On Jan. 31, we released the long-awaited draft boundary plan to accompany the opening of North Creek High School and grade reconfiguration in the fall of 2017. Since the release of that plan, over 15,690 individuals have gone on-line to see how the plan may impact them, and over 150 individuals have submitted feedback.

That feedback will be carefully reviewed by the Enrollment Demographics Task Force (EDTF) in March to assess any potential changes in the draft plan. The feedback received also helps inform our communication efforts, transition planning and ongoing review of the draft plan over the coming year. The draft plan, including any revisions, will be presented to the school board in April. The EDTF will continue to study enrollment and demographic trends, housing starts and other relevant data over the coming year and submit a final boundary plan for school board approval in the spring of 2016.

A frequently raised question in the feedback received to date involves the availability of waivers for in-district students impacted by boundary changes in 2017–18. While we are continuing to refine and finalize our procedures for in-district waivers, the following principles are guiding our planning:

• To the extent possible, the draft boundary plan has been crafted to allow the possibility for schools to accept in-district waivers if space allows.

• Effective with new applications for the 2015–16 school year, in-district waivers will be approved for one year only and families will need to re-apply each year.  All in-district waivers approved prior to 2015–16 will be honored under the waiver procedures in effect at the time the waiver was approved.

• For 2017–18, in-district waiver requests will be prioritized if space allows at the following grade levels for students impacted by final boundary adjustments that change their resident area school in 2017–18:

1. Incoming 12th-graders, 11th-graders, 8th-graders and 5th-graders in 2017-18 will receive first priority.

2. In-district waiver requests for all other grade levels will receive second priority.

3. Out of district waiver requests will be prioritized last.

• For 2018-19, first priority for in-district waiver requests will be given to 12th-graders seeking to complete their high school experience at their pre- 2017–18 resident area school. In-district waiver requests for all other grade levels will receive second priority, and out of district waiver requests will be prioritized last.

While likely not capable of meeting all needs district-wide, establishing these priorities would provide the opportunity for students in the final year of high school, middle school or elementary school in 2017-18 impacted by boundary changes to remain in their current schools if space allows. It would also enable students who completed 10th grade in 2016–17 to remain at their original high school through graduation, again if space allows.

Over the next two and a half years, we will welcome several thousand students and hundreds of staff members to new school communities. Fortunately, all Northshore schools are great places to learn, and we are committed to making sure that all students receive a powerful, world class education at whatever school they attend.

Larry Francois is the superintendent for the Nortshore School District.