Bremerton School District

An update from the Bremerton School Board

July 11, 2024

Important Announcement Regarding Bremerton School District’s Superintendent

Dear BSD families and community:

It is an important priority of our school district and our school board to keep Bremerton families and our community informed about district happenings, as best we can. With that said, last week, the Board of Directors made the difficult decision to place BSD Superintendent Dr. James Crawford on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a third-party investigation that began in late June. Statements about this investigation are posted on our website.

This is a personnel matter, and as such, there is very little information that we can legally share with families at this time. We want to assure our school and broader Bremerton community that we are committed to a thorough, fair, and impartial process. This process will take time, so we ask for your patience as facts are gathered. We will provide an update to families, staff, and our community when we have more information we are able to share.

To ensure stability and that the important work of educating our young people continues to progress during this transition, the Board has appointed Dr. Garth Steedman as Interim Superintendent. Dr. Steedman has been with the District since 2014, and has served as the District’s Assistant Superintendent Finance, Operations, & Human Resources since 2016.

The Board will not be taking any action related to these matters at our regular meeting this evening, nor do we anticipate Board discussion of these matters at the meeting.

The Board is doing its very best to make decisions that are in the best interests of the District. We appreciate your understanding and patience.

The Bremerton School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employee(s) has been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Garth Steedman at 360.473.1031 or the Section 504 Coordinator, Mark Mayfield at 360.473.4702. Mailing address: 134 Marion Avenue North, Bremerton, WA 98312.

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