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Board reviews proposed pilot allowing some seniors to opt out of finals based on attendance and grades
Summary
Administrators presented a proposed one-year pilot that would allow Mahomet-Seymour seniors meeting attendance and minimum-grade thresholds to skip final exams. Board members asked for adjustments, including excluding official college visits and revisiting the grade threshold.
Mahomet-Seymour administrators presented a proposed pilot to let qualifying seniors opt out of final exams if they meet attendance and grade criteria. The proposal, discussed April 22, was presented as a one-year pilot and would apply only to seniors.
Under the proposal discussed, seniors could opt out of a course final if they had four or fewer excused absences in that course and a final grade of at least 69.5 percent (a C-minus). Administrators said mandatory final exams would remain for AP and dual-credit courses because those assessments are linked to external credit and program requirements. The proposal also includes allowances for excused absences due to school-sponsored extracurricular activities and field trips.
Board members asked for clarifications. Several said they supported an approach to improve attendance but wanted the district to exclude official college visits from the absence totals (for example, allow a limited number of documented college visits that would not count against the opt-out threshold). Other members urged raising the minimum grade threshold and asked for data about current attendance patterns and how many seniors would have qualified had the pilot been in place this year.
Administrators said they will collect the requested data, consult department leaders and parent and student advisory groups and return with refined language and recommendations. They emphasized the pilot's goal: to increase attendance while preserving academic rigor and protecting students earning college credit.
Ending: The handbook revisions remain a first reading; administrators will solicit additional input and may bring revised language to the board for approval in a future meeting.
