Peter Bang-Knudsen wants to change Bainbridge Island from a “Culture of nope” to an “Island of hope.”

The BI School District superintendent is referring to the “disturbing trend of preserve at all costs.” As examples, he cited the island saying no to growth, no to affordable housing, no to bike lanes and no to lights on sports fields.

At the school board meeting Thursday night, he asked for community support to turn that attitude around. “Why is this happening on Bainbridge,” he asked. “It’s had some pretty profound effects.” For example, enrollment in BISD schools has dropped from 4,223 in 2005 to 3,560 this year. The average age on the island is 50, compared with 39 in all of Kitsap County and 38 in Bellevue.

One of the reasons is housing prices, which average $1 million on the island, which most families with young kids can’t afford. Bang-Knudsen encouraged islanders to work more with the Housing Resource Board to develop affordable housing. He also encouraged “smart growth and preserving green spaces.” By making these changes, he said Bainbridge would become a more “cultural rich place and more multigenerational island.”

Also in his superintendent’s report, he talked about how excited seniors are as Commencement nears June 12 at 4 p.m. “Our tremendous talent will be showcased at the graduation ceremony,” he said.

Graduation for Bainbridge High School and Eagle Harbor High School will be at BHS stadium. Approximately 375 graduates will receive their diplomas.

Tickets are limited to two guests per graduate and there will be distanced seating and limited staff members present. The commencement ceremony will also be professionally filmed and shared via live stream for people to view from home. Last year’s graduation was a drive-through format due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Schools and students are celebrating the last day of school June 16 with outdoor activities, still using safety guidelines due to COVID-19, but there is a sense of “normalcy,” Bang-Knutsen said.

Speaking of COVID, he said 67% of teachers are fully vaccinated, and anecdotally he’s hearing lots of kids ages 12-17 are getting vaccinated. “That’s the way we get back to normal and get rid of these masks next fall,” he told the school board, which was meeting in person for the first time in a long while. But they still were wearing masks.

Also looking to next year, Bang-Knudsen said the district is in desperate need of bus drivers, just like almost all districts statewide. He says it’s a great job with excellent hours. “They’re the first and last to see your kids,” he said.

In other news:

*A new hourly fee schedule for the use of school facilities was OK’d.

*A list of capital projects was presented, including landscaping at Blakely; a sculpture at BHS that will be installed in late June; relocating the Veterans Memorial to the stadium; a new gym floor at Commodore; and an alarm upgrade at Ordway.

*As for technology, no major expenditures are expected in coming months, but BISD will receive a large order of Chromebooks for fifth-graders.

*In the finance report, the most-dramatic drop in revenue is the Food Service lunch program, which is relying on federal reimbursements rather than local sales. The BISD has $38.2 million in revenue as of April 30, and $37.9 million in spending. Salaries and benefit costs are up, but supplies and materials are down.

*As for donations, Philip and Theresa Hall donated $1,000 to BHS fo the memorial scholarship fund in memory of CJ Hall benefiting graduating seniors. Todd Stariewicz donated $1,000 to BHS for the purchase of a flight simulator and control systems software. The Odyssey PTO donated almost $2,666 to Odyssey Multiage Program for meeting support and robot supplies.

*During public comment, Matt Kress asked the BISD to join him and many others in taking a stand against the proposed new Puget Sound Energy transmission line. He said PSE says the line will increase reliablity, but Kress said it has other options that would have minimal impact on the island. He said islanders twice before in the last 30 years have rallied against similar proposals. He said the transmission lines would go directly by some schools, which could be harmful to kids.