Bellingham Public Schools has honored its 2026 Promise Award recipients, announcing the honorees during surprise school visits as part of Staff Appreciation Week, which runs annually during the first full week of May in the district. Superintendent Greg Baker shared a video message and the full 2026 recipients video on the district's news page, thanking staff, students, families, and the broader Bellingham community for celebrating the people who make the schools run.
The Promise Awards program is tied directly to The Bellingham Promise, the district's long-standing framework for student success that commits the community to ensuring every student is known, challenged, and supported. Promise Award recipients are chosen to represent what that commitment looks like from the staff and volunteer side: people whose work increases awareness of what it means to support students and schools at the highest level.
The announcement visits themselves have become a tradition in the district. Staff members are surprised at their schools or workplaces with the news that they've been selected, and the reactions have become some of the most shared moments from Staff Appreciation Week each year. The approach is intentional: it centers the individuals being recognized rather than turning the awards into a formal ceremony removed from the day-to-day life of the schools.
The 2026 awards video, produced by the district and hosted through Wistia, features footage from across Bellingham's schools and highlights the breadth of roles being recognized. Promise Awards are not limited to classroom teachers. Support staff, paraeducators, nutrition workers, facilities crews, and community volunteers have all been recognized in past years, reflecting the district's understanding that student success depends on the contributions of everyone in the building.
Bellingham Public Schools serves students across the city's neighborhoods, from Whatcom Middle School and Bellingham High School to elementary schools throughout the district. The district has placed significant emphasis in recent years on staff retention and morale, recognizing that competitive hiring markets in the region make honoring existing staff both a cultural and a practical priority.
Families and community members who want to watch the 2026 Promise Awards video can find it on the Bellingham Public Schools news page. The video is also available via the district's YouTube channel.
Staff Appreciation Week is observed nationally during the first week of May each year. Bellingham schools and parent groups typically organize meals, handwritten notes, classroom decorations, and small gifts during the week. The Promise Awards serve as the district-level capstone recognition at the close of the week.
As the school year moves toward its final weeks, district leadership will continue to spotlight staff achievements through the end of the term. Graduation ceremonies and year-end events are expected to feature additional recognition of staff, volunteers, and community partners who made the 2025-2026 school year possible.
