Two new top administrators are joining the Bainbridge Island School District next month, officials announced June 11.

Lesha Engles, communications director of the Issaquah School District, will be the new director of career and technical education at BISD, and Whitney Skarbek, principal of x̌alilc (Halilts) Elementary School, will become the district’s director of teaching and learning.

Engles will replace former CTE director Sean Eaton, but Skarbeck is walking into an empty office. That spot was vacant in the 2023-24 school year, and responsibilities fell to other administrators — including superintendent Amii Thompson.

Skarbek has been with the district for eight years, including as an associate principal for both x̌alilc and Blakely Elementary schools, and as a differentiation specialist who offers specialized instruction to students who need more challenging material or extra time with an instructor. The district will initiate the search for a new principal of x̌alilc in the next few months.

As director of teaching and learning, Skarbek will set the curriculum in a school district in line with state standards and help faculty develop teaching practices.

At Issaquah, Engles also was the CTE director for over four years, and enrollment in those classes increased by 25% under her direction. She has also been director of college and career readiness for the Peninsula School District.