Sun Prairie Area School District is poised to adapt its policies in response to Wisconsin Act 95, which mandates guaranteed admission for top-performing students in the University of Wisconsin system. During a recent school board meeting on March 10, 2025, district officials discussed the implications of this law and proposed changes to their procedures to ensure compliance and fairness in class ranking.

Assistant Superintendent Stephanie Leonard and Director of Digital Media, Innovation, and Strategy, Dr. Kurt Mould, outlined the history and requirements of Act 95, which allows students in the top 5% of their class to gain direct admission to UW-Madison, while those in the top 10% can be admitted to other UW institutions based solely on GPA. The district's current policy, JIR3, which allows for rounding up class rankings, is now under review due to new guidance that requires schools to round down and break ties in GPA.

The meeting highlighted the need for a waiver process to address potential tie-breaking scenarios, as the law does not provide clear guidelines on how to handle ties among students with similar GPAs. The proposed criteria for breaking ties include the number of high school credits earned, the number of Advanced Placement or dual credit courses taken, and ACT scores.

The school board is expected to vote on whether to apply for this waiver, which would need to be renewed annually. If approved, the changes will ensure that all students have equitable access to recognition for their academic achievements, while also aligning district procedures with state requirements.

The district encourages community members to participate in the ongoing discussions and attend future meetings to stay informed about these important developments.