Superintendent Video: Joyous Moments, Celebrations and Updates
In her December community update, Superintendent Heather Tow-Yick reflects on the joyful mid-year momentum across Issaquah School District (ISD) and celebrates the Issaquah School Board’s 17th consecutive Board of Distinction honor. The superintendent also previews upcoming work tied to the strategic plan, future budgeting, the renewal levies appearing on the February ballot, and more. Watch the full video here.
School Board to Host Town Hall Meeting Dec. 8
The School Board is inviting students, families and community members to join a town hall and share ideas about what every ISD graduate should know and be able to do. The meeting will take place in the library at Beaver Lake Middle School Library on Monday, Dec. 8, from 5:30-7 p.m.
This meeting is designed to gather feedback about the district’s “Portrait of a Graduate,” which will guide how ISD helps students gain skills on their path to graduation and beyond. Members of the board would also like to hear general questions and comments from community members.
This meeting was rescheduled from October, when a meeting was canceled due to schedule conflicts.
ISD Online Offers Second Virtual Open House
ISD’s first online open house was so successful that they plan to host another virtual event on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 6 p.m. The district will share more about the new virtual high school, which opens in the fall of 2026, including details about how the full-time school will offer flexibility, meaningful support from teachers and mentors.
Those who attend will also have the chance to hear about the learning center; what personalized, high-quality instruction will be like; how students can participate in extracurricular activities; and more. Students will have the chance to vote on a mascot for the new school, which will serve grades 9-12.
Register for the virtual open house or an in-person tour using this form.
Reminder: Join Us for Finance Information Sessions
ISD invites the whole community to attend the last Finance Information Session at Pine Lake Middle School on Wednesday, Dec. 10, from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Chief of Finance and Operations Martin Turney, Executive Director of Finance Moriah Banasick, and other team members will break down the district’s budget, explaining how local levy dollars help bridge the gap between state funding and the actual cost of educating and supporting students.
ISD Earns $46,596 Energy Incentive from PSE
The Issaquah School District has earned an incentive check for $46,596 from Puget Sound Energy (PSE) for districtwide improvements that reduced both electric and natural gas use. These upgrades are part of an ongoing effort to use resources wisely, lower utility costs and reinvest savings where they matter most—in classrooms.
Over the past two years, ISD has received $115,527 in energy-efficiency incentives and avoided more than $468,000 in utility costs, thanks to the work of ISD’s Facility Services team and partnerships with PSE.
Recent projects include replacing older metal-halide parking lot lights with high-efficiency LEDs at Beaver Lake Middle School, Briarwood Elementary, Discovery Elementary, Grand Ridge Elementary and Pacific Cascade Middle School. The district also replaced outdated, inefficient gas-fired water heaters at Discovery and Grand Ridge with new high-efficiency gas units after the old heaters were found to be wasting natural gas.
Issaquah Girls Cross Country Wins First State Title Since 2016
Issaquah High School’s cross-country team competed at the WIAA state championship, where the girls team captured the 4A title with a 15-point margin over Olympia High School (100–115). Entering the meet ranked third in Washington, the team prevailed in one of the most competitive 4A girls fields in recent years. This victory marks the program’s first state title since 2016, following three consecutive seasons as team runners-up. It was a standout finale to a remarkable season in which more than 120 athletes contributed to memorable team moments and numerous personal bests.
