Seniors are grappling with the changes of this year’s senior exam policy. At the beginning of the school year, the Class of 2019 was told they would be held to the same requirements for the senior exam policy as the underclassmen. Currently, students are hearing from different sources that they will not be held to those requirements, leaving a lot of confusion.

In previous years, seniors were eligible to exempt their final exams as long as they passed both 3rd and 4th quarter. At the beginning of this school year, seniors were told that they couldn’t have more than 26 hours of absence and needed to maintain an 80 percent in the class to be able to exempt the final semester exams, the same requirements for all students at WCHS who wish to exempt an exam.  Around the beginning of 2nd semester, rumors began about seniors not having those limitations anymore. Seniors were confused about what the truth was and whether they still had to worry about their absences.

Mrs. Candice Haffner, WCHS Principal, confirmed on March 13 that seniors will only have to pass 3rd and 4th quarter to exempt the final exam for their classes.

The stricter absence and grade policy proposed for seniors was first made because many WCHS staff members believe seniors are having issues with failing or slacking in their last semester, known commonly as “senioritis.” But, Mrs. Haffner felt it wasn’t fair to give seniors so little time to prepare for the changes. Instead Mrs. Haffner decided to start the limitations next year for the Class of 2020.

Senior Myshae Harris strongly believes this change was the best for the Class of 2019. Harris felt as if enforcing the limitations was too fast and did not give seniors time to adjust to it. Harris explained seniors might have activities outside of school to start their adult lives and not having to deal with limits on absences is very beneficial.