Schools contemplate greater grad requirements

The Grand Coulee Dam School District board had two issues on its agenda Monday night for passage; neither made it in a three-plus-hour-long, marathon meeting.

The issues were new high school graduation requirements and a two-year school calendar.

The board held the second reading of the graduation requirement policy, which is normally a slam dunk since board members normally get all their questions answered between the first and second readings.

It was different Monday night. Seniors graduating in 2019 will need 24 credits, instead of 21. The requirements call for four credits of English; three credits of math; two credits of science; 3.5 credits of social studies; a half credit for civics; two credits for health and fitness; one credit for occupational education; two credits for art; two credits for world language; two credits for career concentration; and two credits for electives.

Board members kept poring over the courses, suggesting or making changes, until Superintendent Paul Turner suggested that the matter be tabled and brought up again at the board’s next meeting.

A proposed two-year school calendar received met the same fate. This time it was Chairman Joette Barry who suggested that the two-year calendar be run by Nespelem to see if it needed to be adjusted to benefit both districts.

The idea to submit a two-year calendar was Turner’s. The board looked favorably on presenting a two-year calendar, but had difficulty understanding the ramifications of it.

This occupied a lengthy part of a lengthy meeting before Barry terminated the discussion by offering it up to Nespelem.

Turner stated that the two-year calendar idea had been met favorably by most of the staff.

One of the “rubs” was the winter break, which called for a full two weeks in the 2017-18 school year, but a reduction to just seven days the following year.

Turner pointed out that the school year for 2017-18 would end on June 14, but the school year would end the following year on June 7, a full week earlier.

Both items will be on the agenda next time.