Listen to the Story

Forget tuning into The Pitt for high stakes medical drama. Right here in our district, four Bethel High School seniors are getting a front row seat to the healthcare world. And they’re taking the state by storm!

HOSA is basically the Olympics for future healthcare professionals. And these students recently swept top three spots in Washington state in their respective events.

Seniors Madelynn and Joon competed in “Health...

Across our district, classrooms are moving away from traditional, reactive punishments. Instead, teachers and administrators are working side-by-side to help every student thrive by building real-life skills, teaching them how to navigate conflicts, and creating a sense of belonging in our schools.

The results of this shift speak for themselves: an impressive 70 percent reduction in elementary suspensions districtwide.

A huge part ...

School buses are heading back out on the roads, which means it is time for a quick refresher on when to stop for those red flashing lights!

Washington state law (RCW 46.61.370) outlines when drivers must stop for school buses. On a two-lane road, drivers traveling in both directions must stop when the bus’s flashing red lights or retractable stop sign are activated. 

On roads with three or more marked lanes, drivers trav...

Mornings are hard. Between lost shoes, missed alarms, and the constant race against the clock, just getting your kids out the door can feel like a victory. But every single day your child makes it into the classroom matters more than you might think.

It’s easy to view an absence here and there as no big deal. But missing just two days a month adds up fast. That’s 20 days, or a full month of missed school, in a single ye...

At 300,000 square feet and stretching an eighth of a mile door to door, the new Bethel High School is an enormous building. But it wasn't built just to look impressive. It was designed from the ground up for the students who will use it for generations to come.

“What I appreciate most is that the building was designed around how students learn and how they will use the school every day,” Director of Construction Sara Co...

Everyone wants to live a longer, healthier life, but figuring out how to actually do it -- and then sticking to it -- can be much harder. A transformative new initiative is trying to remove that guesswork entirely by building wellness directly into the daily environment.

Rather than asking individuals to rely on willpower alone, the Blue Zones Project targets the surroundings people navigate every day. Many people recognize the con...

More than a dozen Bethel School District seniors walked across the graduation stage in August to receive their diplomas, proving that hard work pays off, no matter the timeline.

The students were graduates of Bethel, Challenger, Graham-Kapowsin, and Spanaway Lake high schools.  While our district's 91% on-time graduation rate is something to celebrate, the standard four-year path isn't the only route to success.

For these stud...

Through careful planning, efficient staffing, and prudent financial management, Bethel has successfully delivered a balanced budget for the upcoming school year. The budget reflects our commitment to delivering a high-quality education for every student while being careful stewards of local tax dollars.

However, as district leaders look toward the future, significant state-level funding gaps threaten to pull resources away from our...

For many of our students, graduation day is more than a ceremony. It is the culmination of years of quiet resilience, hard work, and relentless community support.

This year, our McKinney-Vento students -- those experiencing homelessness -- achieved an 84% graduation rate, up from 79% last year. Those are certainly impressive numbers, but behind those statistics are real students overcoming extraordinary circumstances.

Navigating hi...

Transitioning to a new school brings plenty of anxiety, for incoming students and families alike. To help ease that pressure, every middle and high school in our district runs an orientation program before the first bell rings. Middle schools host WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) for incoming 6th graders, while high schools run Link Crew for incoming freshmen.

The goal is simple, to eliminate the first-day jitters. Instead of wanderin...

You are invited to the official dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new Bethel High School on August 21 at 1 p.m. Speakers will include former Superintendent Tom Seigel, BHS students, and more! The ceremony will be held in the main gym. Self-guided tours will be available after the ceremony. Everyone is welcome to join us at 7718 224th St. E., Graham, WA 98338.

This massive project has been 19 years in the making. The sea...

The exciting transformation of Cedarcrest Middle School is officially underway as demolition crews have already begun clearing the old site to make way for a brand-new era. 

What began as a modernization plan under our voter-approved 2019 School Construction Bond has successfully evolved into a complete, state-of-the-art school rebuild, thanks to careful planning and additional state funding. 

The new Cedarcrest will be a...

Legislators have made drastic changes to the way they financially support school districts. These changes are going to take tens of millions of dollars out of our district’s budget unless something is done. But before you call Olympia, let’s rewind and get the full story.

Earlier this year, voters approved the renewal of our Educational Programs & Operations Levy and our Technology Levy. Thank you, voters! We all kn...

For a school district, a true balanced budget will show the money going in being the same as the money going out. And for the 2026/27 school year, that’s exactly what we have on the table, thanks to a lot of hard work behind the scenes.

On top of a balanced budget, the district also just finished our annual audit from the state, which once again was a clean audit, countering some online opinions that we’re “m...

A red Abbey Road Studio sign hangs above a small conference room at district headquarters. Abbey Road is, of course, where the Beatles recorded 190 of their legendary hits. Here in Bethel, this tiny room is where our flagship podcast will soon record its 190th episode.

"We’re not comparing ourselves to the Beatles by any stretch of the imagination,” co-host Doug Boyles said with a laugh. “And they’re not com...

When people hear the word “audit” they start to get nervous. With personal taxes, an audit can be an intrusive exercise, feeling like you’re baring your finances for all the world to see. 

Imagine being audited every year.

Here in Bethel, and for school districts around the state, that’s what happens. Every year we open our doors and books to a state auditor who digs into all the numbers. This year Beth...

With the new Bethel High nearing completion and getting ready to welcome students this fall, we know our community has a few questions. Here are a few quick answers to what's on everyone's mind.

First, many are wondering when people will be able to tour the new facilities. We will host an official ribbon cutting ceremony on August 21, and there will also be an opportunity for public tours when the school hosts ABC Day on October 3.

...

Before the school bell rings, our Central Kitchen is already buzzing with activity. And this year marks a monumental milestone year for our hard-working culinary crew, who are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the facility that keeps our students fed.   Ten years ago, we were serving half the amount of food we do today. Now, our dedicated team prepares an incredible 19,200 meals every single day, including breakfast and l...

We are sad to announce the passing of Bethel legend Ed Niehl.

Ed poured his heart into our students as a physical education teacher, athletic director, and coach. It is hard to imagine a Friday night without the bright lights of Art Crate Field, but the area was little more than a cow pasture when Ed started way back in 1949. He literally put his foot down to choose the exact spot where the historic stadium stands today.

That field...