In August 2012 following two years of study, a task force of parents, community members and staff recommended to the school board construction of a fourth comprehensive high school, grade reconfiguration and boundary adjustments to address long-term enrollment growth issues heavily impacting the north end of the district, and to do so in a way that provided district-wide instructional benefits. On Oct. 23, 2012, the school board unanimously endorsed this recommendation.
In the two years since then, much has been accomplished to achieve this future vision. I had the opportunity to meet personally with well over 2,000 parents, community and staff members over 80 presentations to explain our challenges and how the proposed solution would address them. I answered hundreds of questions and received valuable feedback. Numerous staff members and community volunteers spent countless hours preparing a bond financing proposal to implement this plan. Hundreds of individuals attended dozens of presentations to learn about the bond proposal. And last February, nearly two-thirds of Northshore voters approved our bond measure to secure the necessary funding to move forward.
Since February, we have completed the design of our new high school and started construction. We are in the second year of instructional and program planning for grade reconfiguration. A preliminary draft boundary plan is being developed which will be shared with our community later this year. It is an exciting and busy time!
Earlier this week, a significant milestone was achieved when the school board officially approved the name of our new high school — North Creek High School. This name has deep historic, geographic and place name recognition across the northern region of our district. North Creek High School, slated to open in the fall of 2017, will join Bothell High School (1907), Inglemoor High School (1964), the Secondary Academy for Success (1973) and Woodinville High School (1983) as the newest world class Northshore high school providing outstanding educational opportunities to the young people of our community for generations to come.
Thank you to all who participated in this important naming process!
Northshore School District Superintendent Larry Francois
