Trigg County school board members voted to make a change in the graduation requirement that would lower the number of credits this year’s senior class would need to graduate during their special called meeting Thursday night.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the national emergency it has created, board members were tasked with the hard decision on whether or not to ease some of the credits requirements for graduation. The district, which has higher standards than many across the Commonwealth, currently requires students to have 28 credits to be eligible for graduation.
During discussions, Beth Sumner, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction told board members they have been talking about how this pandemic means students are missing up to a quarter of the school year.
Board member Charlene Sheehan says some grace should be extended, but she doesn’t want the hard work of most students to go unnoticed.
Options brought to the table for current seniors were to either reduce the number of credits required for graduation to either 25 or 22.
Shannon Burcham, principal for the high school recommended lowering it to 25 and says it won’t affect the students who are doing great work.
Members voted unanimously to lower the required credits to 25, but it will only be effective for current seniors. The action means that three elective credits would not be needed, but the seniors must pass all of their core academic classes.
Board members also voted to allow the high school site-based decision-making council to decide the necessary grading criteria for numerical grading for the remainder of the school year.
They also voted to allow kindergarten through 8th grade to use a pass/fail system with each school’s principal and site-based decision-making councils establishing the criteria for it.
Additionally, the board voted to begin exploring various options for virtual graduation services for the Class of 2020 and find a way to host a traditional ceremony, even if it takes place in June or July. No official graduation date has been set.
Superintendent Bill Thorpe adds they are working on a surprise for the senior class, but would not divulge what it was. He hopes they would be delivered to each of the students beginning as soon as next week.
