Many changes are being made school district wide for the school year of 2015-16. Last night, members of the staff came together with a presentation going over all of the changes being made and presented it to parents. Torch has a summary of all that was discussed at the meeting here for you to read.

One of the major changes that was discussed was the switch of the school schedule from a trimester based schedule, to a semester based one. This change will affect many aspects of the school system including the length of courses and the number of credits needed to graduate.

The following list shows the number of credits required for each class in order for them to graduate. Note that even though the number of credits is changing, there are still required classes needed in order to graduate.

• The class of 2016 is required to have a minimum of 235 credits or more to graduate
• The class of 2017 is required to have a minimum of 170 credits or more to graduate
• The class of 2018 is required to have a minimum of 105 credits or more to graduate
• The incoming class of 2019 is required to have a minimum of 40 credits or more to graduate

The length of courses was another change that was discussed at the meeting. Teachers from each area of study presented any changes going on within their classes.

Most classes are still yearlong courses however, classes like electives have been changed around and combined in order to adjust to the semester based schedule. Some new classes have been added to next year’s options for registration; below is a list of classes being added next year.

• Ecological problems
• Forensics
• Botany
• Anatomy and Physiology
• AP Captsone

Another change to next year’s schedule and requirements is the requirement of every student to take one semester of gym, every day. Zero hour gym and seventh hour gym will still be offered however, no waivers for sports or academics is allowed. Students with full schedules can request for the online gym option.

Registration for classes next year will begin on Feb. 2 with the junior class and proceed from there. The registration options for classes for next year will be different but counselors are available to talk to about the changes.

If you have any questions, please visit the registration central link for guidance. Registration central will also have links to the district program of studies and opportunities such as Advanced Placement or Kirkwood Academy Programming.