POULSBO — The May 11 regular meeting of the North Kitsap School Board featured flaming items that brought a near-capacity audience to the district’s board room for a marathon meeting.

One of the hottest items on the table for the board was the final say on where the 2008 seniors who live within the Kingston High School attendance boundary will go their final year of high school.

But before the meeting moved into the nitty-gritty, community members stepped to the mic to spark an issue that wasn’t even on the agenda — Small Learning Communities.

Kami Hattrick was among four parents and one teacher who pleaded with the board to slow down and reevaluate the process that is carrying the NKSD toward the implementation of SLCs.

Hattrick read a letter that a combination of more than 900 parents, students, NKHS staff and community members signed, agreeing that SLCs may not be the right fit for all students.

“The universal theme we found was that people want students to have a choice,” parent and community member Linda Berry-Maraist said in her address to the board. “Mandating SLCs for all high school students is a major concern for a huge group of non-vocal parents, students and community members.”

From there, Patsy Brian, a parent of a student who had gone through the Options and Polaris programs, gave her testimonial in favor of the school format.

“I come to support whatever you do, please don’t let the SLC idea go,” Brian said. “(SLCs) provide a really incredible foundation for learning, and I believe they enhance everything.”

However, concern came from NKHS spanish teacher Jay Adams-Feuer — the first to speak out on the issue in front of the NKSD board and Supt. Gene Medina.

“I feel that you need full faculty support on this and you don’t have it. You do not have it, sir,” Adams-Feuer said, complimenting Medina’s vision, but questioning his methods. “Please stay with us, but don’t do this to us.”

The latter half of Adams-Feuer’s plea was echoed on a different topic by NKHS sophomore Tyler Seth and a group of about 10 students who were back in front of the board this week, petitioning to keep the North Kitsap class of 2008 intact.

After noting the social and after-school activity issues that will be severed with a split in 2007 as primary concerns at the April 27 board meeting, this time Seth quoted from the district’s policy book — noting the fundamental principle that the district do everything in its power to e

“The children and adults of our community ask you to implement this principle by keeping our class together,” Seth said in closing. “Please listen to our thoughts.”

When the class of 2008 attendance report agenda item finally came around after 10 p.m., only three parents and five district staff members were left to hear the school board’s unanimous decision to open Kingston High School with a 9-12 instructional format.

The board had heard, considered, pondered and wrestled the issue with the students’ wishes in mind, but the reality of dollars and cents and impending construction a NKHS overwhelmingly favored a senior class split.

“If there was anyway to do this without having such a detrimental impact at North, we would (keep the seniors together),” board director Melanie Mohler said with a frown.

“My heart goes out to the kids who feel passionate one way and to the kids who feel passionate the other way,” board director Dan Delaney said. “We all live in the same house, let’s try to work to make this situation as positive as we can.”

“While you are focusing on Kingston, please don’t forget those kids at North,” NKHS parent Pam Thomas challenged the board as she left the building.

Before the school board left its post, they also came to a 3-2 decision to implement the College Preparatory Mathematics curriculum at the secondary level in the district. The process of rolling that curriculum one year at a time, starting at the algebra I level will begin next year.

The Herald will have in-depth coverage of that decision along with the nuts and bolts of a K-10 NKSD literacy adoption in next Wednesday’s issue.