South Kitsap School District officials are reworking the language of graduation requirements to comply with those produced by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The change, which was brought up during the Aug. 26 school board meeting, addresses those changes with social studies for the Class of 2016.
Students who graduate before then are required to take 2 1/2 credits of social studies, including a semester of Washington State History. But many school districts, including SKSD, offer that class in seventh grade. For students who take that subject in seventh grade, their high-school transcript notes that the requirement has been met.
For the Class of 2016, students must take one credit of U.S. History and a full credit of Contemporary World Problems. Some districts also require students to take other special social-studies courses, but SKSD superintendent Michelle Reid and Shannon Thompson, the district’s director of teaching and learning, prefer to allow them to choose their electives within that subject.
“They can kind of pursue their passion,” Thompson said.
District officials also sought to change some antiquated language pertaining to SKSD’s graduation, including multiple references to trimesters. South Kitsap High School moved to a semester system in 2013.
• South Colby Elementary School principal Brian Pickard proposed drop-off boxes for nonperishable food at each school for South Kitsap Helpline. Pickard is on Helpline’s board. The school board approved the measure 5-0.
• Dave Colombini, SKSD assistant superintendent for educational services, outlined the district’s new procedures for suspended or expelled students who are seeking readmission. Superintendent Michelle Reid now is responsible to “establish procedures for readmission applicants.” In the past, school principals were responsible for those decisions. Colombini said the change was required by state law. He said that “almost all” students apply for readmission and it is rare that for an SKSD student to be “permanently” expelled.
• Reid and the school board reviewed regulations pertaining to the Open Public Meetings Act.
