Dear MHS students and families,

I hope you had a wonderful holiday break and happy New Year!  

As you know, we are moving from 8 periods to 6 periods beginning next school year and many things are in motion right now as we prepare to make this shift. Throughout the process of shifting we will regularly communicate with you on decisions that have been made and important information that needs to be shared. 

Below are answers to some common questions that we received prior to the holiday break. Please feel free to continue to reach out along the way with questions and concerns. Thank you once again for your continued partnership.  

Brett Wille
MHS Principal

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can current juniors who will have 24 credits at the end of this school year graduate early?
A: A credit requirement adjustment will require formal board approval, which will occur at an upcoming school board meeting. 

While it has not yet been formalized, the school board plans to gradually reduce the current 30-credit graduation requirement back to the state-required 24 credits. This credit reduction will be phased in over time, with each graduating class requiring fewer credits as the transition progresses. This means that MHS students who are currently juniors, sophomores, and freshmen will still need more than 24 credits to graduate. We will share the specific graduation credit requirements once they have been formally approved by the school board.

The Washington State Board of Education sets the minimum credit requirements in each subject area that students must earn in order to graduate. Simply earning the total number of required credits is not enough; students must also fulfill the credit requirements in each subject area. For example, to graduate, students must earn four credits of English. This means that even if a student has accumulated enough total credits to meet the overall credit requirement, they cannot graduate unless they have also earned the required four credits of English.

These minimum requirements set by the Washington State Board of Education are shown in the "Class of 2029" column below. The current graduation credit requirements, which remain in effect through this school year, are shown in the "Class of 2025" column. Credit requirements for the classes of 2026–2029 and beyond will be determined by Monroe High School administration in collaboration with district leadership and must receive formal approval from the school board.

Monroe High School Graduation Credit Requirements

We are committed to offering robust credit recovery options to help students stay on track for graduation and acceleration options for students who want to get ahead or have more room in their schedules for electives of interest. While the specifics are still being finalized, these options may include expanded summer programs and the possibility of enrolling in zero-period or seventh-period classes.

If you have further questions about graduation requirements or early graduation, please reach out to your school counselor.

Q: Will there be a zero or seventh period?
A: It is likely that we will offer a zero and/or seventh period and are currently evaluating which classes will be available during these optional periods. This would give students the opportunity to add more electives and/or credit recovery classes to their schedules. 

Q: Will students need to forgo electives to make room for core classes?
A: With two fewer classes per year and a pending decrease in the number of credits required to graduate, students will not be required to take as many electives as they are now. However, students may opt to take additional electives that may be offered in a zero or seventh period. Students who want to get ahead or recover credits may also have the option of participating in expanded summer school programs, which would also allow for more flexibility to take additional electives during the school year.

To provide students more room in their schedules to take additional classes of interest, we are also working on expanding our credit equivalency options, where one class can fulfill multiple subject area credit requirements. For example, a student taking a course like Plant Biology could earn subject area credit requirements in both Science and Career & Technical Education, leaving room in their schedule to take an additional elective class of interest. *While credit equivalency courses can fulfill multiple subject area credit requirements, they only count as one credit towards a students’ total credits earned.

Q: Can current seniors who are not on track to earn 30 credits this school year apply the new 24 credit requirement this year and still graduate on time?
A: The 30-credit requirement will remain in place for the class of 2025, as Monroe High School will not transition to a 6-period schedule until the 2025-26 school year. Seniors who are not on track to graduate should work with their school counselor to develop a plan for credit recovery. 

Q: How does this impact the Academic Challenge Award?
A: We will be reviewing the Academic Challenge Award criteria as a part of this shift and will have more information on that closer to registration time.