A committee has been formed to reduce the number of high school diplomas within the Greene County School District.

Currently, high school students have two diploma options, including a basic diploma of 42 credits – which students can apply for and a committee reviews each application – and a regular diploma of 58 credits. Superintendent Tim Christensen explains why there’s a need to have only one diploma.

“It’s one of those things as a student, when you come into the high school you need to know exactly what that target is and don’t want to have a moving target. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, you want to know exactly what you are shooting for.”  

Christensen says some of the challenges the newly formed committee will need to address is deciding the number of credits needed for the one diploma option. Licensed Mental Health Counselor for the District Kyle Kinne said at the October School Board meeting of other challenges is graduating early because some students want to earn more money working, missing out on their high school years, and not taking additional college classes while still in high school. He added some are still falling short.

“We’ve had some kids that have had 56, 57 credits and not graduate. We require more credits than almost any school out there.”

Christensen adds the committee will look at various options, including the trimester system where students can theoretically earn 15-16 credits per school year.

“I would say everything is on the table and everything is linked together, and you really don’t know where it’s going to lead. We just want to make sure that we have a good, healthy, intelligent discussion about it and make sure that we do the best for kids.” 

The committee includes school district teachers, High School Principal Brian Phillips, a high school guidance counselor, students as well as school board members Cindi Daubendiek and Michelle Fields. The committee will then make recommendations to the full school board for final approval. The anticipated timeline to approve one diploma would be before the beginning of next school year.