Bainbridge Island School District is weighing a construction bond that could go before voters as early as February 2027, with a project list that ranges from replacing a 1958 school building to adding new turf athletic fields near the high school stadium. District officials outlined the potential scope during a regular school board meeting last Thursday, laying out a proposal that would touch nearly every corner of the district's central campus.
Dane Fenwick, the district's director of facilities, operations, and capital projects, presented the potential bond scope to the board, according to Kitsap Sun. Central to the plan is a possible replacement of Ordway Elementary, built in 1979, and Commodore Options School, which dates to 1958 — with district officials weighing whether to combine the two into a single new facility on the north or south end of campus that could serve between 525 and 625 students, per the same report. Such a facility would include multiage learning areas, shared instructional spaces, and upgraded STEM, music, and art rooms, the outlet notes.
A Campus Built on Shared Space
The stakes of that decision extend beyond a single school. The Commodore campus currently houses three distinct alternative programs under one roof — Eagle Harbor High School serving grades 9 through 12, the Odyssey Multiage Program for grades K-8, and the MOSAIC Home Education Partnership, also serving grades K-8, according to Bainbridge Island School District. If Commodore is rebuilt, Eagle Harbor High School would need to be relocated or renovated, the district's report on the bond scope indicates. Options under consideration include carving out underutilized space within Bainbridge High School or constructing an entirely new facility for the alternative high school.
The bond proposal also touches services well beyond the classroom. District officials are looking at a new facility for the district's adult living program intended to improve safety, security, and student well-being, the same report states. Bainbridge Youth Services, which currently leases its facility, could be relocated or asked to share a site with other service providers if construction displaces its current space.
Consolidating Offices and Parking
District offices, currently split between a permanent building and a cluster of portables, could be consolidated under the proposal as well. The district is also considering adding permanent student parking at Bainbridge High School — a move that would reduce reliance on leased spaces and free up more community parking outside school hours, per the district's presentation.
Athletics figure prominently in the wish list too. Bainbridge currently has just one synthetic turf field at the high school stadium, and the district is examining a project that could expand that footprint significantly. A design proposal reviewed by the board showed new tennis courts and two large multi-sport turf fields positioned north of the stadium, along with a new turf baseball field and turf softball field, intended to ease overbooking and maintenance strain on fields used by both school and community teams.
Resilience Features and a 75-Year Lifespan
Beyond new buildings and fields, the district is eyeing district-wide upgrades including rooftop solar installations and building-efficiency improvements. New construction under the bond could incorporate stronger earthquake standards, backup power and communications systems, refrigeration for food and medicine, and better outside-air filtration to guard against wildfire smoke. District officials say any new construction would be designed for durability and energy efficiency, with a target building life of 75 years.
The 60% Hurdle Ahead
Timing is tight. The district plans to hold community meetings starting in October, with the school board aiming to vote on a bond proposal as early as December — and legally required to pass any bond resolution no later than December 11 in order to make the February 9, 2027 special-election ballot, if the board moves forward.
Whatever number the district lands on, it will face one of the toughest thresholds in state government: school construction bonds in Washington require 60% voter approval to pass, a constitutional supermajority under Article VII, Section 2, along with a minimum turnout tied to the prior general election, according to Pierce County Elections. That bar has proven decisive statewide: Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction data covering 2013 to 2023 shows 114 of 257 local school bond elections failed despite winning a simple majority, because they fell short of 60%, as Seattle's Child reported. A 2025 legislative push to lower that threshold to 55%, Senate Bill 5186, stalled in committee, leaving the constitutional requirement fully in place for Bainbridge's vote.
A Track Record of Voter Support
Bainbridge Island has cleared that bar before. The district's $81.2 million, 20-year bond in 2016 passed with roughly 62% approval, funding the replacement of Blakely Elementary and a rebuild of the 100 building on the high school campus.
Voters also considered operating-side measures more recently. By February 13, 2024, Bainbridge Island voters were being asked to approve a four-year Enrichment and Operations levy; failure could mean cuts.
The current bond proposal includes potential work at Ordway and Commodore.
