With second semester of the 2014-2015 school year already under way some seniors are scrambling to make sure they meet all the requirements so they will be able to graduate in June.

At Sandpoint High School there are many different requirements that are not mandatory to graduate in the state of Idaho itself.

To graduate high school in the Lake Pend Orielle School District you need 56 total credits, minimum, but the state only requires high school students to have 46 to graduate. Another difference is the state only requires students have 17 elective credits and the district requires 21.

Futhermore, the Lake Pend Orielle School District splits US History into two different courses. As a result of this, the district requires two more history credits than the state does.

One of the biggest and most controversial differences is that our district requires two PE credits and the state does not require any. Students are split on whether or not P.E. should be a required class in high school. 

“Stricter requirements will help people challenge themselves more in school, which is better, but it is still tough to juggle everything,” said junior Jake Timothy.

Sandpoint High Scool is ranked seventh among Idaho schools according to usnews.com and this could possibly be attributed to the district’s tough requirements. Because students at SHS are required to take so many more classes and credits than the state requires, it helps boost our school into the top ten.

Another difference between state and district is our district requires students to have two practical art credits and the state requires none. This is just another example of how the Lake Pend Oreille School