Families with children in Bellingham Public Schools have two early dismissal days coming up this month. All schools across the district will release students early on Thursday, April 16, and again on Thursday, April 23, according to an announcement from the district's Communications and Community Relations office.
The early dismissal times follow the district's standard schedule for these planned days: elementary schools dismiss at 12:20 p.m., middle schools at 1:15 p.m., and high schools at 2 p.m. These times are consistent with how the district handles professional development and planning days throughout the school year, allowing teachers and staff additional time for collaboration and instructional preparation.
Early dismissal days are built into the 2025-26 school year calendar and should be reflected in schedules that families received at the start of the year. That said, the district's reminder is well-timed given that the dates fall on consecutive Thursdays, which can be easy to overlook during the busy spring stretch of the school year.
Bellingham Public Schools serves students across a range of elementary, middle, and high school campuses throughout the city. The district has worked in recent years to improve its communication around calendar changes and planned early releases, recognizing that childcare and transportation arrangements can be significantly affected by shortened school days, particularly for families with both parents working.
For families who rely on after-school programs or childcare, now is the time to make arrangements for April 16 and April 23. District-run extended care programs and community partners that operate after-school services typically maintain their own schedules for early dismissal days, so checking in with those providers directly is recommended.
The district also released preliminary key dates for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years, giving families an early look at future calendars. Those dates are available on the Bellingham Schools calendar page for planning purposes, though they may be subject to revision by the school board.
Parents with questions about specific school schedules or after-school programming during these early dismissal days can contact their child's school directly. The district's main website also maintains contact information for each school. Additional calendar updates or changes for the remainder of the 2025-26 school year will be communicated through the district's standard notification channels.
As a quick reference for the coming weeks: Thursday, April 16 and Thursday, April 23 are both early dismissal days for all Bellingham Public Schools. Elementary at 12:20 p.m., middle school at 1:15 p.m., high school at 2 p.m. Mark your calendars accordingly.
