Juneau education leaders OK credits change amid pandemic

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Graduating seniors in Juneau will be allowed to earn half a credit less than prior graduating classes under a change adopted this week that was billed as a way to acknowledge the impact the pandemic has had on learning.

Under the change adopted by the Juneau School District Board of Education, the graduating classes of 2022, 2023 and 2024 would need 22.5 credits to graduate, rather than the 23 credits previously required. Reducing the elective credit total by a half-credit would allow “more time for recovery of core content credits or other credits lost,” the proposal stated.

The district superintendent, Bridget Weiss, said students still must complete core academic credits, such as in English and math, KTOO Public Media reported.

“What we’re hoping is that this just relieves a little bit of the pressure for those students who lost some credits throughout the pandemic and provides a little bit of space in their schedule to make up those core academic credits,” she said.

Juneau schools would continue meeting state graduation standards.