing two decades of research, [studies have] confirmed that school leadership is the second most important factor in a student’s success, surpassing everything else except the teachers themselves,” said Thompson. “[One] study found that an effective principal doesn’t just improve test scores; they reduce teacher turnover, improve student attendance, and create an environment where learning thrives. In short: teachers change classrooms, but principals change schools.”