The Board of Education for the West St. Francois County R-IV School District establishes the following graduation policy and instructs the administration to develop all necessary procedures for proper implementation.

Requirements

A student must meet the following requirements in order to graduate from the West St. Francois County R-IV School District, unless one (1) of the stated exceptions apply. The student must:

1. Complete a total of 24 credits in grades nine (9) and above, including credits required by the State Board of Education.
2. Pass proficiency exams concerning American History, American Institutions, and the Missouri and the United States Constitutions.
3. Successfully complete a course of instruction of at least one (1) semester in length on the institutions, branches, and functions of the government of the sate of Missouri, including local governments, the United States government and the electoral process.

Exceptions

1. Students transferring from another accredited Missouri school as a junior or senior who cannot reasonably complete the district's requirements may be permitted to graduate based on the successful completion of a program of studies that would have met the graduation requirements at the school formerly attended, including the requirements of (2) and (3) above.
2. Students who transfer from another state or country or an unaccredited private, public or home school and who are placed in the ninth grade will be required to meet all established graduation requirements. If such a student is placed in the tenth grade or higher, the district will work with the student and the parents to develop a program of studies that will result in graduation if successfully completed

Earning Credit

1. The superintendent or designee is directed to assign credit values for courses offered by or through the school district and to develop formulas and procedures for awarding credit to transfer students who transfer from a district that uses a different standard for awarding credit.
2. The West St. Francois County R-IV School District recognizes units of credit obtained through correspondence courses or courses delivered primarily through electronic media (such as satellite video, cable video or computer-driven or online courses) as long as they are earned through the University of Missouri Center for Distance Learning or from a school accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools or its equivalent regional accrediting agency. Correspondence requested should meet the prior approval of the counselor and principal. A maximum of two (2) units of credit will be accepted through correspondence.
3. Students may earn advanced-standing credit by successfully completing high-school level courses prior to entering the ninth grade. This advanced-standing credit may be counted toward meeting the subject-area requirements for graduation and for meeting the district requirements, but it will not be counted toward the minimum number of credits required by the State Board.
4. Students may earn credit by other means as approved by the Board and in accordance with law.

Honor Points

There are a number of classes here at West County which are granted honor points status. These classes are granted honor point status because they are academically more difficult. The purpose of the honor points is to offer the student an extra incentive for taking these' classes. The classes which are granted honor point status will be specified by school administration.

Valedictorian/Salutatorian Policy

The valedictorian will be the student with the highest overall grade point average during their four years of High School.  The salutatorian with be the student with the second highest grade point average during their four years of High School.  For a student to qualify as either the valedictorian or salutatorian they must have attended at least three semesters at the West County High School.

If there is less than 1/1000^th of a point difference in the grade point averages for either valedictorian or salutatorian, it will be designated a tie with both to be recognized as co-valedictorians or co-salutatorians.

If there are co-valedictorians the District will only recognize the top two students without the recognition of a salutorian.

Diplomas

Students will be awarded either a diploma or certificate of attendance in accordance with this policy and as permitted by law.