District waives algebra requirement for 40 seniors

Andrew Edwards

A special waiver was extended to 40 seniors in the Huntington Beach

Union High School District excusing them from passing a full year of

algebra before graduating.

The school board voted 4 to 1 Tuesday night to exempt the students

from a state mandate requiring students pass one year of algebra

before they can graduate.

In 2000, the legislature changed the Education Code to mandate

that students must pass one year of algebra before they can graduate.

This school year was set to be the fist year the new graduation

requirements would go into effect. But the California Board of

Education has since backed down from the requirement, said Carol

Osbrink, assistant superintendent for educational services. It is

allowing school boards to approve waivers based on the claims that

more than 200 school districts in California did not know students

needed to complete Algebra I in order to finish high school.

Osbrink supported the board’s approval of the waiver so seniors

would not be held to higher standards than other California students,

but said teachers and students were well aware of the new regulation.

“We want our kids held at the same standard up and down the

state,” she said.

This is the last year that waiver can be given, however. Students

in next year’s graduating class must pass Algebra I to earn their

diploma.

“The kids have got to understand that next year there will be no

waivers,” trustee Brian Garland said.

The decision was opposed by school board member Matthew Harper,

who described the decision as a lowering of the bar.

“What kind of standard is that if they’re going to back off from

it at the last minute?” Harper asked.

Algebra was the only math requirement waived by the board, Osbrink

said, noting students had satisfied the rest of the graduation

requirements.

“We have 40 kids who have met all of our graduation requirements,

including three years of math, but have not passed a year of

algebra,” she said.

Supt. Van Riley also supported the board’s decision, though he

believes students should complete a year of algebra before marching

to the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance.”

“I think it’s a good requirement in general,” he said.