News to know for April 27, 2026

In this issue

Calendar
Budget cuts
Boundary exceptions
Cascadia Tech Academy summer school
Running Start opportunities
Class of 2026 graduations
Apprenticeship Signing Day
Battle Ground High School presents ‘Little Shop of Horrors’
Stuff the Bus
Plant sales continue
In case you missed it
BGPS highlight
Community events

Calendar

Monday, April 27: Board of directors meeting. The board will meet for a regular meeting at 6 p.m. The meeting is open to the public at the Lewisville Campus and viewable via livestreaming. Get the details.
- Due to a technical issue, BoardDocs is currently unavailable. See information for the April 27 regular board meeting. The meeting can still be viewed live on Swagit, with limited agenda functionality.
Wednesday, April 29: One-hour late start for most schools. Teachers will use this time to work together to implement best practices of high-quality instruction. Students will be released at the usual times.
Thursday, April 30: Deadline to apply for Transitional Kindergarten.
Transitional Kindergarten is a full-day early learning program for children who will be 4 years old prior to Sept. 1, 2026. The program focuses on developmentally appropriate skills and social and emotional development. Students must meet eligibility requirements, and space is very limited.

Budget update

Battle Ground Public Schools must make $20 million in cuts for the 2026-27 school year due to the loss of local levy funding, lack of adequate state funding and student enrollment fluctuations. The district sought input from a variety of stakeholders as part of the planning process. Making these cuts will allow the district to present a balanced budget as required by law.

See the cuts for the upcoming school year.

News to know

Boundary exceptions for 2026-27 school year
All families with in-district or out-of-district boundary exceptions (choice transfers) for the current school year need to reapply for the upcoming school year. More information about this process and forms are on the district website.

Out-of-district choice transfers allow students who live outside of the district to attend BGPS schools. Applications for out-of-district choice transfers in 2026-27 will be accepted starting at 7 a.m. on May 1. Applications will be processed in the order in which they are received.

Registration for Cascadia Tech Academy’s summer school starts May 1
Cascadia Tech’s summer school offers:

Short-term specialized training programs designed for students who have not had the opportunity to attend Cascadia Tech because of scheduling conflicts.
Introductory training for students entering Cascadia Tech programs in the fall as well as introductions to CTE for future students to explore different career options.
Additional training and reinforcement for students presently enrolled in Cascadia programs.

Cascadia Tech’s summer school is available to all Battle Ground students who completed the 8th, 9th, 10th or 11th grade in the previous year. The skills learned at Cascadia Tech can pay off in a better job later or help students discover an area in which they excel. Students can earn 0.5 high school Career/Technical Education or elective credit for successful completion of a summer school class. Visit their website for more information and to register.

Running Start opportunities
The Running Start program allows students who have completed 10th or 11th grade but have not yet started the next grade to enroll in college courses tuition-free, earning both high school and college credits simultaneously. This program can help students get a head start on their college education while saving money. Students who have completed 10th grade can participate in Running Start during the summer term, taking up to 10 credits.

Fee waivers are available for students who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals, ensuring cost is not a barrier to participation. For more details, including how to apply and access fee waivers, please contact your school counselor or visit the Running Start webpage.

Class of 2026 graduations
Graduation ceremonies will be held in just a few months. Learn about the plans for each school.

Change for 2028: In recognition of the many ways that students achieve academic success, BPGS will expand recognitions at high school graduations starting with the class of 2028 (sophomores in 2026). Each high school will recognize the top 5% based on GPA but will not designate a valedictorian and salutatorian. Class rankings will continue to be available as needed. Learn more about this change.

Apprenticeship Signing Day
If your high schooler plans to become an apprentice or enter an apprenticeship program after graduation, Battle Ground Public Schools wants to celebrate their achievement. Please fill out this form by May 8 so we can honor them. Apprenticeship Signing Day will take place on Tuesday, May 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Lewisville campus (406 NW 5th Ave., Battle Ground).

Battle Ground High School presents ‘Little Shop of Horrors’
Battle Ground High School’s drama club invites the community to enjoy its upcoming production of “Little Shop of Horrors” starting May 1. This beloved production tells the story of Seymour, a timid florist who discovers a mysterious plant with a taste for more than just water and sunlight. See the dates, details and ticket information.

Help stuff the bus this Saturday
Battle Ground Public School Employees and First Student Transportation are teaming up to give back to our community. This weekend, they will be collecting nonperishable food items, hygiene supplies, paper products and cash donations. All proceeds go to the North County Community Food Bank.

📅Saturday, May 2
⌚10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
📍Albertsons (2108 W Main St., Battle Ground)

District plant sales continue
Battle Ground Public Schools’ spring 2026 plant sales feature a variety of annuals, perennials, hanging baskets, vegetables and native plants grown by high school students. These sales provide hands-on learning opportunities for students, support student activities and offer the community high-quality plants at affordable prices. Get the dates and times.

In case you missed it

Coming soon: Teacher Appreciation Week
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4-8, and we need your help! Tell us about your or your child's favorite teacher(s) by Wednesday, April 29.

Enrolling students for kindergarten
Any child who will be 5 years old prior to Sept. 1, 2026, is eligible to enroll in kindergarten this fall. Enroll now to make sure your child can attend kindergarten orientation in the spring.

Housing support, clothing available
Students who have experienced housing instability or a loss of housing (even for just one night during the school year) may be eligible to receive McKinney-Vento services. These services include continued attendance at their current school, full participation in school-related activities, transportation to and from school, free school meals and academic support. Complete a housing questionnaire or contact your child’s school or the Family and Community Resource Center.

The center also maintains a clothing closet with donated clothing and shoes as well as hygiene and household items, some cleaning supplies and school supplies. The closet is open to any student currently enrolled in a BGPS school and their family. Learn more and make an appointment to shop.

School and district emails have a new look
You may notice that some emails and longer text messages from Battle Ground schools now have a new look! This will help you identify the messages as coming from a trusted source and make it easier to differentiate between schools.

BGPS highlight

Flying Tigers selected for Air Force Chief of Staff Flight Academy
Three Battle Ground High School students were selected among a field of over 250 applicants for the Air Force Chief of Staff Flight Academy. The intense eight-week summer experience is part of the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program and it is offered each year to students from over 850 AFJROTC units around the world. This year, there were just 94 cadets selected. Only three of them were from Washington state, and all three are from Battle Ground! Nathan Davis, Lord King Nana-Badu-Weah and Henry Richards were competitively selected from among the candidates to attend flight training at one of the seven university-based programs in the nation. Read more.

This is just one example of the many good things happening in our schools every day. For more highlights, visit the news section of the district website, subscribe to the BGPS Bulletin and follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram.