With the 2026-27 school year underway, Bellingham Public Schools is asking all families to complete their annual Skyward forms by Thursday, September 11. The district relies on these forms to keep emergency contact information current, confirm attendance expectations, collect required annual notifications, and ensure students are connected to the right communication channels from the start of the year.
What Families Need to Do and Why the Deadline Matters
Every year at the start of the school year, Bellingham Public Schools requires families to log into the Skyward Family Access portal and complete a set of annual update forms. These are not optional. The forms update emergency contacts, verify household information, acknowledge required district notifications, confirm attendance policies, and complete a nondiscrimination acknowledgment that the district is required to collect.
The district is also asking families to confirm their connection to ParentSquare, the platform Bellingham Public Schools uses for two-way communication between school staff and families. ParentSquare replaced older messaging systems in recent years and is now the primary tool for school announcements, teacher messages, and district-wide communications. Families who have not set up their ParentSquare accounts or have not linked them to updated contact information may miss important notices throughout the year.
September 11 is the deadline for all of these forms. Families who miss the deadline may find that the district lacks current information to reach them in an emergency, or that students' records are flagged as incomplete, which can create administrative complications as the year progresses.
How to Access Skyward
Skyward Family Access is the district's student information and family portal. Parents and guardians who have used Skyward in prior years can log in at the same address they have used before. Families new to the district should have received login credentials during the enrollment process. The district's technology support team can assist with forgotten usernames or passwords.
Once logged in, families will see prompts for the annual update forms. The process is designed to be completed online in a single session for most families, though households with multiple children enrolled in the district will need to complete forms for each student. The forms pull in prior-year information and ask families to verify that it is still accurate or update anything that has changed.
Key pieces of information to have ready include current home address, phone numbers for each parent or guardian, names and phone numbers for emergency contacts who are not the primary caregivers, physician contact information, and any updated health or medical notes relevant to the student's school day.
Annual Notifications and Required Acknowledgments
Part of what the Skyward forms collect is the family's acknowledgment of required annual district notifications. Washington State law and federal regulations require school districts to notify families at the start of each year about a range of policies and rights, including the district's nondiscrimination policy, student privacy rights under FERPA, attendance expectations and consequences, and information about available programs and services.
Bellingham Public Schools operates under the framework of the Bellingham Promise, the district's long-term vision for student outcomes that emphasizes academic achievement, personal growth, and preparation for life after high school. That framework informs how the district communicates with families and what it prioritizes in school programming throughout the year.
Families who have questions about specific policies referenced in the annual notifications or who want more information about district programs can contact their child's school office directly or reach the district's main administrative office at 360-676-6400. The district's website also maintains a comprehensive resource section for families covering enrollment, school menus, transportation, and other practical information.
First Week of School Reminders
The 2026-27 school year is already underway for most Bellingham students, with the first week including orientations and adjustment days for some grade levels. Families should be aware that there is no school on Labor Day, Monday, September 7, which falls during the first two weeks of the academic calendar. Schools will be closed that day in observance of the holiday, and normal schedules will resume Tuesday, September 8.
For families of students new to Bellingham Public Schools, the district's website includes information on transportation routes and schedules, school supply expectations, meal programs, and how to navigate the various online platforms the district uses throughout the year. Getting the Skyward forms completed by September 11 is one of the most important first steps any family can take to ensure a smooth start to the school year.
Families can also find back-to-school community programming details across Whatcom County through local library and community center resources. For Skyward login support or form questions, contact your child's school office before the September 11 deadline.
