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WCHS Early Graduation

Requirements & Application

Early Graduation Requirements:

  • Students must meet all Georgia high school graduation requirements effective for their cohort year.

  • Students must demonstrate a need for early graduation by submission of a post-secondary plan.

  • Students and a parent or guardian must meet with a counselor to review an early graduation plan.

  • The student must declare his/her intention and apply for early graduation by the due date in the spring of the student's junior year. The due date for current juniors is your registration appointment. Turn in this completed form at the time of your appointment.

  • Students choosing the Early Exit Graduation Option must bring this completed form to the registration appointment, and a parent /guardian should accompany the student.

  • There is no early graduation ceremony. Early exit students may take part in the May graduation ceremony. However, since they will already have graduated, they are no longer considered seniors and forfeit participation in athletics, clubs, and organizations including but not limited to HOSA, Beta Club, FBLA, TSA, etc. and senior activities that take place after the end of the first semester or the second semester including but not limited to homecoming court, prom, parent night, senior breakfast, senior honors day, etc.

  • Students enrolled in Alternative School do not meet the requirements for early graduation.

  • Students who have been referred to the Attendance Support Team for chronic absenteeism are not eligible for early graduation.

  • Increased Learning Time and Work-Based Learning credits will not be included in the early graduation requirements.

Procedure:

  1. The parent(s)/court-appointed guardian(s)of a student may request early graduation for the student by filing a written request with the school principal by May 30th for mid-year graduates [Six months before completion of courses] at their registration appointment for the following year.

  2. The student and parent/guardian must meet with his/her school counselor to assure all graduation/testing requirements are met by the end of the final semester. This meeting must occur prior to the submission of the Early Graduation Request.

  3. The principal, with a committee of the local school's staff, considers the request and approves or denies graduation prior to one’s class on an individual case-by-case basis, subject to the criteria stated above.

  4. A copy of the notarized Early Graduation Request must be submitted to the Superintendent no later than thirty days following the principal's decision. The original must be placed in the student's cumulative folder.

  5. Diplomas are issued at the end of the school year at or following the graduation ceremony.