BSD Staff Updates

The District will be issuing a news release and launching an informational web page today for the levy.

This February, Bremerton School District will ask voters to renew a four-year Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) levy. The Bremerton School District Board of Directors voted at its Nov. 13 meeting to place a replacement levy on the Feb. 10, 2026, ballot.

In Bremerton, local levy funds provide approximately 15% of the district's overall operating budget. If approved, it would replace a previously approved local funding measure that is set to expire at the end of 2026 and continue funding for:

• Student learning: classroom teachers, basic education paraeducators, curriculum, technology staff, and instructional materials.

• Student support, safety & supervision: counselors and security staff.

• Daily operations and maintenance: custodial, grounds, and maintenance staff and affiliated costs.

• Extracurricular programs: athletics, clubs, and other activities.

The proposed four-year replacement levy would collect:

2027 $16,879,954

2028 $16,879,954

2029 $17,555,152

2030 $18,987,652

The estimated tax rate is $2.09 per $1,000 of assessed property value, which is an estimated increase of 10 cents per thousand of assessed value from the district’s current levy rate. Actual rates will depend on final assessed values.

Learn more at BremertonSchools.org/levy.

The Bremerton School District is seeking applications from persons interested in being appointed for the for/against committees and/or to write the for/against statements for the Kitsap County local voters’ pamphlet, related to the District’s ballot measures to be considered in the February 2026 special election.

Those interested should send their name, address, phone number, and email to Dr. Garth Steedman via email at Garth.Steedman@BremertonSchoosl.org or via mail at 134 Marion Avenue N. Bremerton, WA 98312. Please note which position you would like to represent. Applications are due on Friday, December 5.

• Highlights of student performances at board meetings
• Our principal perspective video series
• Student, school and classroom highlights
• and more!

Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram!

Dr. McSheehy was interviewed on BKAT's "Conversation with a Community Leader" show recently!

We want to know about it - and share it with our school and Bremerton Community! Perhaps your students are going to be (or did) a cool science experiment, student presentations or other hands-on activity? I'd love to hear about it (and see pictures that help tell the story!).

BUT - Please don't send an email! Please submit your response via our new District Spotlight Google Form in the Communications Portal!

Photos strongly encouraged. Unsure about taking photos in your classroom? Follow these quick and simple guidelines!

Hi there! I'm Erin Leighton, and I’m thrilled to be joining the team as the new Public Records Officer and Executive Assistant to the Assistant Superintendent after Ioanna Cossack’s retirement. I bring experience from the Federal Sector and have strong roots in our community. I live in Bremerton with my wonderful husband and our three kids. We love camping and spending time outdoors — it’s a big part of what we do! I’m really looking forward to getting to know more about the district and using my skills to help tackle the challenges ahead.

Download the flyer in English & Spanish

Over the past couple of years, we have heard from multiple legislators an interest in establishing a consistent statewide policy that limits student use of cell phones and smart devices at school. OSPI has continued to push for local decision-making within a statewide framework, and you will recall that we encouraged school districts to adopt cell phone/smart device policies by the start of this school year.

Connected to these efforts, our state has partnered with a national research survey project called Phones in Focus. The researchers are seeking responses from public school teachers, principals, and other school personnel. Please share the survey link with your staff and encourage their participation so Washington can benefit from the researchers’ detailed recommendations:

https://www.phonesinfocus.org/

November: Native American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month

Friday, Nov. 7 & Monday, Nov. 10: Student-led conferences (no school)

Tuesday, Nov. 11: Veteran's Day Holiday (no school)

Friday, Nov. 27 & Friday, Nov. 28: Thanksgiving Break (no school)

December 22-January 2: Winter break

Keeping school district data secure is incredibly important, and understanding Google Drive sharing options is key.

1. Default to "Restricted" and invite specific people. This is the safest approach for nearly all internal school documents.

2. Use "Viewer" permission whenever possible. If someone only needs to see information, don't give them editing or commenting rights.

3. Be extremely cautious with "Anyone at Bremerton School District with the link." Only use this for non-sensitive information that truly needs to be accessible to a wide internal audience (e.g., a department meeting schedule).

4. NEVER use "Anyone with the link" for sensitive data. This includes student records, staff personal information, disciplinary notes, budgets, or anything confidential.

5. Review permissions regularly. Especially for long-term projects or shared folders, periodically check who has access and what their permission levels are.

6. Consider "Disable options to download, print, and copy for commenters and viewers" for highly sensitive documents that are only meant to be viewed. This can be found under the gear icon in the sharing dialog.

For a more detailed breakdown of sharing settings options, check out this sharing options information from Nikhil Gautam, our Director of Technology Services!

Make sure you're up to date on your CyberHoot trainings! These are bite-sized lessons on all things cybersecurity, from phishing, to AI, to password security. They are quick and painless and keep your knowledge fresh!

We had an exciting board meeting this month! We were first joined by Jasmine Anderson, Bremerton High School Freshman, and Edward Simmons, Mountain View Middle School teacher, who present about the "Spirit of the Squire Award" that recognizes student leadership and excellence.

We then had the privilege of View Ridge Elementary 5th grade students performing "Rock God Battle" from the musical, "Olympus; the Greek Rock Musical."

We concluded the recognition portion of our meeting with the Board of Directors and Superintendent recognizing Alyson Rotter for her years of service. Thank you, Alyson, for your dedication to our district and students.

POLICY NEWS:

The following policies were adopted by the board:

3241 - Student Discipline

3144 - Release of Information Concerning Student Sexual and Kidnapping Offenders

2021 -Library Media Centers

2020 -Course Design, Selection and Adoption of Instructional Materials

4314 - Notification of Threats of Violence or Harm

The following policies were presented for a first read and approved:

Policy 2022- Electronic Resources and Internet Safety

Policy 1630- Evaluation of the Superintendent

The following procedure updates were approved by the board:

2021P - Procedure Library Information and Technology Programs

2020P - Procedure Course Design, Selection and Adoption of Instructional Materials

3143P - Procedure Notification and Dissemination of Information about Student Offenses and Notification of Threats of Violence or Harm

3241P - Student Discipline

3420P - Procedure Anaphylaxis Prevention and Response

3424P Procedure - Opioid Related Overdose Reversal

OTHER NEWS:

The board approved Resolution 2025/2026-10 to place a 4-year School Support Levy on the February 10, 2026 ballot.

Flag Football was approved as an official sport at Bremerton High School!

Reminder: there is only one board meeting in the month of December.

Join us in-person or online!

Questions about board highlights or the board website "Community?" Please contact marlaina.simmons@bremertonschools.org.

The new District logo, brand guide and other resources (ie: electronic letterhead and Google Slide templates) are in a shared folder that all staff can access (if logged-in to their BSD staff email). Please do not use the new logo without first reviewing the Brand Guide.

Click here for instructions on adding the new District font to Google and Word! Thank you!

The UW’s Master of Arts in Applied Child & Adolescent Psychology Degree is tailor-made for those driven to make a difference in the lives of youth. You will gain the knowledge and skills needed to positively influence child development, ensuring brighter futures for the next generation.

Applications are open through December 1st, 2025! Take a look at the program flyer here.

The Attorney General’s Office is recruiting members for the HearMeWA Youth Advisory Group. The purpose of the HearMeWA Youth Advisory Group is to ensure that HearMeWA is and stays youth centered. Youth Advisory Group members provide meaningful input to the decision-making process to the Attorney General’s Office’s Youth Program team when it comes to HearMeWA's outreach and engagement and program feedback. Youth Advisory Group members will be compensated for their time and effort.

Youth between the ages of 10-25 who reside in Washington State can apply to be a member, and must have access to a smart phone and/or a computer for Zoom meetings.

Applications will remain open until January 2nd, 2026.

Check out their flyer with more information here!

The Greater Kitsap Chamber is proud to partner with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to bring the National Civics Bee to the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsula for the 2025-2026 program year. This annual initiative – now expanding to all 50 states in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026 – invites middle school students to showcase their civics knowledge, engage in their communities, and build trust in others and institutions through a nonpartisan, multi-round competition.

The essay application portal opened on September 8, 2025 and closes on February 3, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time (HST). All students in grades 6-8 are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit https://civics.uschamberfoundation.org/ncb-how-it-works/.

Informational Flyer here!

America’s Field Trip is a nationwide contest that invites students across the country in grades 3–12 to be part of our nation’s 250th anniversary by sharing their perspectives on what America means to them — with the chance to earn an unforgettable field trip experience at some of the nation’s most iconic historic and cultural landmarks. Students are asked to submit writing or original artwork in response to the contest’s prompt: “What does America mean to you?”

In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, America’s Field Trip is expanding with more exciting field trips, and more opportunities for students to win. A total of 250 students will be awarded a special behind-the-scenes field trip experience this summer or a cash prize.

Deadline to apply is March 30, 2026!

Check out the flyer here!

Email: communications@bremertonschools.org

Website: www.BremertonSchools.org
Phone: 360-473-1000
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The Bremerton School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employee(s) has been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Carol Bailie at 360.473.1026, or the Section 504 Coordinator, Mark Mayfield at 360.473.4702. Mailing address: 134 Marion Avenue North, Bremerton, WA 98312.