Any junior or senior may participate in the Youth Options Program in accordance with state law requirements and established procedures. All 9th, 10th and 11th grade students enrolled in the district shall be informed of the Youth Options Program annually as part of the high school class registration process. 

The Youth Options Program provides eligible students an opportunity to take courses at a technical college or an institution of higher education while in high school. An institution of higher education is defined as an institution within the University of Wisconsin system, a tribally controlled college, a technical college, or a private, nonprofit institution of higher learning located in the state. 

The High School Counselor is the administrator of the Youth Options Program in the District. Students interested in participating shall inform the High School Counselor of their intention to take postsecondary courses under this program, prior to enrollment in the course(s) and within designated timelines. Students must submit a Youth Options application form to the High School Counselor by March 1st if they intend to enroll in the fall semester and by October 1st if they intend to enroll in the spring semester. Students will inform the High School Counselor, in writing, how Youth Options courses to be taken will meet their career goals and fit into their Comprehensive Career Plan. 

The Board shall determine whether a course taken through the Youth Options Program is comparable to a course offered in the District, whether it satisfies graduation requirements and what, if any, high school credits will be awarded to the student.

Courses taken as part of the Youth Options Program shall be paid for as follows:

If the course is taken for high school credit and the course is not comparable to a course offered in the District, the Board shall pay the tuition and fees for the course.

If the student is taking the course for postsecondary credit only or the course is comparable to a course offered in the District, the student shall pay the tuition and fees for the course.

If the student attending courses at a technical college under this program is a child with a disability, the Board shall also pay the costs of any special services required for the student as determined jointly by the District and technical college. The District may refuse to permit a child with a disability to attend a technical college under this program if it determines that the cost to the District would impose an undue financial burden on the District.

The District shall pay for no more than the equivalent of 18 postsecondary semester credits (4 ½ high school credits) per student. A postsecondary course taken under the youth options program and approved for high school credit shall be granted ¼ high school credit per 1 semester credit offered by a postsecondary course. 

The District will pay only for the courses that are successfully completed. If a student receives a failing grade in a course or fails to complete the course, the student’s parent/guardian or the student, if an adult, is responsible for reimbursing the District for payment of the tuition and fees paid by the District. If this reimbursement is not made, the student on whose behalf the payment was made is ineligible for any further participation in the Youth Options Program. Student diplomas may be withheld until all financial obligations to the district are paid.

The requirement for students to be admitted to a postsecondary institution is based on space availability and meeting all the requirements of a student in good standing. For the purposes of the Youth Options Program, a student in good standing will be defined as: (1) having a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 as a junior and a 3.0 as a senior in the four core subject areas; (2) enrolled fulltime; (3) no failures in the previous semester; (4) on track for graduation; (5) has not been habitually truant as defined under 118.16 of the Wisconsin State Statutes; (6) demonstrated positive school behavior with no out of school suspensions in the previous semester and no expulsions during their school career; and (7) does not meet the statutory definition of a “child at risk”. Students who do not meet these criteria may be granted administrator approval if there are special circumstances.

Students participating in the Youth Options Program shall be responsible for providing their own transportation to and from postsecondary courses under this program.


Legal Ref: WI State Statutes 118.55
PI 40.07(2)

Approved: December 15, 2008