Honor graduate requirements were honored or revised, basically grandfathered in a sense for all current Devine High School students, after parents brought an issue to light to the school board that the requirements changing this past fall were unfair to graduating seniors due to timing and lack of notification. They believed it was unfair to the kids to change the rules on the seniors and not honor the policy and requirements they entered high school with.
The decision was made during a very short special called board meeting on Friday, May 24, 2019. Parents brought up the issue five days earlier during the May 20 board meeting that some may not get to graduate as honor students like they had thought due to the recent changing of policy last August 2018. Under the rules/policies they entered high school with four years earlier they would get to graduate with honors and wear the tradition gold cord, so parents felt the students deserved what they had earned based on the rules they had been given to follow.
After a few questions Trustee Carl Brown moved and seconded by Keri James to revise honor graduate provisions in board policy EIC (Local) as presented during the May 24 meeting. Motion carried unanimously, 5-0.
The section of EIC local that was revised and approved by the board was:
Honor Graduates
For the graduating classes of 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, the District shall recognize honor graduates as follows:
1 .Students who have earned a weighted grade average of at least 92 at the time the average is calculated.
2. Students who have completed the distinguished level of achievement under the foundation program and received a Performance Acknowledgment for outstanding performance, regardless of weighted grade average.
In addition, a student must have been enrolled in at least one AP or dual credit course during each of his or her last two years prior to graduation.
New Policy for Class of 2023
The board decided to make the following changes effective starting with the upcoming freshmen Class of 202 3 instead. It states as follows:
Beginning with the graduating class of 2023, the District shall recognize honor graduates as follows:
1 .Students in the top 15 percent at the time the average is calculated; and
2. Students who have completed the distinguished level of achievement under the foundation program and received a performance acknowledgment for outstanding performance.
Board members in attendance were Carl Brown, Keri James, Chris Davis, Nancy Pepper and Phillip Fitch.
By Kathleen Calame
Publisher
