With seven weeks left in the school year, it definitely feels like things are ratcheting up rather than winding down. I suppose that’s the way it is every spring, but this spring seems much more hectic than normal. I want to alert you to a few items of particular importance in the coming weeks:
Teacher Appreciation Week – National Teacher Appreciation Week is May 2-6 and I would like to acknowledge and thank our teachers for the extraordinary work they do to support and enrich the lives of our more than 21,000 Northshore students.
Superintendent Search – Following extensive community engagement around desired qualities and characteristics, the superintendent vacancy will be posted for applications the first part of May. The Board anticipates interviewing semi-finalist candidates the week of June 6-10, and finalist candidates the following week. Following selection of a candidate and negotiation and approval of a contract, the new superintendent will begin on July 1. Thank you to all who participated in one of the several forums held over the past two weeks to provide input.
2017-18 Start Time Changes – The Start Time Task Force (STTF) has spent the past year studying options to achieve the mandate of School Board Resolution 714 that targets a high school start time of no earlier than 8 a.m., by the 2017-18 school year. This is a highly complex topic that affects all grade levels due to our integrated and tiered transportation system (i.e. the same buses and drivers sequentially pick up and drop off high school, junior high/middle school and elementary students). After assessing well over 20 potential scenarios, the STTF has narrowed to three possible options. An online survey and community open houses will take place in May to gather input and feedback on these three options. Please be looking for more information in the near future. I strongly encourage all voices to be heard around this important topic.
Future Schools Planning – With continued and projected enrollment growth of 300-400-plus students per year, the opening of North Creek High School, grade reconfiguration and boundary adjustments in the fall of 2017 will provide much needed relief—but not completely address—the long-term needs for additional classroom space, particularly in the high-growth north and central regions of the district. The Enrollment Demographic Task Force (EDTF) has been studying this issue and will bring forward a recommendation to the School Board in May for future school needs to propose for funding in the next district bond measure, currently slated for February 2018. Pending Board endorsement of the EDTF’s recommendations, preliminary work will begin immediately to position the district to be “shovel ready” for new construction should voters approve that bond measure. The goal is to have new school capacity on the district’s Maltby Road site ready to open in the fall of 2020. That is an ambitious timeline that requires us to begin the design, planning and permitting processes now in order to hit that target.
This is certainly not an exhaustive list of initiatives large and small that are active across the district this spring. I want to extend my thanks and appreciation to all the staff, and parent and community volunteers who serve on our numerous committees and task forces to provide vital representation and stakeholder voices to these critical processes and decisions that help positively shape our district’s future.
Larry Francois is the superintendent for the Northshore School District.
