The latest issue of the Anacortes Pride - the district's newsletter - is out now! Be sure to check it out for the new alma mater mural at AHS, mental health support for students, athlete profiles, your shout outs, and more! 

For questions, comments, or to request additional copies, please contact the Superintendent's Office: 360-503-1211 or information@asd103.org 

Attendance matters!

We want to partner with you to ensure your students have a new school year full of opportunities to learn and engage. Getting into the habit of daily attendance is more important than ever. It helps to:  

• reduce stress
• make it easier to connect with friends and teachers
• support learning 

Each school has an attendance office to support you and your student(s) with attendance. We have launched a new feature on Family Access, Absence Notification, as another pathway for parents to report student absences. The process for excusing your student(s) absences:

• Absences must be excused within 48 hours of the student's return to school.
• Parents and guardians may excuse absences by:
  • Submitting Absence Notification through Family Access NEW!
  • Emailing or Calling in the absence 
  • Sending a note regarding the absence

If the student has classes at Anacortes High School and Middle School, you must contact BOTH schools to excuse absences.

If your child arrives late to school

• Students arriving late must sign in at the main/attendance office. If a parent or guardian cannot come in and sign for the student, they must call the attendance office or send a note excusing the tardiness. 

If your child needs to leave school early

• If a student needs to leave school early, the student must bring a note from the parent/guardian requesting the absence. The student should bring the note to the Attendance Office before school, and they will receive an "Early Dismissal Pass" allowing them to sign themselves out of school. 
• If an emergency requires the student to leave school, the parent or guardian must notify the school.

Questions?

Finally, please ensure we have your correct email and the best phone numbers to reach you. You can complete the 2023-24 Student/Family Form Update.

2023-24 Student/Family Form Update

The Student/Family Form is currently accessible and will remain so until October 1, 2023. This annual update holds significant importance as it ensures that the district possesses the most up-to-date information, including your phone number, address, emergency contacts, technology usage agreement, military status, tribal affiliation, and housing questionnaire. Additionally, it is essential to go through and verify your acknowledgment of the attendance policy.

Completing this form is of utmost importance, and you can locate it on Skyward Family Access. We kindly request that you complete it at your earliest convenience, but no later than October 1, 2023. Should you require assistance or have any questions while filling out the form, please do not hesitate to contact the main office at your student's school.

The Anacortes School Board recently adopted its 2023-24 budget. The $46 million budget reflects nearly $3 million in reductions that the district proactively planned for throughout the last year and a half. The adopted budget also leaves the district with a three percent (3%) ending fund balance (reserves), while the board’s target for its reserve account is four percent (4%). The board has directed the district to build back its reserve account to four percent over the next two years. 

“Our budget is balanced, but not without some difficult decisions made by the board and administration,” said Board President Jennie Beltramini. “We are confident, however, in the district’s plan to continue reviewing expenditures and revenue, and in building back our reserves.” 

The district’s budget reflects a significant investment in staff, with salaries equaling 87 percent of the budget. 

“Our goal all along has been to minimize the direct impacts on the classroom as much as possible,” said Superintendent Justin Irish. “Our staff are committed to providing the best education to our students. I’m proud of our workforce, our union groups, and our community for working collaboratively to tackle this challenge.” 

The district will continue to engage the Budget Advisory Council, and the community, as it prepares its 2024-25 budget, which will include at least $1 million in reductions. 

More information about the district’s budget can be found on its website: https://www.asd103.org/District/Department/26-Finance#

Questions? Contact Mike Sullivan, Executive Director of Finance & Operations: (360) 503-1213 or masullivan@asd103.org 

If your child was registered for district transportation last year, our Transportation office has rolled up all students, including incoming middle and high school students. If your child rode a bus last year, you do not need to submit a new transportation request. Please confirm that your child's route is accurate through the Ride 360 app, found on our Transportation website. 

New requests/ changes/ cancellations?

Please access the Transportation request form through Skyward Family Access. If your address has changed, please submit a new request. 

Questions? Contact the Transportation Office: (360) 503-1155 or kgarrison@asd103.org 

Awaiting building placement? 

For those students not currently assigned to an elementary school, placement emails will go out on or before this Friday, August 18. 

For any other questions, please contact the District Office: (360) 503-1200 or information@asd103.org 

The Anacortes School District recently launched a sponsorship and advertising program, following policy adoption by the school board to allow advertising on some district properties. 

The district will allow commercial advertising at Seahawk Stadium/ Rice Field, the main AHS Gym, tennis courts, and Brodniak Hall. Sponsorship packages are available for sale through the high school’s Athletics & Activities Department. All advertising must be approved by the Athletics & Activities Department, following approved board policy and procedure. 

For the past two years, the district has been engaged in a robust, transparent process to meet a $3.2 million budget shortfall. The sponsorship program was a recommendation of the district’s Budget Advisory Council, and other community members. 

Sponsorship is 100 percent tax deductible, and offers high visibility to sponsors. 

If you would like to purchase an ad, contact Justin Portz, Athletics & Activities Director: (360) 503-1305, jportz@asd103.org 

The Anacortes School District will present increased fees for activities and athletics to the School Board on August 10, 2023. The increases reflect more realistic costs associated with sports and activities. The increases are also based on feedback the district received from the Budget Advisory Council, and other groups. The district has been engaged in a year-long process to rebalance its budget to address a $3.2 million shortfall, aiming to minimize direct impacts on the classroom environment as much as possible.

A draft of the proposed fees can be found on the district’s website. For example, individual sports participation fees have increased from $75 to $100, with a family maximum of $400. Equipment fees for football, track & field, and swim are $100, with an annual cap of $200. A table showing the changes can also be found on our website. 

“We know that access to sports, and extracurricular activities is critical to keeping students engaged in school,” said Superintendent Justin Irish. “These increases in our athletics and activities charges will allow us to keep these vital programs accessible to more students.” 

Fees are generally waived for students who qualify for Free or Reduced Meals. The district encourages anyone who thinks they may be eligible for the free or reduced program to submit their paperwork to our Food and Nutrition Services Office. All information received regarding free & reduced eligibility is kept confidential and only shared with staff who need to know.

If approved by the School Board, the new fees will go into effect immediately for the 2023-24 school year. The district will continue to review its fee structure throughout the next school year, gathering feedback from the Budget Advisory Council, SABA, students, families, PTAs, and other affected groups. 

Questions? Mike Sullivan, Executive Director of Finance & Operations, (360) 503-1213 or masullivan@asd103.org 

The Anacortes School District recently finalized a staffing plan for elementary and middle school libraries, ensuring that these valuable resources remain open and accessible to students for next school year and beyond. While the district faced the difficult decision of reducing its full-time paraeducators who staff the libraries, it is important to highlight that the libraries will remain open and accessible, but with limited hours for next year. 

School principals are developing plans to use current staffing to support and facilitate efficient management of library materials and the overall experience for students. Moreover, the district will continue to work to ensure that the library collection remains relevant and engaging for years to come.

Recognizing the critical role of libraries as a valuable resource, Superintendent Justin Irish emphasizes, “We identified a plan with our principals to continue providing students access to the libraries. As we have heard from staff, community, parents, and students, the libraries are a critical resource. We have identified a cost-neutral solution to keep the libraries accessible.” 

While staffing the library plays a crucial role, it’s important to note that classroom teachers also actively contribute to promoting reading and literacy skills among students. “Our teachers will continue to foster a love of literature in our students through book recommendations, read-alouds, and access to both classroom and library materials,” said Heather Paddock, Director of Teaching and Learning.

It is worth mentioning that the district has undergone a year-long process to rebalance its budget to address a $3.2 million shortfall, aiming to minimize direct impacts on the classroom environment as much as possible. Furthermore, due to the budgetary constraints, many departments and staff throughout the district have been significantly affected, requiring adjustments and restructuring to ensure the efficient functioning of various programs and services. Despite these challenges, the district remains committed to fulfilling its levy commitments and the continued operation of school libraries. 

Questions about current staffing to support and facilitate efficient management of library materials, please contact your school principal. 

The latest issue of the Anacortes Pride, our quarterly newsletter, is available now. The print edition will hit homes early next week. 

Check out this issue for: 

• Senior profiles 
• Retiree celebrations 
• "Reading Buddies" at elementary schools 
• Your Shout Outs - and more! 

Questions, comments, feedback, or to request additional copies, please contact the Superintendent's Office: (360) 503-1211 or ntesch@asd103.org