Superintendent’s Blog: Celebrations, Goodbyes and Gratitude

Dear BSD Community,

It’s June – the season of promotions, celebrations, award ceremonies, and graduations! It’s also my opportunity as superintendent to shake hands with 1,600 seniors who will walk across the stage marking the end of 13 years of hard work, perseverance, and accomplishments. Although I can’t feel my arm at the end of the night, it’s 100% worth it.

Tentative Agreement Reached on the BEA Contract

As we are nearing the end of the year, I am also thrilled to announce that we have already reached a tentative agreement on a collective bargaining agreement with the Bellevue Education Association. Having a tentative agreement reached before summer vacation is almost unheard of. Most districts bargain well into August. This is a testament to the trust and mutual respect that exists between the district and the BEA. Kudos to the incredible bargaining teams on both the BEA and BSD sides who started meeting all the way back in November! After 16 full-day sessions, they came up with a contract that will support both staff and students. The full BEA membership is scheduled to vote on this contract on June 23.

Goodbyes and Gratitude

This year, in addition to seeing our seniors off, we are also having to say goodbye to some incredible teachers, staff members, and colleagues. Amidst our celebrations, let’s shower the staff who are leaving with love, affirmation, and appreciation. For those who are losing their positions due to budget cuts, we will do our very best to bring back as many staff as we possibly can over the summer as positions open.

There are a few district leaders who are leaving this year that I want to highlight. First, our deeply loved and widely respected Deputy Superintendent Eva Collins is retiring on June 11 after 32 years in the Bellevue School District. Eva served in multiple roles during her time here, including principal, executive director of schools, deputy superintendent, and interim superintendent. Eva observed me when I was a first-year teacher and has been a mentor to me. The June 5 School Board Meeting will be Eva’s last board meeting before riding off into the sunset of retirement.

Second, General Counsel Shannon McMinimee will be transitioning from the Bellevue School District after this school year. Across her career, she has been an advocate for students and families, and we wish her the very best. John Harrison, Chief of Staff and Government Relations, will be the point person for our legal department for the 2025-26 school year.

Third, after taking over as head of business services in November and leading his team to stabilize our district’s finances over the past 6 months, Executive Director Jason Golec is going to be taking over as Chief Information Technology Officer in the Issaquah School District starting in July. Although he has demonstrated incredible leadership in finance, technology is Jason’s passion, and we’re thrilled that he gets to lead the development of educational technology in Issaquah. We will be posting for this position today and will communicate a plan to the community about how we will ensure a seamless transition for budget and finance especially during these challenging fiscal times. We’re lucky to have Meagan Hayden, Director of Budget; Loren Tillman, Director of Accounting; and Kim Taniguchi, Director of Payroll, continuing to lead our finance department with excellence.

Ending the Year Strong

It’s been a great year. Students have worked hard. Staff have worked hard. We’ve navigated numerous challenges as a community. And through those challenges, we have demonstrated resilience, excellence, hopefulness, and a collective commitment to making our world a better place for our kids. As we end this school year, we have so much to be proud of. So, let’s get out there and celebrate! Let’s celebrate our kids, our staff, and our community.

It’s an honor to serve as superintendent of this amazing district.

Sincerely,

Dr. Aramaki