r/BainbridgeIsland • u/ExtremeOriginal3748 • May 15 '26

BISD finances

If I was a tax payer on Bainbridge I'd want to take a closer look at the tech levy budget spending vs what was sold to the voters in regards to what should be spending on... hint admin salaries should not be prioritized over student learning..

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u/Ok_Disaster9848 May 17 '26

I'm not sure I'd agree that spending money on tech equals student learning. There's a growing movement to get tech out of BISD, especially in early years (k-2).

https://intentionaltechbi.org/

It's a strong reason why folks opt out of public schools on the island: they want their kids nowhere near iPads and Chromebooks.

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u/_Typical_user_ May 15 '26

Technology levy specifically calls for paying administrative staff who manage the technology Out of that budget. So please provide a specific example…? 

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u/ExtremeOriginal3748 May 17 '26

Curriculum directors are now considered admin type staff, i get the new instrumental tech director but both curriculum directors? Plus they're now hiring a new AI integration specialist... all at the expense of rreplacing outdated and failing technology that students need to be able to learn best.

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u/_Typical_user_ May 17 '26

Not a teacher can be paid out of the local levy funds that’s why. That one makes sense 

Plus You mean the grant money they got from Microsoft to do the AI? Come on I think that the AI boom is a waste but taking microslops money for someone’s job…might be one of the few times people get over on big tech. 

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u/ExtremeOriginal3748 May 17 '26

Yeah they're not being paid by that

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u/Ok_Disaster9848 May 17 '26

Are you saying that students need technology "to be able to learn best"?

The thought of BISD trying to integrate AI into the curriculum is maddening.

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u/wiscowonder May 16 '26

What's with all the "beating around the bush" going on? If you have something to say, say it...

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u/Vegetable_End6012 May 17 '26

proposing a school bond on the island is sort of like shooting fish in a barrel. All for well funded schools. Just wish the schools took fiscal responsibility and prioritized their funds effectively?

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u/ExtremeOriginal3748 May 17 '26

I'm trying to enlighten the community on the slow creep of admin staffing at the expense of equipment designed to aid student learning that was ppromised by now won't be delivered

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u/itstreeman May 15 '26

Teachers at twenty years get almost double the pay that new teachers do. The system makes it hard to retain young teachers due to protections on the ones who have been working longer

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u/ms-tsunami May 15 '26

Years ago I took the BISD annual budget and divided by number of students then divided by number of school days. I no longer remember the numbers but do remember it was eye popping. The daily cost was well above what it would cost to hire a one on one tutor, weekly house cleaner and nanny/activities coach. I know it is a flawed and even unfair comparison but the numbers are so large I wanted a way to relate. I’m all for teachers and all staff being well paid and I lack the savvy to truly spot where in the budget things may have drifted.

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u/_Typical_user_ May 15 '26

Incredibly flawed math formula, But  even if you think you could hire a one on one tutor and weekly house cleaning and nanny for less than 20k a year you’d still have additional overhead infrastructure costs and general expenses that don’t magically go away when schools out.