• Seniors who have satisfied all North Carolina and CMS graduation requirements at the end of first semester of their senior year are eligible to graduate in January of their senior year ("mid-year graduation"). This option is available only for eligible students who affirmatively elect to graduate at the mid-year. Students who are eligible for mid-year graduation who do not make this election will continue to be enrolled in CMS and graduate in June of their senior year.In order to determine if a student is eligible for mid-year graduation, the procedures below must be followed:

Mid-Year Graduation Procedures

1. A student may be considered for mid-year graduation only if the date of his or her sixteenth birthday is on or before the student's anticipated date of graduation.

2. The student must work with the school counselor to develop a written education and career plan outlining the courses in which the student plans to enroll that will enable the student to meet North Carolina and CMS graduation requirements for the student's assigned graduating class by the end of first semester of his or her senior year. 

3. Prior to the first day of July 1 following a student's junior year in high school, the student must submit to the principal a Request for Mid-year Graduation that contains the following information:

• The written education and career plan; and

• Written verification by the counselor that all graduation requirements can be met at the end of first semester of the student's senior year in high school and that the student will reach his/her sixteenth birthday on or before the anticipated date of graduation; and

• If a student is under the age of eighteen, written permission from the student's parent.

Classification and Class Rankings

A student who elects to graduate at the end of first semester will be included in first semester senior class rankings. However, these students are not eligible for Valedictorian or Salutatorian honors, which are reserved for students graduating at the end of the school year.

Status in CMS

Students who graduate from high school at the mid-year will no longer be enrolled in CMS and, as such, will not be allowed to participate in school and extra-curricular activities, such as interscholastic athletics, June graduation ceremonies, honors and awards ceremonies, and clubs. They may attend Senior Prom as the guest of a current student.

In some circumstances a student may be eligible to graduate a year in advance of the student's assigned graduating class. In order to determine if a student may graduate early, the procedures below must be followed:

Early Graduation Procedures

1. A student may be considered for early graduation only if the date of his or her sixteenth birthday is on or prior to the anticipated date of graduation.

2. The student must work with the school counselor to develop a written education and career plan outlining the courses in which the student plans to enroll that will enable the student to meet North Carolina and CMS graduation requirements for the student's assigned graduating class.

3. Prior to the first day of July following a student's sophomore year in high school, the student must submit to the principal a Request for Early Graduation ("Request") that contains the following information:

• Written education and career plan; and 

• Written verification by the counselor that all graduation requirements can be met upon successful completion of the written education and career plan and that the student will reach his/her sixteenth birthday on or prior to the anticipated date of graduation; andc. If a student is under the age of eighteen, written permission from the student's parent

4. The principal must verify that the above procedures have been followed and, if so, shall approve the Request. The student shall then be re-classified as a senior.

Classification and Class Rankings

A student who has been re-classified as a senior will be included in senior class rankings and shall be eligible for all honors accorded members of the senior class. However, as set forth in Regulation IKC-R, in order to be eligible to be Valedictorian or Salutatorian, the student must have been enrolled at the school from the beginning of second semester of his or her tenth grade year.

Graduation Exercises for Mid-Year and Early Graduates

• Graduation exercises are held at the end of each school semester and each extended year session (summer school). A student who is eligible for early graduation or mid-year graduation who chooses to participate in a graduation exercise must participate in the graduation exercise that occurs at the end of the school semester or summer session in which the student was last enrolled.