Community support propels schools: Cram the Cruiser and Spring Soirée benefit students
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In late March, the Battle Ground Education Foundation, Battle Ground Police Department and Clark County Sheriff’s Office teamed up to launch the first-ever Cram the Cruiser event. The response from the community netted nearly 8,500 donated snacks to help stock student food pantries at Battle Ground and Prairie high schools. These pantries, supported by School Resource Officer Phil Anderson and Deputy Chelsea Quiggle, play an important role in giving students access to snacks during the school day and strengthening connections in the school community.
The generosity was so overwhelming that both patrol vehicles were completely filled, requiring multiple trips to transport all the donations. The event’s success was also made possible by the support of Read Northwest, Fire District 3, local elected officials and members of the Pacific Youth Cheerleading organization.
The Battle Ground Education Foundation also held its inaugural spring soiree on April 18. The event raised more than $34,000 to support student programs and opportunities, including Advanced Placement tests, extracurricular activities and sports, student food pantries and more.
Battle Ground Public Schools appreciates the collaboration among these groups to support students!
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Spring plant sales continue
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Ready to start planting? Battle Ground Public Schools’ annual plant and greenhouse sales are going on now. The sales will feature a variety of annuals, perennials, hanging baskets, vegetables and native plants grown by high school students. |
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Accolades and accomplishments from around the district |
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Several students from Chief Umtuch Middle School qualified for the state History Day competition this year. This year’s theme of “Revolution, Reaction and Reform” challenged students to explore pivotal moments of change throughout history. Chief students responded with a wide range of projects, including documentaries, exhibits and research papers that they have been developing since early September. See who received recognition at the regional level and went on to compete at state.
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Of the 94 cadets selected nationwide for this summer's Air Force Chief of Staff Flight Academy, only three are from Washington state and all of the Washingtonians are from Battle Ground High School! Nathan Davis, Lord King Nana-Badu-
Weah and Henry Richards will attend flight training at Purdue University in Indiana beginning in mid-June. Each will complete a rigorous ground school course as well as at least 50 hours of flight in pursuit of a private pilot’s license. Read about these flying Tigers. |
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Students in Gene Fritz’s advanced culinary class recently transformed donated goods into a unique recipe that supported the food pantry at Battle Ground High School. A generous community member donated the ingredients, including a case of pasta, tomato sauce, rice and tuna. The class prepared four different dishes and voted on their favorite. Once the winning recipe was chosen, donation funding was used to purchase additional ingredients and supplies. The students packaged up over 200 meals to donate to their peers. See more pictures of their work.
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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.
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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.
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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)
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Support for students, families |
Did you know that Battle Ground Public Schools students and families can get support with things like clothing, hygiene items, food and other resources? If your family needs assistance, here are a few steps that you can take: |
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Apply for free or reduced-price meals and fill out a consent to share form to waive or reduce fees.
- Ask your child’s school counselor about receiving a weekly food bag through Share Vancouver.
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Make an appointment to visit the Clothes Closet, which offers 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.
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Contact the Family and Community Resource Center to learn about things like community resources and support for students and families who are unhoused. The FCRC relies in part on donations and volunteers.
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Contact a parent-outreach liaison for interpretation and/or translation services.
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We are here for our students and families and want each person to feel supported. Please let us know how we can help. |
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School board meeting updates |
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Recent meetings
BGPS’ board of directors held executive sessions and regular meetings in April. |
April 13 executive session and regular meeting
The board met at 4:30 p.m. in a closed executive session. No action followed. During the regular meeting, the board voted to approve the purchase of phone equipment needed to replace the current system, which is now obsolete. The obsolete current system makes equipment difficult to source and can bring security risks. The purchase will be paid for by the capital levy. Capital levy funds can't be used to pay for operating costs or teacher salaries.
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April 27 regular meeting
During the regular meeting, the board of directors voted to approve the following: |
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Donation from the Community Foundation Patrick Hough endowment fund
- Glenwood/Laurin campus access easement
- Reduced educational program/reduction in force (see budget cut information below)
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Upcoming meetings
The board will meet next on May 11 and May 26 at 6 p.m. Special meetings/work sessions may be added at a later date. You are invited to attend all regular meetings and any special meetings/work sessions in-person at the Lewisville campus (406 NW 5th Ave., Battle Ground) or watch the meetings online.
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BGPS budget cuts for the 2026-27 school year |
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 other factors. 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, which is required by law.
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About the reductions and cuts |
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Copyright © 2026 Battle Ground Public Schools. All rights reserved.
The Battle Ground Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Information about the district’s nondiscrimination and sex-based discrimination policies and grievance procedures are located on the district’s website.
The following employees have been designated to receive and respond to questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:
Title IX Coordinator/Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator: Lynnell Tsugawa-Murray, Assistant Superintendent, Battle Ground Public Schools, PO Box 200, Battle Ground, WA 98604, murray.lynnell@battlegroundps.org, 360-885-5340
Section 504/ADA Coordinator: Michelle Reinhardt, Executive Director of Human Resources, Battle Ground Public Schools, PO Box 200, Battle Ground, WA 98604,reinhardt.michelle@battlegroundps.org, 360-885-5481
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