General Information

Withdrawing from Tahoma High School

It is important to have confirmed school plans for students if they are moving and need to withdraw from Tahoma High School. It is also most ideal to have your student remain enrolled until the semester grading term is completed. If a mid year transfer is required it is important to note that:

• If a student withdraws from Tahoma High School prior to the end of a semester, only withdrawal grades are issued. 

• Course Credit is applied/awarded by the receiving school district, not Tahoma, and is solely up to their discretion.

• Withdrawal requests are made with the Tahoma High School Registrar - contact information available on the website.

Outside Credits

Students may opt to take an online course here or there during their high school years. Credits from providers outside of the Tahoma School District need to be from approved and accredited institutions. A listing of approved providers of online credits can be found online with the State OSPI office: https://bit.ly/3tB3sZp

Students may take on-line APEX courses offered by Tahoma High School. This can be done through enrollment in a credit recovery course called New Visions or by Independent Study. A fee may apply for the independent study option. Please note that on-line courses may negatively impact college admissions. All APEX courses must be started by April 30th to be eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony. Please contact your school counselor for more information. Tahoma High School APEX courses are not NCAA approved.

Valedictorian/Salutatorian Selection Process

The title of valedictorian and salutatorian for Tahoma Senior High is awarded to the graduating seniors who have earned the highest cumulative grade point average in a course load of the highest rigor. The valedictorian and salutatorian will be selected using a point system based on a district approved criteria. Applications will be available in the counseling office in early April and will be accepted through mid-May. Applications are limited to the top 5% of the graduating class based on cumulative GPA.

Waiver Application

Tahoma High School’s Principal and/or Designee may waive certain classes required for graduation on a case by case basis. A waiver does not grant credit, but instead notes a requirement as satisfied. 

Waivers may be granted for the following reasons:

• Disability impacts student’s successful completion of the class

• Student’s religious preference mandates a waiver

• Physical Education up to 1.0 credit for participation in Interscholastic Athletic Program. Requests for PE waiver can only be completed in the junior and senior year. Any student who waives PE may not have a TA position, early dismissal, late arrival or any periods of “homeschool” in their schedule.

Homeschool

Families who intend to homeschool their students must act in accordance with district policies around filing the annual intent to homeschool form. This form is available on the district website. Please note that TSD policies do not recognize homeschool credits as credits that can be applied to Tahoma High School graduation requirements. Students wanting a diploma from Tahoma High School must meet the minimum requirements as outlined at the beginning of this section. 

Family Choice - Seminary

Many of our families at Tahoma High School decide annually to thoughtfully reduce their student’s school day by one period for participation in external religious organization activities. Families of students in this group will be required to file an Intent to Homeschool form each spring for the following school year. This form must be received by the school district no later than the second week of the school term in September (September 15th). This form makes it legally possible for students to only take seven of eight class periods during the school year and keeps the district in compliance with state laws and regulations. 

Families that file intent to homeschool documentation are still able to work toward the Tahoma High School Diploma for graduation. Students will work with their assigned school counselor at Tahoma to determine the credits needed to meet the HS diploma requirements if that is the desire of the family. Minimum requirements must be met to have the diploma credential awarded. 

Student Athletes

Full School Day

Tahoma High School student athletes must have schedules of a certain length as outlined by Tahoma High School in partnership with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). Legal rules require students to be enrolled full time in school between the ages of 8-18 unless they belong to certain groups (see School Day on page 7). Full time enrollment at Tahoma is eight classes. Athletes legally clear to be enrolled in less than eight classes in a year have to be enrolled in no less than 7.0 credits in grades 9-11 and no less than 6.0 credits in senior year to be eligible to play sports for Tahoma High School. It is important to note that reduced schedules could impact scholarship eligibility, college admission and/or high school graduation. Schedule reductions are not possible for many students and all questions on the topic should be addressed with your assigned school counselor. 

College Athletic Eligibility

It is the responsibility of the student athlete and family to know the eligibility requirements that apply to their sport and the school they are hoping to play for. These rules and regulations are different and are not Tahoma policies. College athletic programs and compliance officers can support you in questions about eligibility that cannot be determined from the online resources mentioned below. Tahoma is only responsible for maintaining an accurate listing of academic courses to the NCAA Eligibility Center so student athletes know how to use that website, and our list of classes, to determine their own eligibility status. 

NCAA or NAIA

NCAA schools are not the only option – depending on the sport there are also potential opportunities at the junior college level and at the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) level. Those schools have adopted Division II guidelines and requirements and further details can be found by looking at the school athletic websites directly.

What is the NCAA Eligibility Center? 

The NCAA Eligibility Center determines if prospective college athletes are eligible to play sports at NCAA Division I or Division II institutions. Eligibility is determined by reviewing the student athlete's academic factors and amateur status to ensure conformity with NCAA rules. Student athletes must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center online by the spring of their sixth (6) semester (or eleventh grade year) to be eligible to play NCAA Division I or Division II sports in college and receive athletic based financial aid. 

What are the NCAA academic eligibility requirements? 

To play sports at a NCAA Division I or Division II institution, the student must: Complete the required number of high school “Core” courses (defined below); Earn the required minimum grade point average in these core courses; Meet guidelines as outlined by the NCAA

Core vs. Elective

The term “core” and “elective” are used for both Tahoma graduation requirements and for NCAA course designations. Classes designated as “core” for Tahoma have been determined to meet our state’s grade level standards in that content area. The word “core” is also used for NCAA requirements. You can view a list of approved core courses for Tahoma High School by using the NCAA Eligibility Center website - search for Tahoma HS (CEEB Code 480665). You will also see NCAA notations on individual course descriptions in the following sections of this guide.