The Verona Area School District Board of Education voted Tuesday to change the district’s tie‑breaking criteria for guaranteed admission under Wisconsin’s Act 95, prioritizing the ACT composite score over total high‑school credits and advanced placement credits.

Under the change the board approved — a motion recorded as reordering the district’s existing criteria from 3‑1‑2 to 3‑1‑2 in the board packet nomenclature — the highest composite ACT score will be used first when more than 10 percent (or 5 percent for UW–Madison) of a graduating class meets the GPA threshold required by Act 95. Total number of credits earned at Verona High School becomes the second tiebreaker and AP credits the third.

Board Member Joe, who moved the change, framed the decision around minimizing behavioral incentives created by different tiebreakers. He said the goal was “the least bad option is the one that influences behavior less,” arguing an assessment that every junior takes is less likely to change student course selection or staffing impacts.

Superintendent staff presented data and practical implications, noting that the district’s previous order — which put total credits and AP credits ahead of ACT — had produced unintended consequences. Assistant administrators said some students gain extra credits through programs such as apprenticeships, summer school or middle‑school acceleration, and that several departments offer differing numbers of AP classes; those realities can advantage students who happen to have greater access to those options.

Scheduling and staffing implications were a central part of the discussion. Verona High School scheduling staff cautioned that changing tiebreakers after course selection can affect the number of course sections the district runs and create pressure on staffing and budgets; one example cited was an AP music theory course that had 10 requests and risked cancellation under strict enrollment cutoffs, which would affect students and teacher assignments.

Administrators said the ACT is administered districtwide and is part of the state assessment suite, making it broadly accessible to juniors, and the district is expanding free ACT preparation resources, including free prep materials and after‑school sessions.

On a voice vote the motion passed. Board members recorded their positions during the roll call: Joe (yes), Corby (yes), John (no), Meredith (yes), Christopher (yes with caveat), Juan Carlos (yes). The board chair and superintendent thanked staff for the research and for the district’s work to provide ACT prep opportunities.

Administrators said they will submit the revised criteria to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction as the district’s waiver request for implementation; DPI previously approved a waiver application for the district and may again approve the requested approach. The change will apply to the current junior class — the graduating class of 2027 — and be used at the end of this school year when rankings are calculated after six semesters.

Board members also directed staff to continue equity‑focused work examining access to coursework, barriers to credit accumulation and potential long‑term policy changes; several trustees suggested follow‑up committee work or a future workshop to examine fairness and access beyond the immediate waiver decision.