RIVER FALLS – River Falls students could see an alternate path to graduation, as Director of Student Services Mark Inouye provided information to the board regarding a GED program during the June 24 school board meeting. 

Inouye said the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction approved the School District of River Falls’ application for the GED Option #2 Program (GEDO #2). 

“The GED Option #2 (GEDO #2) Program allows authorized school districts to use the GED test battery to measure proficiency in lieu of high school credit for students enrolled in an alternative education program. A student who passes the GED test(s) and completes the other requirements for graduation is entitled to the traditional high school diploma,” according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. 
Through the program, students that likely would not graduate are able to earn a GED while in school, as opposed to returning to the district later in life for it. Inouye also said GEDO #2 provides hope during their senior year, rather than spending it without something to work toward. According to Inouye, Ellsworth and Prescott are among schools that have a similar program and it requires 80% of students make it through over a three-year period to get re-approved. 

The program is hosted at Renaissance Charter Academy in River Falls, where students have classes from 9 a.m.-noon Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and Wednesdays are used to teach life skills including financial literacy. The four academic days are focused on math, science and English. 

The 15-hour week provides students the opportunity to work a job while earning a diploma, picking up job skills along the way. 

A student who graduates from the program and a “traditional” high school student would both receive a high school diploma, but the transcripts will look different without the list of classes from the traditional model. Inouye said students in the program will still be likely to make it into technical colleges, but to get into four-years schools they may need to start at a two-year school. 

Renaissance Charter Academy Coordinator Peggy Webb said 22 students meet the criteria and 10 have said they are looking to move forward with the program. Follow-up letters will be sent to the 12 students that have not committed. 

Student Services are in the process of identifying students who would be “appropriate candidates” for the program. They are also seeking the approval of a testing site, allowing students to no longer have to travel to Northwood Technical College in New Richmond. 

“We have a number of students, a small number of students, but a number of students, who really, at this point in time during their senior year, have no viable pathway to graduation by traditional means of credits,” Inouye said. 

Inouye said this can be for a variety of reasons including physical and mental health scenarios. 

“This is not about lowering the bar,” Inouye said. “This is really about creating systems that are equitable and allowing those students to be able to achieve that high school diploma.” 

Qualifiers for the program include that a student must be 17 or older, be at least a year behind their ninth grade class in terms of credits and have the ability to read at or above a ninth grade level. 

Board Vice President Alan Tuchtenhagen said the program is a good thing because, in addition to getting students the diploma, it teaches the content for students to meet the district’s academic standards. 

“This is more [than] about just a credential, because, as I’ve often said, a credential might get you your first job, but if you don’t have the education and background, you won’t get your second or third job,” Tuchtenhagen said. 

Library Plan 

The board approved the 2024-27 Library Plan, which outlines steps for the selection of library materials. 

The libraries in the district will evaluate age-appropriateness of the book, evaluating if it meets the age range of the schools. Director of Academic Services Nate Schurman said if a book has multiple different ratings for age appropriateness, the district has a few organizations they can check with to determine if it should be carried. 

“All of these things are pretty closely aligned with what they currently do, but we thought having it in writing would be good for consistency and also transparency for the community,” Schurman said. 

The policy for complaints about books that are carried involves three parents: one is the complainant, one is someone the complainant recommends and the last is put on the committee by the principal. 

Other business 

• Heard the first reading of elementary school grade level promotion. Schurman said the elementary school grade level promotion plan was written 19 years ago, and holding students back often has a negative effect today. Schurman said, in the plan, students could still spend an extra year in the same grade. 

• The River Falls Rotary will be paying for the construction of a pavilion-style facility at the school forest. The facility is expected to be built before the first snowfall of the year. 

• Approved the Title III plan and the first read of programs for children with disabilities.  

• Approved employee handbook revisions and job descriptions for director of community education and the community education program assistant. 

• Approved a 10-year summer capital maintenance project plan. 

• Approved changes to seven of the district’s policies. The policies were first heard at the May 20 board meeting. 

• Gave the Wildcat Pride Award to Lee Johnston for mentoring a younger student and acknowledged Superintendent Jamie Benson for his retirement. 

• Heard school resource officer reports from Chris Gottfredsen and Bryan Jensen. Gottfredsen completed his final year of 16 years in the position.