A student or their parent/guardian may request a waiver of up to two elective credits during their year of expected graduation from high school due to the student鈥檚 circumstances. The superintendent or designee will review each request on a case-by-case basis and use their judgment, experience, and knowledge of the student to determine whether the circumstances exist to justify the waiver.
Request Process
Requests will be made using the district鈥檚 form made available for this purpose and will include any materials (e.g., letter from the student鈥檚 licensed physician) that document the student鈥檚 circumstances.聽Requests must be received by the superintendent or designee鈥檚 office no less than thirty days prior to graduation.聽The superintendent or designee may waive the thirty-day deadline in cases of catastrophic events occurring within thirty days of graduation that have a direct effect on the student or students requesting a waiver.
Determination
In determining whether to grant the request for waiver based on a student鈥檚 circumstances such as those listed in Policy 2418, the superintendent or designee will consider factors such as:
- Unique limitations directly affecting the student as a result of the unusual circumstances.
- Whether the unusual circumstances were beyond the student鈥檚 control.
- Whether the unusual circumstances compromised the student鈥檚 ability to learn.
- The student鈥檚 efforts to cope with the unusual circumstances.
- Documentation provided by the student鈥檚 parents/guardians.
- Possible discriminatory effects on the student and/or possible disparate impact on a group of students if the waiver is not granted; and
- Significant decline in the student鈥檚 academic performance following the occurrence of the unusual circumstances.
In considering whether to grant the waiver, the superintendent or designee may, in their discretion, consult with school staff who have knowledge of the student and with any person identified in the application as having knowledge of the student鈥檚 unique circumstances.
Response Process
The superintendent or designee will provide a response to a request for waiver within ten (10) business days.聽A response granting the waiver will include the number of elective credits that will be waived and notification that completion of the remainder of required credits is required for graduation.聽A response denying the waiver will state the reason(s) therefore, which may include, but are not limited to the following:
- The request was received within less than thirty days of graduation and does not concern a catastrophic event.
- The request did not include sufficient information to justify waiver of high school graduation credit; and
- The request was not based on documented or verifiable events that would justify waiver of high school graduation credit.
The superintendent or designee鈥檚 decision is final and will only apply to the student鈥檚 current graduation year.