School District readies for new school year

This week’s cooler air and rainfall have offered us a brief preview of the fall season ahead. Speaking of the fall season, our teams at OISD have been actively preparing for the start of school all summer, and we are eager to share some highlights of the work accomplished this summer. These efforts reflect our excitement and commitment to welcoming students back to campus in just a few short weeks!

This year, we continue with a soft start concept that originated from the District’s Calendar Committee comprised of students, staff, faculty, and parent representatives. This is but one of the many ways that we elevate voices within the district.

OIMS (6th-8th), OIHS (9th-12th), and OASIS (K-12) – Regular Start with Noon Release

Students in grades 6-12 will participate in orientation activities (without parents) until 12pm. Bus routes will run both morning and afternoon

OIES (K-5) and OIMP (1st-3rd) – Individualized Conferences

Teachers will hold scheduled meet-and-greet meetings with both parents and students in grades K-5. Teachers will reach out to parents to schedule a time for these meetings.

K-12 Celebration for Students & Parents

Also on Tuesday, OISD and the Funhouse will host a Resource Fair and Back-to-School Celebration for all K-12 students and their parents at 1pm on the OISD campus.

Grades 2-12 , OIMP, OASIS – Regular Start & Early Release at 2:15 pm

Bus routes will run both morning and afternoon, and breakfast and lunch will be provided for students in grades 2-12.

Grades K-1 – Individualized Conferences

Scheduled meet-and-greet meetings for our youngest students in K-1 and their parents will continue on Wednesday.

We will welcome all K-12 students on campus for a full instructional day.

OISD and the Funhouse are excited to continue their partnership for a second year with a Parent Resource Fair, held in conjunction with our Back-to-School Celebration on Tuesday, September 2, at 1:00 p.m.

While students enjoy a festive afternoon in the Courtyard and Old Gym—including a bouncy house, photo booth, piñatas, berry cobbler à la mode, live music, and more—parents are invited to visit the Resource Fair in the Cafeteria. There, local and county service providers will be available to share valuable information and connect with families.

Come celebrate the start of the school year and discover the many amazing resources our district and community have to offer!

The Orcas Island School District remains committed to its 2024–2027 Strategic Goals to support student academic growth and maintain financial stability. We are excited to announce that we achieved or made substantial progress toward each of these goals during the 2024–25 school year. This includes progress toward our target of a 5% annual increase in academic achievement for students in identified priority groups based on SmarterBalanced assessments. In addition, surveys and focus groups have helped us better understand and improve the school experience for underrepresented students, and will guide our ongoing work to foster a sense of belonging for all. On the financial side, the district continues to prioritize a balanced budget while maintaining a healthy fund balance of at least 10% of total expenditures—critical steps toward long-term sustainability.

Goals:

1. Increase academic growth as measured by the SmarterBalance assessment of students in identified priority groups of low income, students with disabilities, Hispanic/Latino, and males by 5% each of the next three school years from the 2023-24 baseline.
2. Conduct annual surveys and focus groups with underrepresented students to measure their sense of belonging and cultural proficiency within the school community. Use a Likert Scale to measure sense of belonging and open-ended questions to assess cultural proficiency. Compare results to a baseline established in 2023-24, and use the findings to implement targeted interventions annually over the next three years to improve the overall school environment for underrepresented students.
3. Achieve a balanced budget for the next three fiscal years while maintaining a healthy fund balance of at least 10% of total expenditures.

On November 4, 2025, the district will have two levies on the general election ballot.

These two levies will occur synchronously in order to ensure a flourishing future for our students and community by providing the resources needed to support both educational programs and essential facility improvements.

We hope you can join us for Levy Learning Night on October 14 or October 28 at 6pm in the OISD Cafeteria. Yet another opportunity to learn more about OISD’s propositions in the November General Election will be at Levy & Latte Conversations on Saturday, October 25 at 9am in the OISD Library.

Below is a brief introduction to each, with more details to be shared in the coming weeks:

Proposition 1: Capital Levy will allow the District to improve the OISD campus by:

• Paving driveways and parking areas
• Installing ADA walkways
• Upgrading LED site lighting
• Adding a shotput and discus competition area
• Other site and safety improvements at the OISD campus

Proposition 2 will fund a portion of the educational programs and operations not funded or fully funded by the State of Washington. This levy ensures continued funding for critical staffing, resources, programs, and student supports. It enhances the current levy, which is set to expire, and must be renewed to maintain valuable services such as:

• Athletics, clubs, and student activities with transportation
• Courses like music, art, farm to classroom, and outdoor education
• Nursing and mental health services
• Special education programs
• District supplies and maintenance

For the 2025-26 school year, we have what must be a record number of new faces on our team (due retirement and relocation of staff) as well as several familiar faces in new roles within the district. In one month alone, Human Resources facilitated and participated in over 50 different interviews for the open positions. Please foster a sense of belonging and community with each of these folks over the next months:

Certificated Instructional Staff

• Janis Hawkins – SPED Teacher
• Lara Kernan – Elementary Teacher
• Angela Jensen – Elementary (pending board approval)
• Dennis Park – STEM/CTE Teacher
• Korrie Beemer – Secondary Science & OASIS K-8
• Bradley Ludwig – Social Studies & OASIS 9-12
• Bridget Broderick – OASIS Teacher

Classified Staff

• Maureen Moran – Office Manager
• Rebecca Cohen – Materials Specialist
• Sarah Gully – Paraeducator
• KayAnna Boykin-Lopez – Paraeducator
• Jason Gross – Paraeducator
• Jolene Versailles – Paraeducator
• Wade Lucas – Buds Driver (pending board approval)

Employment Opportunities

Although we have worked diligently to fill all positions prior to the start of school, we do currently have a few positions that we are looking to fill in the upcoming weeks:

• ParaEducators
• Bus Driver

Please note, we are always on the lookout for those who would be willing to support our students as substitutes in the roles of bus driver, certificated instructor, and classified paraeducator. More information on all of our employment opportunities can be found on our website here, Employment Opportunities.

We are excited to welcome Cienna and Tori as our new Student Representatives to the School Board! As part of our continued commitment to uplifting student voices across the district, Cienna and Tori will bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the table. This marks our third set of student representatives, and we are thrilled to have them on board (no pun intended)! Their official appointment and swearing-in will take place at the Regular Board Meeting in September 2025.

We at OISD are always striving for excellence, and this work continues throughout the summer months. We have been working tirelessly to further advance the district in preparation for the return of our students and staff. Below are a few of the enhancements now in place, as well as those that are underway within the district:

This year, we are implementing new safety measures as part of our continued commitment to maintaining a safe environment for students, staff, and our community. All employees will now be required to wear their ID badges while on campus. This will facilitate rapid and clear identification of staff members. Visitors will continue to be required to sign in at the front office and wear a visitor sticker while on campus. In addition to ID badges, the district will have designated staff supervising campus before and after school. These individuals will be stationed at the front and back of the campus, wearing yellow vests and carrying ticket pads (no, they won’t be carrying ticket pads or issuing tickets – that was just to get your attention—but supervision will be happening).

Let’s all do our part to keep our campus safe—if you see something, say something.

This spring, Orcas Island School District and Public School Employees negotiated a new two-year bargaining agreement that was fair and sustainable for both parties. We are excited that we can offer a 3.75% increase to Classified Staff for the 2025-26 school year. This, along with a compressing of the current salary schedule to move employees through the schedule much faster, was a substantial step forward. The district is in its second year of the contract with Orcas Education Association, which provides a 4.4% increase to all Certificated Instructional Staff advancing the starting salary of BA/0 to $67,843 and MA/90 to $134,34. The district will also continue its Legislative Advocacy this year in an attempt to receive a fair and appropriate Regionalization Funding Factor that accurately reflects the cost of living on the island.

We are excited to share our professional learning focus for the 2025–26 school year. Our commitment to continuous growth and development ensures that staff are equipped with the skills, strategies, and inspiration needed to best serve our students.

Belong Partners
We will continue our partnership with Belong Partners, who support us in building equitable, inclusive school environments where every student feels a strong sense of belonging. Their work with our district focuses on fostering positive school culture, equity-centered practices, and systems that support all students’ success.

Erin Jones
Nationally recognized educator and equity leader, Erin Jones will join us this year to provide staff development sessions that challenge, inspire, and empower. Erin brings a wealth of experience in culturally responsive teaching, leadership, and equity work. Her training will help us deepen our understanding of how to create meaningful learning experiences that reflect and respect the diversity of our students.

Jeff Utecht
Technology and innovation expert, Jeff Utecht will work with staff on effectively integrating digital tools into teaching and learning. His sessions will provide strategies for leveraging technology to enhance collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity, while keeping student engagement at the center.

Together, these opportunities reflect our district’s commitment to nurturing a culture of belonging, equity, and innovation. By investing in the professional growth of our staff, we are investing in the future of our students and community.

We continue our work to enhance our core instruction—the essential lessons in reading, math, and other key subjects that provide a strong foundation for every student’s success. We are refining and evaluating our curriculum to ensure it is relevant, engaging, and personalized to our students’ needs.

Our focus includes:

• Using high-quality, evidence-based curriculum
• Building literacy and math skills across all subjects
• Using proven teaching strategies that boost learning
• Monitoring student progress and engagement regularly
• Reflecting on our impact to keep improving

By strengthening core instruction, we are helping every student grow academically and preparing them for future success.

The Orcas Island School District continues to enhance its multi-system of support, focused on providing preventative support and targeted interventions to ensure all students are successful academically. We are committed to creating a comprehensive framework that addresses academic, social, and emotional needs so all students thrive. At the secondary level, we are excited to be working on new pathways to graduation, including an Open Door Program, which will offer more flexible and personalized learning opportunities for our high school students. These efforts are designed to empower students and help them succeed in their educational journey.

The district is conducting an Enhanced Study and Survey, which will serve as the foundation for a comprehensive District Facilities Plan. This plan will be built on an up-to-date understanding of the condition of our buildings and facilities, helping us identify priorities and guide future planning.

One of the first steps in this process was selecting the Construction Services Group and Mahlum Architecture to assist with the Study and Survey. The district has secured grant funding to fully cover the cost of this work. In addition, we will leverage their expertise to develop a limited design and scope for the site work project included on the November General Election ballot.

The district continues to invest in technology upgrades made possible by our community-supported Technology Levy. This year, classroom projectors are being updated, and both student and staff laptops are being replaced to ensure reliable, up-to-date tools for learning. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is also a growing focus, with training and resources provided for students and staff to use AI as an educational tool. Regular software improvements remain part of our commitment to efficiency—this year, both IEP Online (Special Education software) and BoardDocs (school board policies and procedures) are being migrated to new, improved versions.

We are thrilled to announce that Girls Soccer will be returning to the field this Fall after a hiatus over the past few years. The district is excited to support our student-athletes as they take to the field once again. We encourage the community to come out and cheer on the team, as well as all of our amazing student-athletes this Fall.

As we look ahead to the new school year, our excitement is matched only by our gratitude. The support, trust, and encouragement we receive from our families and community inspire us every day. Together, we will continue building a culture where every student feels a strong sense of belonging, where behavioral health is supported, and where academic growth thrives. With the dedication of our staff and the unwavering partnership of our community, there is no limit to what we can accomplish. Thank you for being such an essential part of the OISD family—your support makes all the difference!

Email: ewebb@orcas.k12wa.us
Website: https://www.orcasislandschools.org
Location: 557 School Road, Eastsound, WA, USA
Phone: 360-376-2284