KINGSTON — Pending school board approval of a committee recommendation concerning North Kitsap School District athletics in 2007-2008, Kingston High School will open with a full complement of programs. Almost.

If approved as is, football will be added to the list of varsity programs not offered independently next school year at KHS. It joins the school’s swimming, gymnastics and golf programs, which have already been designated as combined teams with North Kitsap High School due to practice facility constraints.

To get to this point in the process, the district’s Athletics and Activities Committee mulled a mountain of community input after tremendous support and concern for NK athletics was shown during a community meeting last month.

A review of all factors involved produced a single change to its high school recommendation for the district’s secondary athletics in the 2007-2008 school year.

The AAC — facing a deadline for application to the Olympic League — recommended that Kingston High School apply for everything but varsity football, gymnastics, swimming and golf.

However, the application — as a part of the AAC’s recommendation for all secondary athletics — is still pending NKSD board approval.

“At the time of making the application, we shared with the president of the Olympic League that the school board will make the final decision,” said North Kitsap High School athletic director Trish Olson, noting that all those involved with the league have been understanding of North’s situation.

She said a complicating factor in the application process is “the timeline for the leagues is not in sync with the planned timeline for the board.”

The AAC has asked the board to review its secondary athletics recommendation — including the KHS’ application — sooner than originally planned. The school board will receive the recommendation Dec. 14 and will likely take action Jan. 11.

“As far as I’m concerned the bottom line is: Kingston High School should have full (program of) athletics,” said NKSD board director Ed Strickland. “I do not want a bunch of seniors jumping in their cars after school and driving down the ‘cross corridor.’ And we cannot afford … to bus those kids every day.”

While KHS principal Christy Cole and the KHS community have also voiced support for varsity football, the NKHS community has concerns about its programs competing in a David versus Goliath atmosphere.

North has essentially locked itself into a two-year commitment to the 4A Narrows League, however, when KHS opens in September 2007, the Viking ranks will be reduced to 2A classification size.

“We’re doing some investigating with what’s involved with a league change for North Kitsap High School,” Olson said. “But it’s just an investigation to see what the options are.”

If North could to merge into a 2A league beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, Kingston High School would more likely be able to open with a varsity football program, while the Vikings would no longer face lopsided competition.

But Jim Meyerhoff, an assistant executive director in charge of classifications for the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, said the possibility of NKHS switching leagues at this point is bleak.

“All of the schedules have been done now for a two-year cycle,” Meyerhoff said, noting that the Narrows League would have the authority on the decision to release NKHS. “Even if they did release them, then where would (NKHS) pick up a schedule? Everything is set for a two-year cycle, we’re already into it.”

The NKSD will be diving deeper into its secondary athletics conundrum as the AAC is set to update the school board at a special study session at 3 p.m. Nov. 6 at the NKSD student support service center off of Caldart Avenue.

Then, the AAC will be reviewing the NKSD bank account and athletics budget at its Nov. 14 meeting, which will be followed up with a community meeting tentatively set for 7 p.m. Nov. 20.