They’re getting the band back together — or trying to, anyway.

School superintendent Amii Thompson shared details at the board meeting March 27 about the initial plans for reductions coming to staff and programs at the Bainbridge Island School District, including the elimination of 5th- and 6th-grade band at Sakai Intermediate School.

But the band may live on as a 6th-grade program if it can be funded by band boosters and the Bainbridge Schools Foundation.

“When I think about equity and access for students […] math, reading, science, social studies are all still there — the thing I can’t figure out is band,” Thompson said. “Because if you’re a student who loves band, and that is what gets you to want to come to school, that’s what we’re figuring out how to fund. I want to tell you: we will find a way, and we will have band next year at Sakai. If band is what you need, and if sixth-grade band really matters that you continue to grow into musicians that we see here tonight, we need to find a way to offer it.”

In order to reduce its budget by $6.6 million by the start of the 2025-26 school year, BISD officials must cut about $6 million in salaries and benefits and $600,000 in budget reductions.

Reductions in force will be proportional to the level of staffing for each type of employee. Because certificated staff represent the largest share, a little over half of the cuts to salaries and benefits is projected to come there: $3.72 million. They are also the first group to be notified due to a state staffing deadline of May 15, Thompson said.

It’s not easy on any side, school Boardmember Evan Saint Clair said.

“Unfortunately, this year’s state budget is not going to get us [to solvency], so we on Bainbridge have to trim, and we have to trim really heavily as a board. We’ve tried to spread it thin as long as we can, but we’re out of runway,” Saint Clair said. “These are good people who care deeply about our schools, our students, our community. These are people who are important to us, to me. These are qualified, excellent educators and staff, and without ample funding from the state, we cannot afford them. We will innovate through this, we will advocate through this, we will adapt through this.”

Of the five financial “buckets” employees fall into at BISD, 62% are certificated staff, who are mostly teachers, or specialists who work with students; 23% are classified staff, who are usually school support specialists, like custodians or bus drivers; administrators; coaches and sports staff; and non-represented positions, like human resources.

Classified staff must be reduced by $1.5 million; administrators will be cut by $480,000; non-represented positions by $240,000; and coaches and sports staff by $60,000.

Along with band, other planned reductions include one kindergarten class; one at Ordway Elementary School; one in 5th-8th grade at Odyssey; and one 5th grade at Sakai. Physical Education also saw reductions, as well as staffing for the Highly Capable program, some interventionists and all librarians.

About 20 community members offered public comments, nearly all of which were in support of keeping band at Sakai.

Current band students, graduates of the band, parents of bandmembers and the founder of the school band program on Bainbridge all spoke to the power of music. Joining band and playing music helped families like Nancy Treder’s and Natasha Chang’s feel connected to school; gave students like ninth-grader Gigi Puleo and junior Kelly Martin a sense of belonging; and changed the course of founder Bob Kennicott’s life.

“I could have been leading a squad in Vietnam. Instead, I was playing in an army band. It saved my life,” Kennicott said.

And it’s not just an emotional benefit — band generates revenue for the district. At least five students in band are enrolled full-time at Bainbridge High School out of passion for music, instead of pursuing private school or homeschooling, which is about $57,000 in enrollment funding, said Martin. The cost to run band, about $64,000, is less than 1% of the deficit.

Martin added that there are drawbacks to having boosters and the foundation pay for band.

“You’re relying on high-income students in band, which may not always be the case; and funds aren’t likely to increase after this year,” Martin said. “This is not a temporary plan. If this is implemented, the funds we lack now are very unlikely to appear sometime in the next year. Choosing to go through with this plan, if other options are available, makes band less accessible to low-income households and puts the district at risk of losing further funds and enrollment.”

Outgoing school board president Mark Emerson spoke to the frustrations the band community voiced.

“We’re still having those good conversations about what we can do with what we have,” Emerson said. “Together — and this is obvious —we’re going to solve this band problem. And that’s Bainbridge, and that’s community.”