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District

School Board

The school board provides leadership and strategic direction regarding policies and procedures that support the educational programs of the Bainbridge Island School District. Regular school board meetings are held on most second and last Thursdays of the month at 5:45 p.m. They occur in person in the BISD board room and are broadcast live/recorded via Zoom. 

  • Kelly Cancialosi
    Kelly Cancialosi
  • Robert Cromwell
    Robert Cromwell
  • Mark Emerson
    Mark Emerson
  • Sanjay Pal
    Sanjay Pal
  • Evan Saint Clair
    Evan Saint Clair

School Board Directors

There are five School Board Director Districts on Bainbridge Island and the Board Directors are elected from those areas.

  • Term: Through November 2027   kcancialosi@bisd303.org 

    • Board Director District 1
    • Appointed April 2023; Elected November 2023
    • Kelly is a corporate attorney and owns her own legal practice. 
    • She has volunteered in the BISD community and served on various PTO Boards.
    • Has one student enrolled in BISD schools
  • Term: Through November 2025     
    rcromwell@bisd303.org

    • Board Director District 2
    • Appointed April 2021; Elected November 2021
    • Works for Umatilla Electric Cooperative, where he is responsible for Power Supply
    • Served as a utility consumer advocate on the Washington State Ferry Advisory Committee and various other state and local committees
    • Serves as a lay minister at Grace Episcopal Church
    • Has one child who is a BISD graduate
  • Term: Through November 2025

    memerson@bisd303.org 

    206-992-7030

    • Board Director District 5
    • Appointed May 2019; Elected November 2019; Re-elected November 2021
    • Treasurer, Scout Troops 1564 & 1804, Bainbridge Island
    • Treasurer, Bainbridge Island Sportsmen's Club
    • Former Board member of United Way of Kitsap County
    • Owner, Focus on Work, LLC, an accounting/financial consultancy
    • Has three children who are all BISD graduates
  • Term: Through November 2027

    spal@bisd303.org

    • Board Director District 3
    • Elected November 2019; Re-elected in 2023
    • Has two children enrolled in BISD schools
  • Term: Through November 2027  
    esaintclair@bisd303.org

    • Board Director District 4
    • Appointed March 2023; Elected November 2023
    • Owner, Journal Menu, a bespoke journal and notebook company serving the wellness community
    • Former PTO President, Odyssey Multiage Program
    • Former Board Member, Bainbridge Island Mountain Biking Club
    • Worked in various youth-focused national and international organizations
    • Has two students enrolled in BISD schools

Information

2024 – 2025 Dates (Schedule Subject to Change)

School Board Meetings are typically held on the 2nd and last Thursday of the month. Meetings begin at 5:45 p.m.

  • July 25
  • August 29
  • September 12
  • September 26
  • October 10
  • November 14
  • December 12
  • January 9
  • January 30
  • February 13
  • February 27
  • March 13
  • March 27
  • April 24
  • May 8
  • May 29
  • June 10 (held on a Tuesday due to a conflict)
  • June 26

 

Location: BISD School Board Room

The BISD Board Room is located off High School Road between Bainbridge High School and Commodore Options and adjacent to the lower gym. Map to Board Room 

Facilitator: School Board President 

Description

The Role of School Board Members

School directors work together to oversee the school district. As a board, the primary responsibilities are:

  • Hire, supervise and evaluate the superintendent
  • Set the vision, mission and strategic goals for the district
  • Review, revise and adopt policies
  • Establish and oversee the budget
  • Serve as community representatives
  • Monitor the district’s progress towards its goals

Are you passionate about education and have the desire to help guide the future of BISD?  

Download this informational packet to learn more about becoming a school board member: Serving on Your Local School Board

School Board Student Members -  9th-12th Graders

The Board of Directors of the Bainbridge Island School District recognizes the value of student representation on the School Board so that student voice and input is included in the Board’s work. 

At least one student board member should attend each Board Meeting, which are held twice per month on Thursday evenings. See exact schedule below. 

The student members will contribute to Board by:

  • Providing student insight and perspective
  • Serving as a liaison for the associated student body
  • Reporting to students about the work of the Board and District activities

Student representatives will not:

  • Attend executive sessions
  • Hold Board offices

Student representatives provide the Board with advisory votes on agenda items as follows: immediately before the Board votes on an agenda item, the Student Board Representatives will provide their advisory vote – whether pro, con, or abstain.

 

Communicating with School Board Members 

The BISD School Board values the public's suggestions, thoughts and opinions and welcomes the community to reach out to the school board in various ways. It is important to note that due to rules outlined in Washington State’s Open Public Meetings Act, there are certain things that school board members cannot do such as:

  • Engage in dialogue on public comments if the topic is not on the agenda
  • Be present at a meeting/event with a total of three or more school board members unless prior written notice was provided 

Ways to Communicate with the School Board Members

  • Through email  — if you email all five members of the board, they will see your message, but typically, only the School Board President will respond.
  • Attend a school board meeting and provide public comments either during the time for general public comment or following the agenda item on the topic you wish to speak about. If you wish to provide in-person public comment, please sign-up at the start of the meeting. If you provide public comment via Zoom, you must sign up by 4 p.m. by emailing Lani Chaffee at lchaffee@bisd303.org. (See below for public comment instructions.)
  • Attend the School Board Coffee Chats held at various coffee shops throughout Bainbridge Island (check the BISD calendar for details). Coffee Chats are usually held on the Friday following a school board meeting. 
  • Invite members of the School Board to attend a meeting of your organization to provide an overview of what is happening in the district and the district’s goals. (Remember, only up to two school board members can attend unless prior written notice is provided.) 

How to Make Public Comment

     The board values input from our community. This is an opportunity for you to share what’s on your mind and for the board to listen and learn.

  • We ask that you follow the public comment process by signing in at the beginning of the meeting and sharing your name at the podium when called upon or over Zoom. Each person is allowed to address the board for up to three minutes. When you have one minute left, a member of the school board will hold up a sign.
  • During public comment, the board listens but does not engage in dialog or offer a response at the time. In accordance with state policy, the board’s silence does not signal agreement or disagreement with a speaker’s remarks. The school board is limited in the ability to discuss items that are not on the agenda based on the Open Public Meetings Act. However, the school board may choose to incorporate your comments during its board discussion or direct the superintendent to follow up on issues that come up as appropriate.
  • Freedom of speech is an important protection under the First Amendment. Please remember that your words have an impact, and you are responsible for this impact. We ask that you not make any personal statements about a student, staff, or community member. Help model what a respectful and inclusive community looks like for our students. 

 

 

FAQs

  • Per School Board Policy 1115, if there is a vacancy on the school board, the remaining board members will fill the vacancy by appointment. The board will appoint one of the candidates to serve until the next regularly scheduled board election, at which time a director shall be elected for the unexpired term, if any. 

     

  • Find out which positions are up for election and verify that you can run for the office. You must be a registered voter, live within your school district boundaries and live in the certain director area in which you are running. Check Director Districts here by viewing the District Maps listed on this page.  The Kitsap County Elections Office can help verify your eligibility. There is a certain week in spring (usually early May) that you must file your candidacy for the November election. Learn more by visiting Kitsap Candidate Filing

  • The school board values hearing from the public, but this must also be balanced with holding meetings that are reasonable in length and meetings that allow enough time for the school board, superintendent, and directors to handle the necessary business required. It has been our experience that most speakers are able to express their opinions/points of view within the allocated time. If your time is up and you have more to share, please reach out to members of the school board to set up a time for further discussion. 

     

  • Public comment is exactly that—your opportunity to provide comment, but it is not a time for dialogue. This is a time for board members to listen and consider but not to respond. Due to rules outlined in the Open Public Meeting Act, the school board cannot discuss matters not listed on the agenda. 

     

  • Yes! All regular school board meetings are open to the public, recorded, and posted to Board Docs. Sometimes, the school board needs to call an Executive Session for the purpose of one of the statutorily authorized reasons such as to discuss a legal matter or a personnel issue. When this happens, the regular school board meeting is closed, and the board moves into an Executive Session, which is closed to the public and not recorded. During an Executive Session, the board does not take action. Please refer to Policy 1410 to learn more. 

  • Yes! Periodically throughout the school year, the school board holds study sessions to dig deeper into a topic, and the public is welcome to attend. However, during these sessions, the public is not allowed to engage in discussion with the board. Board study sessions are also recorded and posted to Board Docs. 

     

  • Board members strive to follow the standards outlined by the Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA). The board evaluates its performance annually during a board retreat.