June 2026 issue

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On June 17, Battle Ground held a listening session to discuss the financial future of BGPS schools, including budget priorities and future educational programs and operations levies. Financial stability is critical to bringing change to the district and preparing students for their future. 

Community members, parents/guardians, business leaders and staff attended the session and gave input on services and support for students.

We were proud to celebrate this year's graduating seniors! Thousands of graduates, thousands of unique stories of success, struggle and perseverance. Congratulations to all of the students who earned their diplomas, and a heartfelt thank you to the families and friends who supported them along the way.

This summer we're shining a spotlight on some of the seniors from the class of 2026. Follow along on social media to learn more about these grads!

Students from Summit View, Prairie and Battle Ground high schools recently received awards from Cascadia Tech Academy, including the school's Distinguished Graduate award and Dennis Kampe scholarship.

At Battle Ground High School, students in the Wood Design 2 course are recognized each year for demonstrating outstanding character traits that contribute to success both in the shop and beyond. Taught by Chet Weatherl, the course emphasizes professionalism, maturity and perseverance alongside woodworking skills. At the end of the school year, one student from each class period is honored in each category.

Written, edited and designed entirely by BGPS students, the Your Battle Ground Public Schools magazine highlights the achievements and stories of the district. Read the latest issue for stories about Tukes Valley students' work to restore their outdoor classroom, how the DREAM Team earned state recognition and much, much more!

See more student publications on the district website.

Each semester, Laurin Middle School students in teacher Tanya Bachman's classes get an opportunity to present their artwork to their peers, family members, staff and supporters. The art show is a chance for the students to display their work as well as talk about what they like about each piece and how they worked through any challenges. Audience members have an opportunity to ask questions and compliment the work. The art show is a lesson in public speaking, presentation and confidence. Way to go, student-artists!

Battle Ground High School student Xander Wingfield was selected to participate in LSW Architects' Design CoMission, an internship program that gives high school students the chance to participate in hands-on, project-based learning in architecture and design under the mentorship of working architects. Throughout the internship, students were challenged to leverage their natural strengths and collaborate effectively. The spring 2026 cohort's teamwork paid off as their design earned first place at a state competition.

Design CoMission accepts applications in September and January of each year and is an excellent opportunity for students considering architecture and design careers. Interested students should contact their high school College and Career Center for more information.

Congratulations to the Chief Umtuch Middle School band! Under the direction of Aaron Tuchardt, the Wolverines were one of just nine bands to earn the Gold Standard at the 2026 Fred Meyer Junior Parade. Established in 1936, the Junior Parade is the oldest and largest children’s parade in the U.S. Watch the band's performance (starting at the 59:10 mark).

Two teams of students from Laurin Middle School earned honors in the 2026 Students for Clean Water Video Contest. Sponsored by the Stormwater Partners of SW Washington, a coalition of jurisdictions, agencies and nonprofit organizations working together to protect water quality and local watersheds, the contest challenges students to create videos that inspire others to contribute to clean water. Congratulations to the following:

Saving our water

The power of septic systems

Battle Ground High School students recently turned the
Mr. & Ms. Battle Ground Pageant into an opportunity to make a meaningful difference for children facing serious illnesses.  Students raised funds and awareness to support Chelsea’s Closet, a program that brings therapeutic play, costumes and joy to hospitalized children and their families. Through creativity, leadership, and community service, these students demonstrated how a school tradition can create lasting impact.

After reviewing Battle Ground Public Schools' finances and operations for approximately 425 hours, the Washington State Auditor's Office has issued clean reports for the district's accountability, financial statement and federal audits.

The audits found that Battle Ground Public Schools complied with applicable laws, regulations and district policies in the areas reviewed and maintained appropriate controls to safeguard public resources. Auditors reported no findings, material weaknesses or significant deficiencies.

Above: The former operations building, a 1930s-era bus barn with structural issues, will be demolished to make room for the new Futures building.

Making way for new Futures building
Sitework is beginning to prepare for the construction of a new building for the Futures program. The program has outgrown its current location at the Dodge House. The new building will be located to the west of Battle Ground High School in the location of the former operations building. That building, a 1930s-era bus barn with structural issues, will be demolished.

The project also will include work on the Battle Ground High School parking lot to improve pickup and dropoff and add approximately 80 more parking spaces. It will be funded through impact fees, which are generated through new construction within the district’s boundaries and can only be used for capital projects outlined in the district's capital facilities plan.

About the program
The Futures program helps foster independence for young adults ages 18-22 who have disabilities. The program focuses on employment, life skills and community interactions. Students gain real-world experience through work opportunities at Clark County businesses.

Construction on the new BGVA began in fall 2025.

The new Battle Ground Virtual Academy building will open in fall 2026.

Battle Ground Virtual Academy almost ready for move-in
In August, BGVA staff members will move from their current location on the River HomeLink campus to the new building located on Prairie High School's campus. This will free up additional space for River HomeLink.

Like the Futures building, the new BGVA is also paid for with impact fees. Using impact fees to pay for projects whenever possible means that local residents are not being asked to pay an additional tax to fund the work.

About the program
Battle Ground Virtual Academy is a digital learning school serving students in grades K-12 both virtually and onsite. Parents/guardians act as learning coaches at home, monitor progress, help with lessons and communicate with an assigned adviser. BGVA accepts students from all over the state of Washington.

Capital levy work continues
Projects funded through a 2024 voter-approved capital levy are continuing to take shape. Capital levy funds will be used to build a new construction trades building at Battle Ground High School. The construction trades building will expand hands-on learning in the fields of construction, woodworking, plumbing, electrical and heating/cooling. Local business partners in the trades identified these areas as priorities. In addition, regional data shows that these industries have strong demand in Southwest Washington. At the new construction trades building, students will have access to hands-on learning and will be able to complete simulations of real-world tasks.

Other upcoming capital levy projects include:

Did you know?
School districts use different sources of money to pay for capital/building projects. Generally speaking, these sources of money cannot be used to pay for day-to-day school operations. Learn more about the different sources of funding for capital projects.

Collaboration that cultivates trust is one of the goals in the district's strategic plan.

Battle Ground staff members are represented by different labor groups, including the Battle Ground Education Association (BGEA) and Public School Employees of Battle Ground (PSE). The district engages in good faith bargaining with these groups. BGPS is currently engaged in collective bargaining with BGEA ahead of the association's contract expiration date of Aug. 31, 2026.

Providing a safe and caring environment, including extracurricular and athletic opportunities, is one of the goals in the district's strategic plan.

Due to the loss of levy funding, our district must make $20 million in budget cuts for the upcoming school year. Because the district does not receive any state funding that is specifically designated for athletics, some athletic programs may be affected even with an increase in sports participation fees to help offset costs.

The impacted sports have a cost to rent or access facilities that the district does not own. These sports include boys and girls golf, gymnastics, boys and girls swimming and bowling. Participation and donation goals must be met for the district to offer these sports.

Lunch is available this summer for kids and teens ages 18 and younger:

📅Dates: Monday through Friday through Aug. 20 (except for July 1-3).
⌚Time: 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
📍Location: CAM Academy, 406 NW 5th Ave., Battle Ground. All meals must be consumed onsite.

Sponsored by Battle Ground Public Schools and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Summer Food Service Program provides nutritious meals during the summer months when children are not in school.

SUN Bucks
In 2026, Washington families may be eligible to receive $120 per child to purchase groceries during the summer months, when school is out of session, through the SUN Bucks program. Some children are automatically enrolled, while others need to submit an application. Use this online screening tool to determine whether you need to submit an application. 

Summer camps and activities
Battle Ground Community Education is offering a variety of classes and summer camps for kids of all ages. To see a full list of available camps and register, visit the Battle Ground Community Education website.

Right at School is offering summer camps at Tukes Valley Primary and Glenwood Heights Primary on Monday through Friday, from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. A state program called Working Connections Child Care may be able to help you cover the cost of this camp. Learn more.

Get ready to be a part of something extraordinary at Battle Ground Education Foundation's first-ever Harvest Days 5K Fun Run! Run or walk a three-mile loop that precedes the Harvest Days Parade. Every registration supports kids in Battle Ground Public Schools with access to supplies, food and enrichment activities. 

On June 22, Addison Juhnke was sworn in as the new student representative to the board of directors

Recent meetings
In June, BGPS’ board of directors held two regular meetings and a work session/special meeting.

June 8 regular meeting
The board of directors voted unanimously to approve the following:

June 22 work session/special meeting and regular meeting
The board held a work session/special meeting to discuss the June 17 listening session and planning for a future educational programs and operations levy. The session included a discussion about potential levy amount options developed in response to community input gathered through a listening session and previous input from community members. The board did not take any formal action on any of the options. District staff will make revisions to the options for future board consideration.

During the regular meeting, the board of directors voted unanimously to approve the following:

Upcoming meetings
The board will meet next on July 27 at 6 p.m. for a regular meeting. A special meeting/work session 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.

The Reflector

The Columbian

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