Leadership | Bainbridge Schools Foundation

Get to know our 2022-23 Co-Presidents

Stefanie Baldwin

April Murray

We moved to Bainbridge from the Greenlake area *just* before the COVID pandemic began, with a first grade son and pre-kinder daughter in tow. A couple of months later, the world shut down, we hardly knew anyone, and were convinced we’d made a terrible mistake. Two and a half years later, the kids are thriving and so, so happy!

The schools in our Greenlake neighborhood were wonderful, well-funded, and had strong parental support. Truly, we didn’t know what we were missing until we moved to the Island; not only is it possible to have all of that, but also, an added sense of collaboration and community support. A year into the pandemic, another mom and avid BSF-supporter asked me how we liked the schools so far. I raved to my Mom-Friend about the quality of teachers, the cohesion between the schools and neighborhoods, and how our family had particularly benefited from programs like STEM and Reading Club. When Mom-Friend proclaimed, “oh but that’s us! That’s BSF, those are our programs!” I was grateful, and thrilled, and told her to put me to work.

Full disclosure: I am Team Public Schools. My husband and I went to great public schools growing up, and I’m grateful for this education and the foundation it offered me. I truly believe it’s up to all of us to support our District as they work to ensure that our little humans grow up continuing to thrive. Let’s do this, Bainbridge!

18 years ago, the move to Bainbridge was an easy decision for our family and one we have never regretted. We wanted a community that cared about one another, a place that we felt “at home” and most of all, a School District that had excellent teachers and an exemplary record of students who graduated and went on to be amazing humans. Bainbridge checked all the boxes.

Today, with three kids who have been in the School District and who have flourished, grown, learned, and developed into wonderful young men, I couldn’t think of a better way to give back to this community than to serve on the board of Bainbridge Schools Foundation.

Whatever the challenges, whatever the culture and climate, education is fundamental to solving it all. Our School District is the vehicle for providing that education. We are a community that rallies around things that are important to us. We are a community that gives support. We are a community that supports our local School District.