In the past week, the Vashon School District announced two changes that will profoundly affect the schools and will particularly impact Vashon High School. On Thursday, Superintendent Michael Soltman announced that the high school will change to a new class schedule next year, dropping the trimester system, which has been in place for a dozen years, to implement semesters. A few days later, Soltman made public the district’s choice for the next principal of VHS: a young administrator who currently heads up an alternative school in Edmonds.

Vashon’s school district has long prided itself in offering a quality educational program, one that draws dozens of students from off-island and in recent years has garnered close to $500,000 in annual support from the community. Recently the district embarked on a strategic planning process to renew its goals and discuss how it can even better serve students. Though the process has at times seemed bogged down in jargon, so far some clear goals have been stated: To give students skills they need to enter an increasingly technological world; to build stronger communication between parents, teachers and administrators, and to better serve each individual student’s needs. As far as we can tell, recent decisions concerning the future of Vashon High School were made thoughtfully, with wide input and with these important goals in mind.

We’ve yet to meet Danny Rock, the candidate chosen for principal of VHS, but we know a large search committee supported his hiring. We think it’s significant that Rock’s background is largely in alternative education. If the school district aims to provide all students an education for the future, it should work to reach those who struggle as equally as it does high achievers, something Rock seems to have accomplished in Edmonds. We hope he brings creative thinking and fresh ideas to Vashon.

And while some Vashon high schoolers are upset about the district’s decision to do away with trimesters, we believe that decision, too, was made after much research by many people and with students’ best interests in mind. Gaps in core classes created by the trimester schedule were clearly troublesome, and taking classes such as math or a foreign language for an entire school year, rather than two-thirds of it, simply makes sense. Perhaps that’s why nearly all top-performing high schools are on semesters. While the schedule may limit some students’ elective options, a study showed that many students currently repeat electives not meant to be taken twice. Choosing can be a good thing, and the schedule will allow for more advanced placement offerings, a bonus for those headed to college.

We applaud the school district for tackling two major decisions that could have been made behind closed doors and instead seeking the help of large advisory committees and giving students, parents and district staff the chance to weigh in as well. With continued transparency and thoughtfulness, the district may be well on its way to achieving the next level of excellence it is aiming for in developing its new strategic plan.