Submitted by the San Juan Island School District

The decision by the San Juan Island School District Board of Directors on whether or not to move the sixth grade from the Friday Harbor Elementary School to Friday Harbor Middle School will be postponed until the regular school board meeting scheduled for March 29.

At the January 18 special school board meeting and public hearing, the elementary staff made a presentation to the board in favor of the move, citing supportive research in pedagogy and issues of crowding in the elementary school. The board has requested information on the impact to the 2017-18 school year budget before making a final decision. The decision process is compounded by the uncertainty of state funding to be received by the district in the next two years. Additional information is needed for district staff to provide a clear financial projection to the board.