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CFSD board begins rewrite of graduation policy; clarifies full‑time enrollment, civics and Holocaust instruction references
Summary
At a May 27 first reading, CFSD staff proposed clarifications to graduation policy IKF, removing the phrase "during the final semester," defining full‑time enrollment expectations for freshmen through seniors, and aligning curriculum language and statutory citations for civics and Holocaust instruction.
The Catalina Foothills Unified School District Governing Board received a first reading May 27 of proposed revisions to policy IKF (graduation requirements), presented by Executive Director of Curriculum and Assessment Cheryl Castro.
Castro said the recommended edits clarify that a student must be enrolled full time, and that the district will remove the phrase "during the final semester" from a paragraph it flagged as out of place. For clarity, the draft will specify that freshmen and sophomores must be enrolled in seven classes each semester — or six classes plus an assigned study hall on the Catalina Foothills High School campus — and that juniors and seniors "must be enrolled a minimum of six classes on their schedule each semester" with all classes taken on the CFHS campus.
Administrators told the board that some Career and Technical Education (JTED) courses may start earlier in the day and that those situations will be handled by principals and counselors as case‑by‑case exceptions rather than written into policy. Castro said AOI/online recovery or acceleration courses taken outside the school day — during summer or after school — do not count toward a student’s six required classes on the CFHS campus.
Castro said the policy also was updated to align with current statute language for Holocaust and genocide instruction and that a previously cited statutory reference (ARS 15,710) was incorrect; staff will cite ARS 15,701.02 on the second reading. The civics test requirement language was simplified to a passing score of 70 out of 100 for graduation eligibility.
Board members asked staff to clarify whether the policy should explicitly note that exceptions are possible; some trustees preferred an explicit statement acknowledging case‑by‑case exceptions and asked staff to consider revised language for the second reading. Trustees also asked staff to clarify when the civics test is administered and to tighten the language about transfer students who previously completed the test. The item will return for a second reading with the recommended edits.
