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Superintendent Tow-Yick bumps elbows with a fifth grader at Creekside while participating in the class's morning meeting.

Dear Issaquah School District Community, 

This school year marks the third year I am serving as your Superintendent. And I continue to appreciate the opportunity to learn and lead in the Issaquah School District community. This year is also a special year, as my family started this year as a new family to the district. It is a valuable and unique perspective that my role as a parent brings to my role as a leader.

As we look ahead at this school year, we are continuing our work in service of our vision, adopted by the school board in 2023 that “All students thrive as they engage in meaningful learning that unlocks their passion and potential to positively impact the world.” Specifically, we are advancing the second year of implementation of the strategic plan and looking for ways to address opportunity gaps.

Innovation remains a common them as we continue to build upon the excellent work across the district and across the years. We simultaneously embrace continuous learning and new ways to prepare our students for a life filled with passion and purpose beyond high school, and maintaining the foundation of what we do for every student, every day.

The bond initiative on the ballot on November 5 is one way we are striving to meet the needs of students, staff, families and the community now, and well into the future.

I look forward to continued dialogue, engagement and partnership.

Let’s have an amazing 2024-25 school year!

Sincerely, 

Heather Tow-Yick Signature

Heather Tow-Yick
Superintendent

 

About Heather

Heather previously served as deputy superintendent of the Mukilteo School District, also in Washington. Prior to Mukilteo, Tow-Yick was chief of staff to the CEO at Teach For America and launched the organization’s work in Rhode Island. Her experience also includes roles as chief transformation officer and chief of staff for Providence Public Schools, consultant at the Bridgespan Group, and special assistant to former New York City Department of Education Chancellor Joel Klein. She began her career as a middle school English teacher in the Bronx.

Tow-Yick has a master’s in secondary English education from Columbia University Teachers College and an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Brown University.

Top strengths include: arranger, communication, individualization, responsibility, achiever.

Superintendent Announcements

School Board Icon

At the June 26 School Board meeting, the Board welcomed new administrators and shared reflections on the 2025 graduation ceremonies. Additional topics included Works in Progress, a capital projects update, an update on Accelerated Learning (Highly Capable Program), the Superintendent’s Annual Evaluation, and a review of web-based platforms for Board meeting agendas and documentation, among other items.

  • Capital Projects
  • Finance
  • High School
  • Strategic Planning
  • Superintendent
Read More about School Board Meeting Recap: June 26, 2025
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At the May 29 School Board meeting, directors shared about the Town Hall from May 12. Additionally, they heard a report about works in progress from the superintendent; an update about the Student Representative program; an update about Capital Projects; an update with information they had previously requested about the structure of schools; an update about the district regulation regarding cell phone use; a monitoring report for Operational Expectation 14 regarding the instructional program; an update about two priority areas of the Strategic Plan; and more.

  • Capital Projects
  • Finance
  • High School
  • Strategic Planning
  • Superintendent
Read More about School Board Meeting Recap: May 29, 2025
Superintendent Update: Transitions, Celebrations, Opportunities

For school district staff, students and families, May is a time for end of year assessments, preparing to help students transition to the next grade level, school or for their path beyond high school. In the Community Update Video for May, Superintendent Heather Tow-Yick also encourages us all to check in on one another, and thanks teachers and staff for their dedication throughout the school year. Please tune in to hear from Tow-Yick directly.

  • Superintendent
Read More about Superintendent Update: Transitions, Celebrations, Opportunities
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The Issaquah School Board met on April 10, 2025. Agenda topics included a recap of a recent joint meeting with the City of Issaquah; a recap of a work study session with the PTSA Council leaders; reports from recent conferences attended by members of the board; a first reading of the new sustainability policy; a report about works in progress; an update about the New High School project; information about the development of the 2025-26 budget; and more.

  • Budget
  • Capital Projects
  • PTSA/PTA
  • School Board
  • Superintendent
Read More about School Board Meeting Recap: April 10, 2025
Superintendent Updates

With just three months left in the school year, the district is focused on finishing strong and preparing for the future. In this video update, Superintendent Heather Tow-Yick discusses the 2025-26 budget process, the need for a cautious financial approach amid rising costs, the importance of replacement levies in 2026 to maintain academic excellence and more.

  • Capital Projects
  • Finance
  • Superintendent
Read More about Superintendent Update: 2025-26 Budgeting Process, More