School board eyes alternative credits, swimming pool

The Sonoma Valley Unified School District board will be discussing alternative credits toward graduation when it meets tonight, Tuesday, March 11.

While the board will discuss the proposed policy, it wouldn’t take any action until the April meeting.

The draft revision is an informational item to highlight revisions currently being considered to te existing policy that better reflect how students gain access to and approval to obtain alternative credit; the options available to obtain alternative credit; when alternative credit does and does not count toward graduation and grade-point average; and how alternative credit is recorded within student transcripts.

In a memo to the school board, Superintendent Louann Carlomagno says that while Superintendent Louann Carlomagnois a comprehensive high school offering the range of core and elective courses and programs that meet the “A-to-G” demands of the UC system, there is still a need for students to have access to courses beyond high school offerings.

The memo says there are a number of reasons for wanting students to have options to obtain alternative credit which include:

• Students who need to repeat a course that was not passed and when the student’s schedule doesn’t have an opening for repeating that course.

• Student interest in a course not offered by the high school but offered at an accredited private high school or a local junior college or at a private of public university.

• Student interest in a world language that’s not offered by the high school.

The last time the board updated the policy was in 2006 prior to the “A-to-G” requirements among other changes.

The board will also discuss whether or not it wants to continue with a swimming pool project.

Deputy Superintendent Justin Frese points out that the last feasibility study was done in 2008 and at that time, a pool 25 yards by 33 meters that would accommodate high school water polo, high school swimming, USA short course swimming, recreational swimming and instructional swimming would have cost an estimated $2.8 million.

The estimates on electricity, gas, chemicals and water came to $100,000 a year.

The board would also have to consider labor, long-term maintenance, ancillary facilities and sources of funding.

Frese’s memo says that if the board wants the figures updates, he’ll work with construction and design professionals to review the earlier work, collect more recent examples of completed projects and develop a timeline, which he said generally would be 18-to-24 months.

Other items on the board agenda include:

• Sonoma Charter School articles of incorporation.

• Measure H Bond audit for fiscal year ending June 30, 2013.

• The tentative school calendar for the 2014-15 school year.

The board will meet at 6:30 p.m. today, Tuesday, March 11, in the Community Meeting Room, 177 First St. W.

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