Mountaineer Moments

April 6 - 10 - Spring Break - NO SCHOOL

April 20 and 23 - Secondary Evening Conferences, regular dismissal

April 24 - Secondary Conferences, 12 p.m. early release (Secondary only)

April 28 - May 2 - MBHS Plant Sale

The district is still finalizing some of the details for the 2026-27 Calendar, but we can share the dates listed below. The final calendar will be shared later this spring.

Upcoming Dates for the 2026-27 School Year:

• August 26, 2026 - First day of school (Grades 1-12)

• September 1, 2026 - First day of Kindergarten

• September 7, 2026 - No School (Labor Day)

• November 11, 2026 - No School (Veterans Day)

• November 26 and 27, 2026 - No School (Thanksgiving Holiday)

• December 21, 2026 to January 1, 2027 - No School (Winter Break)

• January 18, 2027 - No School (Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Day)

• January 22, 2027 - No School (Treaty Day)

• February 15, 2027 - No School (President’s Day)

• April 5 to April 9, 2027 - No School (Spring Break)

• May 31, 2027 - No School (Memorial Day)

• June 11, 2026 - Last day of school (subject to change*)

*While the final calendar will also have built-in inclement weather days, weather conditions next year could still affect the actual last day of school.

Policy to Practice is a new feature once a month in our regular board meetings. It is a time for the district to review how our policies and procedures are implemented and identify ways we can continuously improve. At the March 26 board meeting, we reviewed policy 3205: Sexual Harassment of Students Prohibited. Here are some highlights from the presentation:

• The policy prohibits sexual harassment of students and ensures a safe, nondiscriminatory learning environment.
• The procedure details how the district should respond to sexual harassment concerns.
• The district currently has Universal Safety Precautions and Targeted Safety Precautions.
• When there is a potential violation, we follow steps for reporting, responding, investigating, and supporting students.

As part of the board meeting, we discussed what is working well with this procedure and what could be improved.

• What is working: universal precautions including supervision schedules, assigned seating, cameras, staff training, support and education for students, online reporting system and reporting forms.
• What we can improve: district-wide consistency in use of forms, documents, and communication, better tracking of reports and outcomes, increased reinforcement of expectations with staff, more student support to encourage reporting.
• Next Steps include hosting a workshop with on sexual disclosures and response for all administrators, counselors, and other select staff. This will be facilitated by Brigid Collins Family Support Center and will include defining the decision making process for reporting to CPS and law enforcement, understanding developmentally appropriate student behaviors, identifying ways to improve our documentation process, and planning for sharing the learning with all staff.

I have two main updates to share this month. First, we completed our final Steering Team meeting as we develop our new Strategic Plan. This group of 50 participants used more than 500 survey responses to guide their work. A key outcome is a set of Core Values that reflect what matters most to the Mount Baker community: Academic Excellence, Belonging, Opportunity, Prepared for Life, and Safety. These values are the foundation of the rest to our plan. In the coming months, we will share more about the goals, outcomes, and strategies that will bring this plan to life. We anticipate completing the plan by June so it can be implemented next school year.

Second, I want to update you on our budget and staffing plans. Rather than forming a separate budget priority committee as previously planned, we will hold study sessions during school board meetings in May and June to discuss priorities in a public setting.

As we build next year’s budget, we are planning for an enrollment of 1,418 students. This is a conservative estimate. This year, overestimating enrollment resulted in a reduction to our state funding mid-year. While we were able to absorb that impact using one-time resources, we cannot rely on that again. Enrollment decline, combined with inadequate state funding, continues to be a challenge for districts across Washington. Here is a recent story in the Seattle Times about this statewide issue. To see our enrollment information shared at the Feb. 26 board meeting, click here.

At the April 23 board meeting, the board will consider a Reduced Educational Program resolution. This step is required when staffing reductions are necessary due to enrollment or funding. After that meeting, we will share more details about specific staffing changes. These reductions are directly tied to enrollment. As a smaller district, we must adjust our staffing to match the number of students we serve. We remain on track to exit Binding Conditions and are continuing to manage our finances carefully. At the same time, I want to be clear, these decisions are difficult. We value our staff and understand the impact on people and relationships. We are proceeding thoughtfully and intentionally as we make necessary adjustments.

Finally, I want to address questions I have received from parents about class size. Our goal is to keep class sizes as small as possible while maintaining strong instructional programs. This requires close collaboration with principals, careful use of funding, and creative scheduling solutions. Mount Baker is smaller than it has been in the past. While we will continue working to attract and retain students, we must also align our system with current enrollment. Smaller districts can still provide excellent opportunities for students, but this requires intentional design. That is the work ahead. It will require change, and at times it will be difficult, but done well, it will position our district for a stronger future.

- Superintendent Jessica Schenck

In March, our school board visited Mount Baker Junior High and our Early Learning Center.

Leaders and teachers from both of those schools also presented at the March 26 board meeting. They shared their instructional and behavior goals, recent student data, and next steps. The pictures below, as well as the pictures at the start of this newsletter, are from various Junior High activities this school year.

Mountaineer Moments is the online community newsletter of the Mount Baker School District. New editions will be emailed each month to all district staff and families. Community members can also request to be added to the mailing list by completing this form: https://tinyurl.com/5a7eb4zk

Find past issues here:

• October 2025
• November 2025
• December 2026/January 2026
• February 2026
• March 2026