By BETH WORTHINGTON
For the North Kitsap Herald

The outlook for 2015 is that it is only going to get better.

North Kitsap has a community that values education and capable and caring teachers and staff, two strengths determined by a survey and focus groups conducted last spring.

This past year brought the addition of more than a dozen teachers, thanks to the generosity of the community as shown by the passage of the levy and the work of the Legislature that increased funds.

The activity buses are back to increase participation in after-school activities. The district also made a smooth start to the new school year this fall. According to a survey, 84 percent of students had a positive start to the school year.  Chief Kitsap Academy has compacted directly with the state this year, has increased enrollment, and is poised to serve NK students well.

Looking to the future, the district adopted three strategic directions after a process that involved secondary students, district leadership and 110 community members. The strategic directions are: success for all students, stakeholder support and satisfaction, and effective and efficient operations.

Additionally, the board adopted two outcome measures to have 100 percent of third-graders reading on grade level and to have a graduation rate in the top 5 percent of the state by 2020. These are ambitious goals and will benefit all students as educational systems are improved.

For 2015:

— NKSD is focusing on effective teaching through collaborative focus on standards and formative assessment to ensure all students are learning.

— The district has joined with other districts and the educational service district to leverage resources for school safety and security.

— Additional specialists have been added for mental health, substance abuse and suicide prevention support with grants from Kitsap County’s one-half of 1 percent sales tax collection.

— New state-mandated graduation requirements are being implemented to better prepare our students for citizenship, college, and career. For next year, a required semester of civics will be first implemented for 2016 graduates. This course provides knowledge of local, state and federal government, including procedures, responsibilities, and local issues.

For the class of 2019, which are the freshmen entering in fall 2015, graduation will require 24 credits, an increase of 1.5 credits.

Regarding the forecast for Washington state, funding for K-12 education and NKSD is going to increase next year. By how much and for what specific purposes will be determined by the state Legislature.

The last two-year budget took a record amount of time to reach agreement, leaving districts with uncertainty when planning.  This budget year is expected to be just as exciting.

New this year: the state Supreme Court will be poised to levy sanctions if the Legislature does not make significant progress on its paramount duty of funding education. On Sept. 11, 2014, the court found the Legislature in contempt and gave it the 2015 session to purge the contempt before imposing sanctions or other remedies.

Regarding the forecast for the federal government, this year may bring the reauthorization of the 2007 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This is important to Washington state, as the state lost the federal waiver and restricted the use of federal dollars.

In North Kitsap School District, $115,000 for 2014-15 was set aside for supplemental education services or school choice for students of schools that have not met student achievement targets of NCLB.  Reauthorization could allow local district choice in how the district uses those funds in the future for school improvement.

North Kitsap students are talented and represent their community well and will continue to do so in 2015. The North Kitsap Fill the Bus campaign is in its third year and has donated food and supplies to local charities: Fishline, Stand Up for Kids, ShareNet and Kingston Food Bank.

NKHS was league champion in volleyball, boys tennis, girls soccer and football.

KHS debate program is ranked sixth in the state and in the top 10 percent nationwide for the third year in a row.

NKHS has nine students commended in the 2015 National Merit Program.

— Beth Worthington is president of the North Kitsap School Board. She is the board member from District 3. Contact her at BWorthington@nkschools.org