Madison Reporter

A public hearing will take place at the upcoming School Board meeting to discuss a request from the Sun Prairie Area School District (SPASD) for a waiver regarding student ranking criteria. The waiver would impact Sun Prairie East High School, Sun Prairie West High School, and Prairie Phoenix Academy.

Currently, under Wisconsin's Guaranteed Admission Program, high schools are required to rank students based solely on their GPA at the end of 11th grade. The schools are seeking permission to consider additional factors in cases where students have identical GPAs. These factors include:

- The number of high school credits earned by the end of 11th grade.

- The number of advanced classes taken, such as Advanced Placement (AP) or college-level courses.

- ACT scores.

Community members interested in learning more or sharing their perspectives can attend the meeting scheduled for Monday, March 10, at 6:00 PM. It will be held at the Hilltop Campus Board Room (Room 221), located at 220 Kroncke Drive, Suite #28.

The legal framework for this hearing involves a request to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) pursuant to Wisconsin Statute s. 118.38. This request seeks a waiver from the requirement under Wisconsin Statute Sec. 118.58 that mandates class rankings be based solely on GPA after grade 11 completion.

The resolution aims to apply tie-breaking criteria in the following order: first by the number of high school credits earned after six semesters; second by advanced placement or dual credit courses listed in the Sun Prairie High School Course Guide; and third by ACT composite scores.