Students have the opportunity and the responsibility to plan a realistic educational program for the following year. Students should study course descriptions, make use of instructors' and counselors' recommendations, and discuss plans with their parents.
Parents and students should give serious consideration to this matter before choosing specific courses because students will be expected to remain in the selected courses. School administrators employ instructors and build a schedule based upon these final selections.
Once school begins in the fall, students may change a course only for one of the following circumstances:
An error was made in scheduling. The counselor should be advised immediately.
It can be justified because of a change in career plans.
A course is required for admission or a scholarship program at the college or university the student plans to attend.
A change is warranted by courses passed (or failed) in summer school.
A student can justify withdrawing from an elective subject.
A student can cite an extreme personal emergency.
Even where one of the above circumstances applies, students can only add classes in the fall on a space-available basis.
School personnel may initiate a change in a student's program if the student fails a course and the school rule requires that the student be dropped; if an instructor and/or counselor recommends a different course level; if it is necessary to "balance" classes; if a doctor and/or nurse certifies that a physical condition warrants a change; if an error has been made in a student's schedule; or if the student is needed as a student assistant.
Students are not permitted to enroll in a new course after the tenth (10th) meeting of that course. Unforeseen circumstances may result in a variation of this policy. Withdrawal forms are available in the guidance office.*
*Withdrawal From An Individual Class: A student who withdraws from an individual class will be placed in a study hall and will lose credit for that class. A student who withdraws from a class prior to the end of the first or third grading periods will have a “WP” (Withdraw Passing) or a “WF” (Withdraw Failing) placed in their permanent record. Students are advised that “WP” and “WF” grades may be viewed negatively by some colleges and scholarship programs. For example, a grade of “WF” is sometimes treated as an “F”. Some programs also look at the number of courses taken each year and may ask for an explanation if the number is unusually low. A student who withdraws from a class after the end of the first or third grading periods will receive a grade of “F” for the entire semester.
