The number of credits required to graduate from Highland High School is set to rise.

The school board recently approved an increase from 48 credits to 52 credits starting next school year, which will first impact the Class of 2025. Superintendent Ken Crawford says the make-up of those course credits is also changing, “We’re going to take 32 required down to 29 and then we’re going to up electives from 16 to 23 and that will make 52 total credits.”

Crawford says the change is designed to ignite their elective courses by giving students more flexibility to take the classes they want, “Whether that be some AP courses, a modern U.S. history course as well as opening the flexibility for kids to take Spanish, fine arts or band for four years and not have their schedule so jammed full of the requireds that they they can’t do those electives which we think are very important, number one to our school, but number two, to their high school experience of being able to do those things for four years at the high school.”

Crawford says while it could take three to four years for the credit change to feel more normal, the results will mean many positive benefits for the students, staff and community in the district.