Listen to the Story

Sometimes the best careers grow out of simply caring about kids and wanting to help. Angie Cochenour is a mom who turned her love of helping kids into a career as a special education teacher. Today she teaches preschool at Naches Trail Elementary. More than a decade ago, Angie volunteered regularly at her kids’ schools, helping out wherever she could. Eventually, someone asked her a question that...

In October, the School Board reviewed our  annual audit reports  and also received an  enrollment update  that shows we're holding our own in challenging times. The annual audit review had a trifecta of good audit outcomes: no significant deficiencies or material weaknesses, no material noncompliance, and an unmodified opinion. Joanne Klein, Director of Accounting and Purchasing, summed it up perf...

Every school day in Bethel begins with a simple guarantee: no child will go hungry. And this year, thanks to the hard work of our Child Nutrition staff, every student in the district qualifies for free breakfast and lunch. That's tens of thousands of meals prepared and served for free across the district.

When Bethel Middle School teacher Nelago Nuunyango tells her students that education can change their lives, she speaks from experience. Nuunyango’s own journey stretches from moonlit study sessions in rural Namibia to the halls at Pacific Lutheran University, and finally to the desks of her students at Bethel Middle.

News and updates from around the district.

This year we’ve seen a lot of news stories about school districts who are struggling to pay the bills. Neighboring districts saw budget cuts, layoffs, and state intervention in one case. But here at home, Bethel seems to be staying the course financially. How is that? School finances in uncertain times Thanks to forward thinking and conservative budgeting, our district has been able to weather the...

Recently, our School Board held a Study Session to discuss student safety with a panel of staff members, including one of our School Resource Officers. The conversation centered around how we protect the physical and the emotional safety of our students.  When it comes to emotional safety, staff are always working to build relationships with students to help support them, and to remove barriers to...

News and reminders from around the district.

Recently, our School Board held a Study Session to discuss student safety with a panel of staff members, including one of our School Resource Officers. The conversation centered around how we protect the physical and the emotional safety of our students.  Physical safety includes the measures we have in place in our schools to keep students safe. It also includes systems and staff whose job it is...

Thank you, voters! Construction on the New Bethel High School broke ground in 2024 and is scheduled to be completed in 2026. At almost 300,000 square feet, the New Bethel High School is a massive project. Exterior brickwork is going up on the building, the student parking lot has been paved, and the new turf field and track look amazing!

Weekly news and reminders from around the district.

Kapowsin Elementary has been recognized as a 2025 Washington School on the Rise by the Association of Washington School Principals.

Weekly news, updates and reminders from the Bethel School District

Our Transportation Department is moving full speed ahead under the leadership of new Director John West and the launch of a high-tech routing software.

News and updates from around the Bethel School District.

Students, staff and community members gathered at Spanaway Lake High School this morning to honor the lives lost in the September 11 terror attacks 24 years ago. The ceremony featured a joint color guard from our JROTC programs, as well as a performance by the SLHS Music Company.

Maybe your kid wants to be a mechanic. Maybe a nurse. Maybe they want to start their own business, join the Army, or become an electrician. No matter what path they choose, they’re going to need skills, training, and experience. That starts in high school … but it doesn’t end there. Here in Bethel, we’re proud that more than 90% of our students earn a high school diploma. That’s a big deal.  But h...

For nearly 35 years, the readerboard at Graham Elementary School has displayed information about countless upcoming events, along with school and community news. What you may not know is that the piece of land the readerboard stands on belonged all along to Dolores Jarvis, a longtime community member and steadfast supporter of the Bethel School District. For more than three decades, she allowed us...

News and updates from around the Bethel School District.

It’s been over a decade since voters initially approved our Technology Capital Levy and put iPads into the hands of students across the district. Since then, the Capital Levy has been renewed every four years by voters to keep our students technologically literate in an ever-changing world. How were iPads chosen? Back in 2013, before the Technology Levy went before voters, our Technology team cond...

News and updates from around the Bethel School District.

Thank you, voters! The much needed expansion of Evergreen Elementary is complete and welcomed students on the first day of school!

An assistant principal at Cedarcrest Middle is seeing the impact of mentorship firsthand as two of his former student-athletes return to school as paraeducators with a mission to give back.

News and updates from around the Bethel School District.

What does it take to build schools where kids feel safe, supported, and ready to learn? In Bethel, one of the key components is strong behavior systems. With that in mind, this summer we hosted nationally recognized experts Jessica and John Hannigan to help us make those systems even stronger. The Hannigans have been working closely with Bethel for some time, helping our schools design and strengt...