High school students will need to earn 26 credits to graduate instead of 24, following final school board approval on Sept. 21.

The policy change raises overall graduation requirements without altering mandatory core subjects like math, English or science. The additional two credits must come from electives, which can include vocational classes, career training and school-sponsored activities.

Current juniors and seniors are grandfathered in under the former 24-credit threshold.

Under the district’s seven-period schedule, students who pass all classes accumulate 21 credits by the end of their junior year. The previous policy left many seniors needing only three credits to complete high school, often resulting in an underscheduled final year.

Alaska requires a statewide baseline of 21 credits for a high school diploma, while individual districts typically require between 22 and 25.5 credits. The increase places Wrangell among the highest graduation benchmarks in the state.

Greg Clark, the middle and high school principal, said the extra requirement will prompt the school to broaden student coursework options rather than restrict them.

“We didn’t bump up any of the core classes but we’re just adding two more credits, so that would be electives,” he said. “It’s not forcing them into what we already have. … It’s going to force us to give more electives as well.”

Each semester course counts for one-half credit, meaning students will need to complete four additional semester-long classes.

To help meet demand, the district added an online psychology course through a Texas-based company called Proximity Learning this school year, alongside Spanish classes. The high school also offers distance-learning courses through an Alaska-based company, AK Grad, and Clark said he is evaluating new platforms that feature medical career and technical education pathways and other specialized subjects.

“We already have tons of electives through AK Grad, where kids can pick anything,” Clark said.

He said he is also working to expand dual-enrollment opportunities through the University of Alaska Southeast, allowing students to earn high school and college credits simultaneously.

“They get college credit and high school, so we already have a lot of that already going,” he said. “I’ve been pushing a lot of students that direction, so I’m looking to branch out and continue to grow that as well.”

He said current efforts include collaborating with the university to bring in additional maritime and fisheries courses.