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North Bend board votes to shift high school and middle school from trimesters to semesters for 2025-26
Summary
The North Bend School District 13 board approved a calendar change that moves middle and high schools from a trimester to a semester schedule beginning in the 2025-26 school year, citing scheduling efficiencies and state credit requirements.
The North Bend School District 13 board on Feb. 6 approved a transition of North Bend Middle School and North Bend High School from a trimester to a semester calendar beginning with the 2025-26 school year.
Board members said the change was recommended to improve instructional efficiency, better align professional development and address new state requirements for half-credit courses. District administrators told the board their prototype calendar added instructional hours in every grade level comparison: roughly 15 additional hours for elementary (already on semesters), seven more hours at middle school, and six additional hours at the high school level on the proposed calendar.
District staff and counselors briefed the board on how credits will be converted. Superintendent-level presenters and the districts registrar said the student information system can convert trimester credit totals to semester equivalents and that most difficulties would affect students who have partial credits from multiple trimesters. The district plans procedural steps to convert transcripts and to work individually with students who have partial credits.
Public comment included several parents and students. Marissa McClintock urged the board to reject the move, saying the trimester system gives students more chances to try varied electives and to recover from poor marks; she raised safety-training concerns for CTE classes that repeat at the start of each term. Nick Preston, a parent, asked the board to delay the vote and provide more detailed analysis on impacts for dual-credit, contact hours, class lengths and sports eligibility. The board heard those concerns but voted to approve the transition by a unanimous 7-0 voice vote.
Board action
- Motion: Approve transition of North Bend Middle School and North Bend High School from a trimester system to a semester system beginning in the 2025-26 school year. - Outcome: Approved, recorded 7-0.
Why the change matters
District staff said the semester calendar reduces the number of schedule changes and grading days across the year, potentially increasing net instructional time and aligning course offerings with neighboring districts and colleges that operate on semesters. Staff also said the semester model eases handling of new state requirements (for example, some half-credit requirements) that are difficult to implement cleanly within a trimester structure.
Implementation notes
District leaders said counselors and the registrar will follow a conversion protocol for student transcripts and reach out to students with partial credits who might be affected. The district plans to publish a detailed rollout calendar and frequently asked questions for families and athletic programs.
