Grade placement shall be the responsibility of the principal. Students transferring into the system from accredited schools will be placed in the same grade level as in the school from which they transferred.

Upon recommendation of the Superintendent, the Board may award credit for promotion and/or graduation through the results of proficiency testing, correspondence courses, and other educational endeavors during the regular school year which are not within the school curriculum. In awarding credit, the course or program must be pre-approved by the Principal, Superintendent and Board.

The District shall accept transfer credits earned by a student outside the regular school year for any course taken by the student from another school accredited by the South Dakota Department of Education.

The District shall accept the transfer credits only if the parents or emancipated student notifies the high school principal in writing, prior to taking the course(s) for which credit is to be received. The notification must include the student’s name, the starting and ending dates for each course to be taken, the school accredited by the South Dakota Department of Education from which the course is to be taken, and provide documented verification of enrollment or registration for the course. The course syllabus must be attached to the notification.

If the school fails to receive such prior written notice, the school shall refuse to accept the credits.

If, upon review of the coursework for which transfer credit is sought, the principal determines that the course rigor is not sufficient to meet the graduation requirements established by the South Dakota Board of Education or by the District, the transfer credits earned by the student for the course will count as elective credits, but the course will not count as a course required for graduation.

If the principal determines that the credit(s) do not meet graduation requirements, the principal shall notify the student in writing and explain the reason for that determination and to cite the provisions of formally adopted school policy that apply.

The following procedure shall be used to address an appeal of the Principal’s decision.

1. The appeal shall be in writing. The appealing party must attach the Principal’s written decision.

2. In the Superintendent’s sole discretion, the Superintendent may (a) meet and discuss the matter with the Complainant, (b) meet and discuss the matter with the Complainant and Principal, or (c) meet and discuss the matter with the Principal.

3. Within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date the appeal was filed with the Superintendent, the Superintendent shall render a decision in writing. The time frame for rendering a decision by the Superintendent may be extended by the Superintendent for good cause and upon written notification to the Complainant and Principal; the notification shall identify the reason for the extension and the date on or before which the decision shall be rendered. The Complainant and Principal shall receive copies of the decision. The Superintendent may uphold, reverse or modify the Principal’s decision. The Superintendent may also refer the matter back to the Principal for further investigation. The Principal may uphold, modify or reverse his or her initial decision. After a matter has been referred back to the Principal, and the Principal rendered a second decision, that decision may also be appealed to the Superintendent.

4. The Superintendent’s decision may be appealed by the Complainant to the School Board within (10) ten calendar days of receipt of the Superintendent’s written decision.

The following procedure shall be used to address an appeal of the Superintendent’s decision.

1. An appeal to the School Board shall be in writing. The Complainant must attach the complaint, the Principal’s written decision if a decision was rendered, the appeal to the Superintendent, the response to the appeal, and the Superintendent’s decision.

2. The appeal must be filed with the President/Chairperson of the School Board or Business Manager within ten (10) calendar days of Complainant’s receipt of the Superintendent’s written decision.

3. The School Board shall schedule a date, time and location for the appeal hearing