Annual Plan

The 2025–26 Annual Plan marks the beginning of a multi-year implementation effort guided by Bellevue School District’s 2024-30 Strategic Plan Goals and Measures. Each annual plan will build upon the previous year’s progress while advancing our long-term vision:

To affirm and inspire each and every student to learn and thrive as creators of their future world.

Our Strategic Plan is anchored in three districtwide commitments:

• Belong: Each and every member of our school community experiences belonging, is actively engaged in learning, and is empowered to lead in school, community, and the world
• Learn: Each and every student achieves meaningful academic growth and thrives in learning environments that are engaging, inclusive, globally relevant, and grounded in high-quality instruction.
• Lead: Students are empowered as agents of change in their classrooms, communities, and the world.

In This Section

Our Theory of Action

Focus and Foundation Goals

In a time of staffing reductions and budget constraints, this year’s plan reflects a shift from doing more to focusing more narrowly on what matters most. We are prioritizing depth over breadth, aligning limited resources toward the strategies most essential to student learning, well-being, and success. To guide implementation, we’ve organized our strategic goals into two categories:

Focus Goals: What we aim to achieve and measure this year. Focus Goals are tied to systemwide, quantifiable outcome measures. These goals are prioritized for board monitoring and leadership accountability in 2025–26 and include specific targets related to financial stability, math and literacy proficiency, and chronic absenteeism. Each Focus Goal will include a mid-year progress report and will be featured in the Annual Plan Summative Report at the end of the school year.
Foundation Goals: What we must build or strengthen to achieve our strategic goals. Foundation Goals focus on building essential systems, practices, conditions that support long-term success. While not all Foundation Goals have quantitative outcome measures, they are essential steps in our theory of action and will require meaningful staff time and leadership to achieve. Progress may be captured through qualitative, experiential, or systems-level indicators. Foundation Goals will include an implementation update during the school year and will be reflected in the Annual Plan Summative Report.

Equity-Driven Decision-Making

The Bellevue School District is committed to using Equity-Driven Decision-Making (EDDM) not only as a planning tool, but as a guiding practice for how we implement, engage, and adapt. As described in Equity & Accountability Procedure 0130, EDDM invites us to center the lived experiences of those most impacted, build understanding of historical inequities, co-create solutions, and assess whether our actions advance equity, access, and belonging. This year’s plan continues the intentional shift we’re making as a district—from centralized decision-making toward more inclusive, collaborative, and community-informed approaches. As we implement the strategies in this annual plan to achieve our strategic goals, we will continue to apply EDDM to engage those most impacted, co-create solutions, and elevate the values and voices of our community.

Annual Plan Initiatives

We Belong

Human- Centered Systems and Relationships

Focus Goal

Chronic Absenteeism

Chronic Absenteeism

Reduce chronic absenteeism by 1-2 percentage points for all students and by a minimum of 2-3 percentage points for underserved groups (Black and Hispanic)

Measurement Blend

Quantitative

Chronic absenteeism by subgroup
Early Warning Indicator data (students at risk for chronic absenteeism)

Qualitative

Reasons for absences
Attendance campaigns

Experiential

Student and family empathy interviews

Key Strategies

Proactive Family and Student Outreach and Partnership
Improve Consistency of Capturing and Recording Attendance Codes aligned to District Policy
Improve Parent Communication and Engagement
Continue District MTSS Team to Support Schools with Tier 1 and 2 (including use of Early Warning Indicators)
District Development and School Implementation of Intervention Decision Rule Criteria

Foundation Goal

Beloved Community

Beloved Community

(Belonging and Addressing Harm)

Build system-wide understanding of Beloved Community, interrupt discrimination through improved processes and procedures, and establish belonging and trust baselines using survey data.

We Learn

Student Engagement and Learning

Focus Goal

Literacy and Math Proficiency

Literacy and Math Proficiency

Improve 3rd grade literacy proficiency for all students and by a minimum of 3 percentage points for underserved groups (Black, Hispanic, Low Income)
Improve 5th grade math proficiency for all students and by a minimum of 3 percentage points for underserved groups (Black, Hispanic, Low Income)
Improve 8th grade math proficiency for all students and by a minimum of 3 percentage points for underserved groups (Black, Hispanic, Low Income)

Measurement Blend

Quantitative

3rd grade literacy, 5th and 8th grade math as measured by SBA and iReady
K-2 Early literacy as measured by iReady

Qualitative

Student and school case studies exemplifying growth, highlights, barriers, needs for improvement
% of schools implementing decision rule criteria
% of schools piloting Tier 2/3 intervention tools
% of schools implementing iReady

Experiential

Student and family interviews on learning engagement, learning successes and struggles

Key Strategies

Implement individualized goals and accommodations written into Individualized Education Programs (IEP) and 504 plans
ARC Literacy Curriculum Adoption Implementation Year 2
Science of Reading Implementation Year 3
Spanish Language Literacy Resources Year 2
Launch i-Ready Assessment Platform
Expand Elementary Literacy/Math Learning Labs
Pilot Middle School Algebra Support Class
District and School Implementation of Multitiered Systems of Support (Interventions with established benchmarks)

Foundation Goal

Student Engagement and the Learning Experience

Student Engagement and the Learning Experience

Increase student engagement by building a system-wide focus on high-quality instruction with an emphasis on three high-leverage components of the Danielson Framework.
Establish baseline % of students reporting they experience a sense of engagement in learning.

We Lead

Collective Leadership for People and Planet

Student Agency

Increase equitable opportunities for student leadership and voice in decision-making at the school and district level.
Establish baseline % of students reporting they experience a sense of agency in their classroom, school, and/or community.

Future Ready

Increase equitable access to future ready opportunities for students, including achieving college credits in high school (AP/IB, College in the High School, Running Start) and the Washington State Seal of Biliteracy and Industry Certifications.

Sustainable Systems

simplified icon of globe with conntent dots

Financial, Environmental, and Social Sustainability

Focus Goal

Financial Stability

Financial Stability

Increase fund balance from -$5 million to at least -$3 million by August 30, 2026 (per binding conditions agreement)
Increase enrollment from 2025 to 2026

Measurement Blend

Quantitative

Unrestricted fund balance; 30 days cash on hand
Enrollment

Qualitative

Community and partner input on budget priorities for 2026-27

Experiential

Stories from students, families, and staff on impact of 2025-26 budget

Key Strategies

Monthly Budget Communication to Community
Audit & Finance Advisory Council
Monthly Finance Study Sessions
Board Budget Parameters Development with Input from Community
Legislative and Community Advocacy
Student and Family Attraction and Retention
Listening Session Outreach in January/February

Foundation Goals

Human-Centered Systems

Establish a standard for human-centered systems in Bellevue School District, starting with the Welcome Center.
Develop a baseline % of students, staff, and families reporting district systems are accessible, responsive, equitable, and human-centered.

Staff Well-Being and Engagement

Care for, empower, and support staff through a year of significant staffing reductions.
Establish baseline % of staff reporting favorable responses on well-being, workplace satisfaction, and empowerment. Increase % of staff reporting BSD cares about their well-being.

Environmental Sustainability

Visit the Sustainability Plan Page