At the last school board meeting, board members approved a new finals exemption policy.

“The new policy gives some options to 8th graders,” Stephanie Mullens, an Algebra 2 teacher who was on the committee that led the changes in the exemptions policy, said.

The policy states: “If the student…passes the grade 8 reading portion of the state-mandated assessment, TAKS, then the student is exempt from the [fall] English final…”

The policy changes a bit for sophomores as well.

“Whatever exemptions they [sophomores] had in the spring of 9th grade are the same exemptions for the fall of 10th,” Mullens said.

Junior exemptions remain mostly the same; they can only miss two days of unexcused absences and must have an 80 or above in the class.

Seniors follow the same requirements as seniors except there is a slight difference.

“The principal of the secondary school that the student attends may waive up to three days of attendance of his or her discretion for students in grade 12,” the policy states.

Mullens thinks the new policy, took effect immediately, will be a positive change.

“It will give 8th grade teachers more of an incentive to teach TAKS materials and it will also motivate 8th graders to pass the TAKS,” Mullens said. “It will also give 9th and 10th graders incentive to pass if they can get out of the next year’s fall finals.”