Abby K-12 adds graduation policies
By Ross Pattermann
The Abbotsford board of education will be adding some new requirements for graduation for the 2022-23 academic year, along with implementing a path to graduation for those district students whose education is in need of help.
The district had discussed potentially making community service a requirement to graduate during last month’s meeting at the suggestion of high school principal Melissa Pilgrim. On Monday, the district made it a requirement.
Beginning next year, students at Abbotsford High will be required to complete at least 20 hours of volunteer service.
“The policy committee meeting took place on March 9, and the committee recommended these changes to the school board,” superintendent Ryan Bargender said. “The easiest hitter is adding community service.
We added in 20 hours of community service. Obviously having a student become a well-rounded member of society is more than academic. We want to teach them about giving back to the community” For those students who are already currently enrolled, the district will take a tiered approach, with next year’s seniors only needing five volunteer hours, and then increasing by increments of five.
But of far greater impact for the district is a pathway to graduation for those students who come into the district lagging on credits or education.
Superintendent Ryan Bargender said the district has received students over the years who come into Abbotsford at 15 or 16 years of age, and are behind in their skills and education needed to meet not just Abbotsford’s required 24 credits
See POLICY/ Page 8 to graduate, but also the state’s minimum requirement of 15.5 credits.
“Both Abbotsford and Colby are looking at ways to help students that come to us and have exceptional needs. We have kids that . . .may come to us as a 16 or 17 year old and don’t have any credits for a variety of reasons,” Bargender said.
“These are usually kids that transfer in and come to us from tough situations ...andsohowcanwe help these kids see light at the end of the tunnel and get them graduate?”
The school will examine and assess each student’s skills, needs and knowledge. From there, the district will adapt and create a plan that best suits a student’s needs. “Let’s modify their plan and that would be based on team meetings . . . in turn we came up with an alternative diploma. A kid that comes in at 16 with no credits is going to have a heck of a time getting 24 credits, and most likely they’re going to drop out.”
Bargender said the plan will involve helping students get work force training as well as traditional classroom education instruction. Georgia Kraus, the Abbotsford district accountaibility coordinator, has been working with the DPI, to develop plans that will assess language arts, math and other core curriculum subjects.
Other business
_ The board approved the resignations of middle school/high school English teacher Grace Schilling, JV volleyball coach John Kreeger and 4K teacher assistant Angelica Ramirez.
_ The board approved John Kreeger as varsity volleyball coach.
