Bainbridge Island School District School Board Votes in Favor of Retaining Interim Superintendent Amii Thompson

The Bainbridge Island School District School Board voted 4-1 at its Thursday Nov. 14 meeting to retain the services of Interim District Superintendent Amii Thompson by extending her contract through the 2026-27 school year.

“Superintendent Thompson has demonstrated her leadership abilities time and time again, centering her decisions on student equity, leading with purpose, motivating her team, building resiliency within our district, engaging with our community with transparency and empathy, and keeping the district moving forward daily while not losing sight of long-term visioning,” said BISD School Board President Mark Emerson. “She has earned our trust that we have the right person in the right place at the right time and we are delighted to appoint her as our permanent Superintendent.”

Thompson has served as the district’s interim superintendent since December 2023, after Superintendent Peter Bang-Knudsen was on medical leave and subsequently resigned. Six weeks ago, the BISD School Board announced its appreciation for Thompson’s work and questioned whether there was a need to conduct a national search for the superintendent. Through a series of in-person meetings and online surveys, the school board received (positive) feedback from its constituents.

“I want to thank staff, families and community members for participating in the process,” said Emerson. “Your honest thoughts and unique insights were valuable and helped the Board approach this decision from multiple perspectives.” The School District serves nearly 3,500 students in seven schools scattered around the island.

Thompson, a longtime district employee, noted, “I am honored that the board has put their trust in me to continue as superintendent. Having been in this district for 20 years, I have had the honor of serving in several roles — teacher, association leader, administrator and parent. I care deeply about our BISD community and promise to show up every day as a heart-focused leader who keeps student needs at the forefront of my work.”

She continued, “Although there are great challenges that lie ahead, I have confidence that we will navigate through them together as a BISD community.”

Read a message from Thompson to the larger community on the school district budget and potential school closures, among other topics: Bainbridge Island School District – BISD News

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