Valders Area School District
Bylaws & Policies
 

5464 - EARLY GRADUATION

It is the goal of the Valders Area School District to help our students develop to their fullest potential. We acknowledge that to do this some students may enroll in alternate, non-traditional programs or graduate early if the requirements for graduation have been met. Early graduation is a privilege. Valders High School offers abundant academic and co-curricular programs for students, and it is hoped that the majority of our students will take advantage of these opportunities during their four-year, eight-semester high school careers. Students who have the desire to graduate early must comply with the following guidelines and policies:

 A.Before a student can graduate, s/he must have met all the requirements prescribed by Valders High School for such graduation.
 B.Graduation may be granted at the end of seven (7) semesters with the approval of the School Board.
 C.The application process includes:
  1.The student and his/her parents must file a letter of intent with the high school principal by May 1 of the student's junior year.
  2.By the end of his/her junior year, the student and parents are to meet with a school counselor and establish an educational plan that will enable the student to complete all required courses by the date of early graduation. Furthermore, these plans should include realistic post-graduation plans that best meet the student's unique abilities and situation.
 D.After the application process has been completed, the principal shall review the plan and relay his/her recommendation to the School Board. The student shall appear before the Board at a regularly scheduled monthly meeting no later than November of the senior year. The School Board shall decide whether or not to approve the student's request for early graduation. The decision of the School Board is final.
 E.The School Board reserves the right to review each case individually and to waive any of the above criteria, if it deems feasible, in any such individual case.
 F.If the student is permitted to graduate early, attendance at the graduation ceremony is optional and left up to the student. If the student opts to participate in the graduation ceremony, this decision must be communicated to school officials prior to the time that caps and gowns are ordered. If the student chooses not to attend, his/her diploma will be forwarded via the mail.