The Bainbridge Island School District is seeking input on school configuration with an online survey. The district held a series of well-attended public meetings in May on the topic of a potential grade reconfiguration and school closure. The survey is intended to solicit opinions from the broader community.

A School Configuration Committee was convened last fall to examine reconfiguration as a way of cutting costs and maintaining educational programs in the face of declining enrollment and tightening budgets. The committee, which includes district staff, community members and school board representatives, recently decided to hold off on making a recommendation until 2014. 

Materials from the committee’s study sessions and the public meetings are available on the district website.

As we reported last week, the Bainbridge Island School District is studying the possibility of closing a school building, in the face of declining budgets and enrollment.

A School Configuration Committee began meeting last fall and has identified three options for grade and school configurations. One option would maintain the status quo. Two options would relocate Ordway Elementary students and staff, move Commodore Options School to the Ordway building, and close the Commodore campus. No changes would be made until the 2014-15 school year, at the earliest.

Community outreach is the next step in the process and the district announced firm dates for a series of public meetings this week:

• May 7: 7 p.m., Commodore Options School commons, 9530 NE High School Road.
• May 14: 7 p.m., Wilkes Elementary School commons, 12781 Madison Avenue NE.
• May 16: 7 p.m., Bainbridge High School commons, 9330 NE High School Road.

A presentation will be given at each meeting and public comment will be taken. Materials from the Configuration Committee meetings can be found here.

(The first meeting date has been corrected from an earlier version).