School Policies

• The academic school year consists of 2 terms, which are traditionally 18 weeks in length each. 

• A predetermined amount of credit is received at the end of each successfully complete course. 

• Academic courses are considered to be courses generally in the areas of English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, World Languages and Computer Science. 

• A pre-requisite is a course that must be successfully completed before taking the next course progression. 

• Required courses are classes that meet a graduation requirement. 

• Elective courses are additionally offerings to cater to specific pathways and student interests.

With a rigorous and relevant instructional program as the foundation for student achievement and success, it is critical to support our District 51 instructional program and staff with all available resources and funding.  Our District 51 General Fund revenues are generated within the legislation determined by the Colorado School Finance Act.  Through the finance act, CDE audits the schedule of every student within District 51 on an annual basis to determine part-time or full-time status.  This CDE audit leads to our Per Pupil Operating Revenue (PPOR), a major source for our District 51 revenue from the State of Colorado. In order for the school district to maintain adequate funding, all students must obtain “Full-Time Status” for the fall semester. Full-Time Status is defined as follows:  enrollment in classes a minimum of 6 out of 8 blocks per semester.  Due to travel time, a student enrolled in off campus programs (such as: Career Center, CMU Tech, or CMU) must work with their counselor to ensure they have obtained “Full-Time Status.” 

Freshmen and sophomores are expected to carry a full schedule throughout the school year.  Juniors and seniors in good academic standing may have releases in their schedules.  A release may be granted if the student is on track to graduate and the parents/guardians accept responsibility for the student during the unscheduled time.  STUDENTS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO WANDER AROUND CAMPUS DURING AN OPEN BLOCK.  STUDENTS MUST GO TO THE CAFETERIA OR LIBRARY WHEN WAITING FOR THE CMU TECH OR CAREER CENTER BUS. 

Students are expected to be present for the entire school year. Attendance records begin on the first day of a term. Students transferring from other schools should enroll within five days after leaving their previous school. If possible, students will be placed in classes similar to those taken at their previous school. Every effort will be made to create as complete a schedule as possible.

School District #51 supports all students in their desire to attend school. Those students enrolling within the first sixteen (16) days of a term will have the opportunity to earn credit. Teachers have the discretion to determine what assignments and competencies need to be demonstrated for credit to be earned. There may be circumstances that do not allow a student to enroll before the sixteenth (16) day of a term. Students are still encouraged to enroll in school and attend classes for no credit as they prepare for future terms.

Occasionally, students will have all graduation requirements completed by the end of the second term of their senior year. A request form for early graduation may be obtained through the counseling office. All requests must be submitted prior to registration in the spring of the junior year and must be signed by parents, as well as by the student.

If the request is approved, the student will be permitted to graduate early. All early graduates must attend final exam week and complete the first semester. All diplomas are prepared once per year; early graduates will receive their diplomas at the end of fourth term at commencement ceremonies.

If, by dropping a course, a student will be below the minimum hours for his/her grade level, both parents and administration must give approval.

Exceptions to any of the above policies will require administrative approval.

Students will have the opportunity to make adjustments to their schedules twice a year, before the start of each semester. Schedule changes will only be done for extreme extenuating circumstances once the semester has begun.  For those rare situations when classes are changed, the following policy applies:   

• Students have the first six (6) days of a term in which to drop a class without it being recorded on their transcript. This applies to both block and split block classes.

• Classes dropped after the 6th day will be recorded on the transcript as either a WP (Withdraw Pass) if they have a passing grade at the time of the drop, or a WF (Withdraw Fail) if the student has a failing grade at the time of the drop. The final day for a student to drop a class without the penalty of receiving a WF will be at the time mid-term grades for that class are available (approximately 4.5 weeks on the block; 9 weeks on the split block). After midterms, all drops will be recorded as a WF, regardless of the student's grade in that class at the time of the drop. Remember that a WF impacts a student’s GPA in the same manner as an F.

• Students may add a class during the first six (6) days of a term. They are responsible for all work presented and completed before their enrollment in the class.

• Students who wish to enroll in a class after the first six (6) days of a term may do so for the next ten (10) days on an audit basis. However, it will be left to the teacher’s discretion to determine what assignments and competencies need to be demonstrated for credit to be awarded. No credit will be awarded to a student who enrolls in a class after the sixteenth (16) day of the term.

• Students wishing to drop an AP/Honors/Stem/Concurrent course after the first 2 weeks of class will be required to follow the comprehensive drop protocol.

To participate in activities sanctioned by the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA), a student must be enrolled in a minimum of 3.0 Carnegie Units in any consecutive quarter and pass a minimum of 2.5 Carnegie units each semester while not failing more than 1 class. Eligibility reports are done weekly, and an athlete’s participation in games is contingent upon meeting the eligibility conditions.  

NCAA legislation permits a student to receive credit for a core course only one time. As a result, if a student repeats a core course, the student will only receive credit once for the core course and the highest grade earned in the course will be included in the calculation of the student’s core-course grade point average. Likewise, if a student completes a course that is duplicative with another core course, the student will only receive credit once for the core course and the highest grade earned in the course will be included in the calculation of the student’s core-course grade point average.  

Students must meet academic core course requirements set by the NCAA to be eligible to play collegiate sports. There are different levels of qualifications for Division I and Division II schools. Students must have a minimum 2.3 core GPA along with qualifying SAT/ACT scores. In addition, 10 of the 16 core classes MUST be completed by the end of the junior year of high school, regardless of what the student’s core GPA is.

Student-athletes and families are encouraged to visit with coaches and the Athletic Director early in their high school years to plan accordingly! More information can be found at www.ncaa.org