So, the North Kitsap High School Instructional Schedule Task Force didn’t meet in a timely manner, putting off the North Kitsap School Board’s decision on classtime until March 10. Hopefully, the delays will end there.

They really should. But what should happen in terms of having a school schedule that meets state standards should have happened years ago. It is startling that so many are up in arms over the board’s continued attempts to ensure that local children be taught for the same amount of time as thousands of other students throughout the state. For some reason, the fact that kids at NKHS have been getting short changed each year apparently doesn’t bother a number of parents and students here.

But facts are facts. And the fact of the matter is that NKHS students, who ought to be receiving 150 hours of instruction per class, are actually only receiving 127.5.

Despite allowing this low standard to continue for 13 years and the school board’s drawing a line in the sand to change things for the better for our students, it is unclear whether public opposition to the Task Force’s proposed schedule will win out for another year. Will the line be crossed yet again or simply wiped out for the foreseeable future?

Students, who said they weren’t even invited to offer their opinions on the changes, staged a walkout in protest of yet to occur changes. Yet, their display was tantamount to arguing that they should not be getting an education equal to their peers in Washington. Sure, alterations would need to be made to their schedules — this is a proposed “change” after all. Sacrifices will have to be made to some degree but we feel the end result will benefit our high school students for years to come.

We sincerely hope the detractors will recognize the Task Force’s hard work on the not-yet-set-in-stone schedule and accept it when the time comes. We also trust that the school board will stick to its pledge and take the necessary steps to assure that local students finally get the education they deserve.