APS OKs new graduation requirements
Crystal NelsonGraduation requirements for this year's senior class were approved at a special Alpena Public Schools Board of Education meeting Wednesday morning. Seniors at Alpena High School will have to earn 23.5 credits out of 25.5 credits possible in order to receive their diploma.
"The seniors need some direction on how many credits they need to earn during the school year," Joyce McCoy, director secondary instruction and CTE, said.
A memo from McCoy and AHS Principal Matt Poli said the change in credit status is needed to reflect a change from a semester to trimester schedule during the 2009-10 school year.
The graduation requirements approved Wednesday are the same as they were when recommended by the trimesters committee in August. The board discussed graduation requirements for high school students during its August and September board meetings but had been unable to reach a consensus.
Because board members didn't dispute the graduation requirements for the class of 2010, Superintendent Brent Holcomb asked them to approve the recommended senior credits, so senior credit audits can get under way. He met with Poli and Dan Wilson,
AHS mathematics teacher and chairman of the trimesters committee, pertaining to the issue and said the board is holding up the counselors ability to perform the audits.
"I just felt like here's a great opportunity. We can give (counselors) a two or three week head start on doing that," he said, adding that approving the requirements "just seemed prudent."
The board will revisit the issue and determine what graduation requirements will be for this year's freshman, sophomore and junior classes at its next meeting in October.
For the second time, the board approved the sale of building trades house No. 27. After the board approved the first sale of the home last week, the buyers original offer was withdrawn.
"For whatever reason, the buyer got some feedback on the inspection and used it as a reason to back out of the original offer," Holcomb said. "The good news in the process was we had that second bid."
Holcomb said the second buyer upped his bid on the house to $150,000 from the original $125,000, about $100 less than the board's offer from its first buyer.
The board will attend its board retreat Oct. 12 at 12 p.m. in the Alpena High School ITV room.
The next regular board of education meeting is scheduled for Oct. 19 at 5:30 p.m. in the Gerry Ludwig Board Room of the district's central office building located on 2373 Gordon Road.
Crystal Nelson can be reached via e-mail at cnelson@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5693.
