Major problems like staff and program reductions, along with absenteeism, were discussed at the Bainbridge Island School District board meeting Feb. 27.

By the end of this school year, several changes are on the way for daily life at BISD: some educational programs may be cut back following staff reductions, and more frequent in-person student attendance will be highly encouraged.

School board members passed an ordinance to “implement the reduction and reorganization of the educational program and staff […] The Board of Directors determined that for the 2025-26 academic year, anticipated financial resources are not adequate to maintain the District’s educational program and services at substantially the same level as the current year.”

The official list of programs and staff for reduction will be presented at the May 8 and June 26 board meetings, for certificated and classified staff respectively. Layoffs and reductions will occur “in a manner consistent with applicable collective bargaining agreements and District policies,” per the ordinance.

“I think it’s incumbent upon us to make sure that as we go through this process, we hold in esteem all those who we’ll have to separate. And it is not that they are less-than, or that we do not need them, it is that we cannot afford them,” boardmember Evan St Clair said.

The district also attributes its choice to reduce programs to its projected revenue for 2025-26 and anticipated enrollment. Due to the slow drain of students at the district, retention is crucial — which is why student support administrators at Bainbridge High School launched a new attendance campaign called “Show up, Show Out,” effective this spring.

“It is an urgent problem, and one that is definitely impacting our students,” said Sarah Frost, BISD social worker. “We didn’t feel like we could wait until the following school year to start the campaign, see how those rates are rising on a monthly basis.”

School attendance rates nationally have plummeted since COVID, and unlike most large-scale trends in education, BISD is among the middle of the pack. Since 2019, BISD has seen chronic absenteeism spike to 27% annually, meaning over a quarter of students are missing more than 18 days of school per year.

Most absences are concentrated in grades 9-12, but the pattern can begin with tardies in elementary school, Frost said.

Aric Wright, a junior at BHS, said he was among those chronically absent students. He struggled with “diminished mental health” starting in middle school, and had a hard time finding his footing in high school. Anxiety about tardiness and missed assignments became paralysis, and he began to attend class less and less.

“Because of my choices, I’m going to have to put a lot more effort in. It’s not a fun position, but I’m stuck in it now,” Wright said.

BHS psychologist Milo Zaneski explained that Wright’s situation is common, especially after COVID learning losses. Students feel embarrassed that they may not have the same skills as their peers, and they start to avoid class — which results in further social and educational setbacks.

But “we are expecting this to be the nadir,” Zaneski said.

The plan is to make absenteeism less culturally permissible by implementing a common set of keywords and phrases that emphasize the importance of student attendance on a regular basis. The district will also perform behavioral interventions with students and families in order to address attendance issues, and set goals with the student to get back on track.

“Building a culture of shared expectations and responsibility is the hard work to do, to make sure that we are consistent in the language that we use and consistent in setting that expectation and values,” Zaneski said. “It would be easy to build a campaign that just said, ‘We really like to see your kids every day!’ But platitudes are not quite motivating enough. Our goal is to build a responsibility to be in school, and a pride in accomplishing that responsibility — because it’s not easy for a lot of kids.”