BRIDGEPORT – The halls of the Bridgeport Exempted Village School District once more came alive with students on the first day of school last week and they received a true Bulldogs welcome.
Staff and the administrative team met their kiddos at the front entrance and optimism was in the air and the community is eager as the 2025-2026 school year unfolds.
This will be a year of changes for both the new students and those returning. The very shape of the campus is changing, with the construction of a multipurpose facility, dubbed “the Bridge,” underway and set to continue into 2026. When complete, the Bridge promises to make Bridgeport Schools a center of education, training, health services, and community life for the surrounding area, but the work in front of the elementary school called for some changes in procedure and the district extends gratitude to the parents and families for their patience.
Administrators, including Bridgeport Elementary Principal Kamaron Sabinski, were at the forefront to greet students and guide the younger students from the middle school/high school entrance to their places. Personnel were outside to help direct drop-off traffic and assist students crossing from the parking lot to the building.
Superintendent Brent Ripley said the board had made extensive planning for the drop-off procedures, especially in light of rising enrollment as more families see what the district has on offer and commit to Bridgeport Schools.
“We’ve have welcomed a lot of new students to our Bridgeport family. Our goal was to over communicate so the parents knew exactly where to drop kids off and made sure we did everything within our power to ensure everything went smoothly this first day. Our parents and staff did a remarkable job on this first day.
Ripley observed the many smiling faces.
“We are glad to have the students and faculty back. We have a saying at Bridgeport: “What’s best for the students,” and today we displayed that in full force. I am so incredibly proud of the work that our team has done.”
