Dave Shockley will be stepping down from his position as principal of Commodore Options School.

Shockley has accepted a position as principal of Meadowdale High School in the Edmonds School District, where he was one of three potential candidates for the position.

“This is a great professional growth opportunity for me,” Shockley said in a letter to the parents of students at Commodore.

“Over the last five years, I have truly been blessed to work [with] the incredible students, parents and staff of Commodore Options School. I have learned a great deal about myself as a leader and as a person. I will take with me a deep passion for serving students in a non-traditional learning environment. Many of the lessons I have learned about creating a safe, positive and productive learning environment for all students will be applied to my work at Meadowdale,” Shockley said.

His departure comes as the fate of programs at Commodore remains uncertain. Earlier this year, school district officials considered closing Commodore and sending its students and programs to other schools in the district.

In February, Superintendent Peter Bang-Knudsen announced to district staff and families that the district would need to make severe budget cuts in order to meet a $2.1 million budget shortfall. Initially, Bang-Knudsen proposed the closure of the Commodore building and dispersing its programs throughout public schools on the island.

The proposal quickly drew criticism from the families of children enrolled in the Options programs, and Bang-Knudsen later recommended a deferral of the plan for more analysis of potential changes in the 2017-2018 school year.

Shockley became the principal of Commodore in 2012, replacing Catherine Camp.

Commodore currently serves 287 students and includes: Eagle Harbor High School, Mosaic Home Education Partnership and the Odyssey Multiage Program.

Shockley’s official last day as principal of Commodore will be June 30, and he will begin his new job at Meadowdale on July 1.