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Board hears description of HSED partnership with Northwoods as an option for credit‑deficient seniors
Summary
District presenters described the high school equivalency (HSED) pathway run in partnership with Northwoods: competency-based options, a legal attendance minimum (15 hours/week, 10 if employed), a reported $1,200 average cost per student last year, and staff-reported high pass rates for district referrals.
Rice Lake — The board received a detailed explanation of the district’s High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) pathway and the district’s partnership with Northwoods, which the presenter said helps credit‑deficient students complete diploma-equivalent competencies.
The presenter described how students who are behind on credits can be dual-enrolled and receive individualized instruction at Northwoods, where they complete competency work and adult-learner readiness assessments. By law, the presenter said, students attending the program must complete 15 hours per week (10 hours if employed). The district reported an average per-student cost of about $1,200 for referred students last year and said the students the district sent to Northwoods had a 100% pass rate, though the presenter noted that referrals were screened and not every student is sent to the program.
Board members asked about pass rates and selection criteria; staff said screening and supports were part of the success and that some students finish in weeks while others require months. The presenter emphasized that participating students remain district students and that district staff receive weekly attendance updates and progress reports from Northwoods.
The board did not take formal action on the HSED program at the meeting; members expressed support for the program as an important alternative pathway for some students.
