School board eyeing graduation requirements

School board directors will study whether to allow weighted grade point averages to be considered for graduation.

Considering whether to pass a recommended policy on high school graduation requirements Monday night, Chairman George LaPlace and Superintendent Paul Turner each spoke in favor of tabling that discussion to give time for more discussion with students and staff.

Weighted GPAs can add more points for higher-level courses. An honors course might gain half a point on a regular class in the same subject area, for instance.

“It takes a little bit of the risk out of losing your 4.0 because you’re taking harder classes,” LaPlace said.

Director Shannon Nicholson asked the two new student representatives on the board, Layla Flett and Celeste LaPlace, to seek input from students. Celeste LaPlace had said earlier in the evening that the issue would be a good one to discuss with students.

In other business, the board voted to re-organize in January, with Director Rich Black to be chairman, Nicholson vice chair, Director Ken Stanger remaining as legislative representative, and Director Alex Tufts remaining as the board’s representative to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. Stanger will also remain as an unofficial tribal liaison, with Nicholson assisting with an eye to fill that spot after Stanger retires from the board.

The board also heard Turner’s plans to consider, with district custodians, a consultant’s efficiency study and recommendations to update equipment. “We’re pretty outdated,” he said. “The way he puts it, we’re still using 1800s technology in our mops.”

He said he’d be meeting with custodians and equipment representatives for a day of new equipment training, paid for through federal ESSR (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds.