SD 227 seniors to need higher grades for graduation ceremony

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Rich Township High School District 227 seniors won’t be allowed to take part in the graduation ceremony next year unless they have a senior-year grade-point average of 2.0.

School board policy says a 2.0 GPA is required for any extracurricular activity, but that restriction hadn’t applied to graduation before.

A committee of teachers, parents, and students agreed to extend the standard to graduation beginning in 2013, Assistant Supt. Jennifer Norrell said.

Board member Alyssa Hernandez opposed the move, saying students should not be turned away from the ceremony if they’ve attained enough course credits to graduate.

“I just can’t justify taking that last thing away,” she said.

Sarah Zylstra