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Public commenters urge APS board to return health‑education graduation credit to ninth grade
Summary
Parents, retired APS staff and community members urged the board to reverse a decision to shift the district graduation health education credit from ninth to eighth grade, saying standards and maturity concerns warrant keeping the requirement in high school.
Several public‑forum speakers at the March 5 APS Board meeting urged the board to reconsider a district decision to move the health‑education graduation requirement to eighth grade and to restore it as a ninth‑grade requirement.
Dr. Chris Mear, who said he recently retired from APS as executive director for the Student Family Community Supports Division, told the board the district received more than 2,000 survey comments and that many respondents asked for the graduation requirement to remain in high school while also teaching health in middle school. Mear and other speakers argued eighth graders lack the maturity and that standards and risk‑behavior topics are different between middle and high school.
Ron Mayer reiterated concerns that the district’s supporting survey was flawed and that medical and parent experts have told the board eighth graders are not ready for the high‑school level standards being used for a graduation requirement. Mayer said topics such as suicide prevention, teen pregnancy, and substance use are more appropriately taught in ninth grade where students may better assimilate and act on information.
Both speakers asked that a board member place the issue on a future agenda for a vote to return the graduation credit to ninth grade.
Board action: Comments were part of public forum; no immediate board vote or formal action to change the graduation requirement occurred during the March 5 meeting.
