Wyrosdick When eighthgraders in Santa Rosa County Schools are expelled and placed into the alternative education programs right at the end of the school year, it has always meant in the past that they cannot start ninth grade at their own high school with their peers.

But District Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick and his staff decided this year that there should be some way those students could complete their expulsion and disciplinary requirements over the summer so they could start high school on time.

A new policy to make that happen is now in place and can be implemented this summer.

At the last school board meeting, a new policy was approved for immediate use so eighthgraders expelled near the end of last year can complete some disciplinary requirements over this summer and start ninth grade at their home school in August.

“The students will have to work hard to do it, but they can get it done,” Wyrosdick said.

As soon as the policy was approved, the district sent out letters to the 12 eligible students and their parents offering them the program. As of press time, the district had received just three responses back from parents saying their students want to take advantage of the opportunity.

“But we still expect to get some more affirmative responses back before the end of this month,” Wyrosdick said.

The program does have some eligibility requirements to meet before a student can begin work on the criteria for summer completion of their expulsion.

First, an eighth-grader must have been expelled and recommended for alternative placement during the first six weeks of the last nine-week marking period of the school year.

“If they are expelled any later in the last quarter than that, there is not time for them to be placed in an alternative program and to complete the summer program’s expulsion criteria,” Wyrosdick said.

Then students must complete one online Florida Virtual School course that applies to their graduation plan. They must also complete an online substance abuse or non-smoking program.

“They cannot just go ahead and do that without contacting us since we have to enroll them into those programs,” Wyrosdick said.

They must also write a letter of apology to the school where they attended last year, and then sign a behavioral pledge at the high school they will be attending this fall.

And they must complete 20 hours of community service. They also cannot have any previous expulsions on their record.

“When all that is successfully completed, they can start school at their home high school with their classmates,” Wyrosdick said.

The former policy, which has been in place for many years, called for students to be expelled from their home school for one school year, with a possible early termination of the expulsion after two nine-week marking periods if the student had good behavior and good grades during their alternative placement. The alternative educational opportunities offered by the district included either classes at their alternative school in Milton, or taking Florida Virtual School online courses.

He said the staff believes it is important to offer this new summer “redemption” program so students don’t get behind in their high school course plan.

“For example, if an eighth-grader did not take algebra and then in their alternative placement program they do not get algebra, but then when they get to high school they need algebra, even if they are on the early termination program of the expulsion, they will still be at least nine weeks behind in algebra. That does not bode well for retention, and we try to do everything we can to help student graduate, not push them out the door without graduating,” Wyrosdick said.

“This kind of program means they can start ninth grade with their peers and start their graduation plan from Day 1. We think that is a good thing.”