DHS graduation requirement changes extended
Aug. 12—DANVILLE — As Danville High School starts a new school year with no early bird classes, the Danville District 118 School Board on Wednesday approved extending the relaxed graduation requirements that started with Covid to all current DHS students.
In 2021, the board approved suspending additional local graduation requirements for three years due to learning loss with the pandemic. School officials at that time said these are on top of state requirements, and they want to work with students on the credits they need if they're behind. Some changes were related to physical education, elective requirements and not holding students back. Board member Darlene Halloran said at that time, additional graduation requirements were added because businesses and community members wanted students better prepared for the workforce. School district officials were working to increase the graduation rate, and said they also are facing staff shortages in science and other courses.
The school board policy mandated that students earn state graduation requirements, but not additional local requirements. This action expires with the current senior class at Danville High School.
The curriculum department and Danville High School administration recommended the extension of the current graduation requirements to the freshman through junior classes.
The main reason for the extension is because early bird classes are being taken away by administration from students this school year who had already signed up for them. Class schedules had to be reworked, and now students are being told they could take online courses due to the lack of certified teachers to teach classes.
New DHS principal Jacob Bretz said he doesn't know if that's the best replacement in the long term for students.
Early bird classes were an eighth period for a student's day that previously started at 7:30 a.m.
The graduation requirement is 44 credits. Prior DHS students had up to 56 credit earning opportunities over four years if they chose to take an optional early bird class.
Holding at six credits per semester now, students can earn up to 48 in-person credits over four years. That's a slim difference with the graduation requirement.
DHS's graduation rate also hasn't improved, Halloran also said about the rate in 2022 being 67 percent compared to 73 percent in 2020.
School officials said it's difficult to say how the lower graduation required credits have impacted the graduation rate because the pandemic is mixed in the numbers.
Students will have less time now to earn credits, but a better opportunity to meet graduation requirements, officials said of the changes.
Increased dual enrollment opportunities with teachers at DHS also are being looked into, where students can get Danville Area Community College and DHS credit for courses.
Some school board members said they're concerned about the credit margin for students that's grown thinner, with only a four-credit gap over four years.
Bretz said DHS's robust Career and Technical Education, AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) and art programs need to be supported. The opportunities are harder for students to take advantage of the courses fully.
Halloran again said she's not in favor of having lower graduation requirements.
School board member Kim Corley said juniors and seniors need to be told more about the dual college credit courses.
DHS also is down from four to three counselors at the moment to assist students.
Friday started the new school year for students. Superintendent Alicia Geddis welcomed back the staff and students. There was a staff kickoff breakfast on Thursday.
"We are looking forward to a great year," she said.
Also Wednesday, the school board: had a first reading on a new DHS college and career readiness seminar for juniors and seniors that will be a quarter elective; and placed the district's proposed 2023-2024 budget on display for 30 days. The budget shows $124,079,382 in revenue and $129,463,116 in expenditures. It's a deficit budget of $5,383,734. Budget expenditures include finishing heating, ventilation and air conditioning projects; building expansions at Kenneth D. Bailey Academy and Northeast Elementary Magnet schools; DHS football field and bleacher repairs and DHS 1972 addition improvements.
The board also approved: an audit services agreement with Sikich LLP for $60,000 for fiscal year 2023, $62,700 in the second year and $65,400 in year three; physical therapy and deaf and hard of hearing teacher contracts with Select Savvy LLC and Soliant Health LLC, respectively; Laura Lee educational support program agreement for the school year at a cost of $130 a day for up to 100 students for after school tutoring and daily alternative program for up to 20 students at $110 a day.; Large Unit District Association membership; and Ownership in Education handbook with disciplinary changes of the district prohibiting the use of isolated time out, time out and physical restraint.
