South Kitsap High School will move to a semester system beginning in fall 2013.

Superintendent Dave LaRose said the change was to align schedules at the junior highs and high school in the South Kitsap School District and adjust to shifting state and national standards.

The three junior highs in the district all have operated on a semester system, while the high school historically has operated on a trimester schedule.

Couple that with new requirements and LaRose said this is an ideal time to “streamline” SKSD. LaRose, who has worked in the district since 2004 and has been superintendent for four years, said a transition to a semester schedule also was contemplated about a decade ago.

He said maintaining the current model at the high school would be difficult when the state requires students to take classes, such as health, for a semester. Based on a trimester system, LaRose said SKSD students might have to take two trimesters of that subject, which could inhibit their opportunity to take an elective.

He also cited students as the reason to wait another year before implementing a new schedule. LaRose said he wants his staff to study what model makes the most sense for SKSD, and look at other districts that recently have switched from a trimester to semester schedule.

“There’s work to be done,” LaRose said. “It’s going to be complex. I think we’ll be thoughtful about the student in the process.”

Semester schools have structures that range from six classes daily to others that feature four periods with classes alternating every other day.

The latter is more similar to the current schedule at the high school, which features three classes that rotate every other day.