AUBURN — The School Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved an amendment to the district’s graduation policy for the Class of 2020.

Under the amended policy, seniors must earn a minimum of 20 credits to graduate. That is four fewer than they would have to earn in a normal year.

Schools have been closed since March 16 because of the new coronavirus, but students have been taking classes online.

The Maine Department of Education is requiring a minimum of 11 credits, including four in English, two math, two science (one of which must be a lab), two social studies and one visual/performing arts.

Edward Little High School seniors will have to earn four credits in English, three each in math, science and social studies, one in fine arts, one and a half in health and fitness and a half-credit in career planning. The rest would be earned in elective courses.

The first reading of the policy took place April 15. The second reading Wednesday passed with no discussion.

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The district has adopted a pass/incomplete grading system for the remainder of the academic year. It will not affect grade-point averages, which will remain frozen to March 16.

“We are set up to be as fair, flexible and forgiving as possible,” Edward Little Principal Scott Annear said at the April 15 meeting.

He said Wednesday night that plans for a graduation ceremony were being made in tiers, depending upon when it is deemed safe to end social distancing.

“Students prefer (a traditional) graduation,” he said.

He said the first marker for a ceremony would be June 6, as planned before the pandemic.

The second would be mid-July.

“Will the municipal election take place July 14 as expected? That would be a big indicator of community safety,” Annear said.

Otherwise, the ceremony could involve social distancing or some kind of drive-by, he said. The last, and least preferable, option would be a virtual ceremony.

“Kids are not super eager about that and we are not super eager about that,” he said.


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