Decatur District 61 board adopts higher graduation requirement, sets 24-credit minimum for class of 2028

The Decatur Public Schools District 61 Board of Education voted 7–0 on Nov. 11 to increase the minimum high school graduation requirement from 22 to 24 credit hours beginning with the class of 2028.

Dr. Bill Robinson, who presented the proposal, said, “A minimum of 24 credit hours will be required for graduation from DPS 61 high schools,” and described a plan to expand elective and career-technical education offerings so students can earn the additional credits without increasing freshmen class sizes.

The policy also changes classification rules: students who fail to reach the credit threshold will be reclassified annually based on actual credits earned and a senior must hold at least 18 credits to be classified as a senior. Robinson said current juniors and seniors will not be affected and that the district has added electives and CTE courses over the past two years to give students pathways to meet the new standard.

Board members pressed for details on supports for students who fall behind. Robinson enumerated existing options: Apex online credit recovery courses, summer school and MTSS (multi-tiered systems of support), and counselor-led early-warning systems that alert parents two weeks before the end of a nine-week grading period. “We do have MTSS processes. We also have the Apex courses. We have tutoring,” he said.

Superintendent Clark and other board members framed the change as aligning Decatur with neighboring districts and strengthening postsecondary and workforce preparedness. The board called for continued communication with principals and teachers while implementing course-guide updates.

The board passed the separate roll-call motion to adopt the revised policy (Policy 6:300 — Graduation Requirements) 7–0. The policy was pulled from the consent agenda for a dedicated vote at the request of a board member who said the community had expressed strong interest in the change.

Implementation details — including an updated course guide of expanded electives and exact timelines for adding particular classes — were presented as underway; the board directed administration to continue publicizing the change to students, families and staff.

What happens next: the district will publish the finalized course guide and enrollment options; implementation begins immediately for course planning, with the 24-credit requirement applying to the class entering high school in 2024–25 (class of 2028).