Bellingham Public Schools Calendar 2026-2027

Between the Salish Sea and the North Cascades, Bellingham’s schools share a city with four higher-education institutions and stand on the homelands of the Lummi and Nooksack peoples. Western Washington University, Whatcom Community College, Bellingham Technical College and Northwest Indian College create nearby connections for Running Start, career exploration, technical study and college planning. Shoreline, trails, parks and cultural organizations also make environmental and civic learning easy to connect with place.

Fourteen elementary schools and four middle schools lead to Bellingham, Sehome or Squalicum high school; Options High School provides a smaller secondary setting. Career and technical courses, dual credit, arts and performance programs let students build schedules around academic, creative or applied interests. The three comprehensive high schools retain distinct traditions while drawing on the same citywide resources.

Bellingham Family Partnership gives K–8 families a public-school relationship while much of the teaching remains home based, and Options High changes the scale and pace for older students. These programs sit within a district whose ordinary schools already reflect very different neighborhoods, from the historic city grid to the waterfront and expanding edges. Coastal geography, tribal homelands, higher education and neighborhood school cultures all remain visible as students move through the system.