The Council Rock School District is expected to save $169,000 thanks to the two-year delay of Keystone Exams as a mandatory graduation requirement.
With the end-of-course exams, as signed into law by Senate Bill 880, not being required for graduation until the 2018-2019 school year, Superintendent Dr. Robert Fraser said Council Rock will save money it would have had to spend on remedial classes and summer courses needed for students.
Barry Desko, director of secondary education, said some costs will remain for substitute teachers needed for the days teachers will administer the non-required exam for seniors.
High schoolers still enrolled in Keystone classes will still take the test but their passing score on the test won’t be required to graduate, at least until June 2019.
Fraser said the delay to move back to the graduation requirement date to 2017 will be a “relief” to students who were feeling the pressure from the exams.
“We’re very pleased about this, and we’ll be more pleased once this graduation requirement goes away for good.”
