Bellingham High School is the oldest of the Bellingham School District's comprehensive high schools, occupying a 1938 streamline-modern art deco building at 2020 Cornwall Avenue in Whatcom County's largest city. Enrollment hovers around 1,200 students. A multi-year renovation completed in 2000 gutted the interior while preserving the historic facade, and a later project added an 800-seat auditorium, performing-arts center, and a three-story student commons.
The school competes in the Northwest Conference and adopted the Bayhawks identity in 2022, replacing earlier mascots after a community process. Academics include Advanced Placement coursework and Running Start dual-credit options through nearby colleges, and the district reports SAT and AP participation rates above state averages.
Bellingham is in a leadership-transition cycle: the district announced in spring 2025 that Ben Goodwin, a former BHS teacher and most recently an assistant principal and CTE director at Ferndale High School, would return to lead BHS, with Nikki Lockhart joining Chris Carlson on the assistant-principal team. Districtwide capital work and ongoing facilities updates continue alongside the school's regular state-assessment cycle.
Source: WA ERDC Graduate Outcomes.
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