Bellingham families, mark your calendars: the last day of school for the 2025-26 year is this Friday, June 12. All Bellingham School District schools will be on an early dismissal schedule, so parents and guardians will want to plan for earlier pickups or make arrangements accordingly.
Elementary schools will dismiss at 12:20 p.m., middle schools at 1:15 p.m., and all high schools at 2 p.m. The early releases affect students at every level from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The Bellingham School District serves more than 10,000 students across its elementary, middle, and high school campuses, including Bellingham High, Sehome High, Squalicum High, and Options High School.
School office hours over the following days will be limited. All school offices will be open June 15, 16, 17 and 18 from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. The District Office at 1306 Dupont St. will maintain its regular hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during that week. Families with enrollment paperwork, records requests, or other end-of-year business should plan to visit during those windows.
The Friday after the last day of school, June 19, all school offices and the District Office will be closed in observance of Juneteenth, the federal holiday marking the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. It is observed on June 19 each year and has been a federal holiday since 2021.
Starting Monday, June 22, most school offices will be closed to the public for the bulk of the summer. Elementary and middle school offices will be closed through Friday, August 14. High school students and families, however, will have some access during the summer. Bellingham High, Sehome, and Squalicum high school offices will be open June 22 to July 2 on a Monday through Thursday schedule from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. All three high schools will then close July 6 through 17. After the July break, those offices reopen July 20 and remain on the Monday-through-Thursday schedule through August 14.
Options High School, the district's alternative learning program on Cordata Pkwy, follows its own timeline. The Options office closes June 22 and does not reopen until Tuesday, August 18, just before the start of the 2026-27 school year.
For families navigating summer childcare, the Bellingham School District offers summer programs through its Recreation and Athletics department, and several local organizations including the YMCA of Whatcom County and Whatcom Family YMCA run summer day camps and enrichment programs throughout July and August. The City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation department also coordinates summer activities at neighborhood parks and community centers.
For current news and updates throughout the summer, the district's website at bellinghamschools.org is the authoritative source. Staff return in mid-August to prepare for the 2026-27 school year, which is expected to begin for students in early September. Check the district calendar for exact back-to-school dates as they are announced.
The close of the 2025-26 school year comes after a full academic calendar that began September 2, 2025. It has been a year of continued recovery from the staffing and curriculum shifts that followed the pandemic years, and educators and families alike are looking forward to a well-earned summer break.
