Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Academic Policies topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves 2027-28 calendar and new diploma requirements; discusses retention rules
Summary
MSD Steuben County approved its 2027-28 school calendar and adopted updated diploma requirements reflecting State Board clarifications. Board members discussed new state-mandated retention rules for third graders and the district's related appeal procedure.
The MSD Steuben County Board of Trustees approved the proposed 2027-28 school calendar and moved forward several academic-policy matters during its Jan. 14 meeting.
The board approved the calendar as presented. District leaders said the calendar planning leverages the district's established e-learning options for snow days—combining self-paced and live-learning days—and that publishing calendars three years in advance helps families plan events and travel.
On diploma requirements, the board approved changes that incorporate State Board clarifications. The revisions restore details for honors diploma requirements (for example, a set of options such as three college credits, two AP credits or two Cambridge credits) and adjust required hours for employment-related seals and Honors Plus seals to align with state course descriptions. The district also noted that Freedom Academy has applied to be an approved provider for Career Scholarship Accounts; the state sets aside up to $5,000 per eligible student for approved vendors to bill for career training.
Board members received a first reading on a retention-appeal procedure tied to new state requirements for the IREAD-3 reading assessment. Under the new state rule, students who do not pass the IREAD-3 must be retained unless they qualify for one of five specific "good cause" exemptions listed in the policy (examples include qualifying IEP determinations and proficiency in a state math assessment). The proposed district procedure establishes a principal-level review and an option for families to appeal to the board if exemptions are not met. The presentation emphasized that the district must follow the five enumerated exemptions in state law; the board did not adopt the retention appeal policy at first reading.
Separately, the board advanced a first reading of a policy aligning extracurricular eligibility and retention decisions with state law so the athletics/extracurricular rules do not conflict with new third-grade retention requirements.
