The Mandan School Board approved two early graduation requests Monday.

The students' requests were considered at the board's monthly meeting. The approvals came as the board considers a change to the early graduation policy that would have similar requests decided by a group of high school administrators instead of the school board.

Junior Mitchell Peterson requested early graduation because he intends to join the military. The date he is to start training is before graduation, Superintendent Kent Hjelmstad said. Junior Crystal Peterson requested early graduation because her family is moving to Wyoming in January 2007. The students did not speak at the meeting.

Both students have met all the requirements for graduating early and will have all the credits needed to graduate by the end of the first semester of their senior year, Hjelmstad said.

All board members agreed to approve the request for military reasons, but some board members opposed approving the request because of the parents moving to another state.

Board member John Gerding voted to deny that request because he said she appeared to have the option of staying in Mandan and finishing the school year. Board member Warren Geiger also voted no.

Board members who supported her request thought it was better to graduate early than to switch schools. Board member Michelle Sondrol said accepting her request was a way for her to complete her education in Mandan and not have to worry about graduation requirements in another state.

The request because of the military is what has the board creating a safety net for students who miss the Feb. 1 deadline for applying for early graduation. The proposed change to the policy is for students who have something, like an emergency, come up after the deadline that makes them consider graduating early.

Students currently apply for early graduation by filling out an application and turning it in by the deadline. Their reasons for wanting early graduation do not have to be approved by the school board if they meet the deadline. If a student misses the deadline, they can appeal to the board for an exception.

The high school has 22 early graduates, Principal Mark Andresen told curriculum committee members earlier this month. The number of students wanting to graduate early is declining each year, he said.

The provision for exceptions to meeting the application deadline would have the student make an appeal to a committee comprised of the principal, counselor and superintendent.

Examples of what could get a student an exemption to the application deadline include medical, special services or the military. The district has a student wanting to graduate early this year because he enlisted in the military and is to report for duty before graduation. Some branches of the military will grant delays for students under 20 years old until after their scheduled graduation. This student wants to start his training sooner so that it coincides with his plans for college.

The addition to the policy failed the first reading Monday and will be given back to the curriculum committee to make changes. Some board members were concerned it intermingled policy and procedure.

"Idon't believe we need to write procedure in our policy," board member Kirsten Baesler said.

Baesler said she was concerned that the addition went into telling people what qualified as an emergency situation, and that would be better left for administrative rules, she said.

Even if the policy is changed to let students apply for early graduation if they miss the Feb. 1 deadline, the school board could still hear requests for early graduation. This is because the committee could deny a student's request for early graduation, Hjelmstad said.

The curriculum committee will continue to discuss changes to the policy at its next meeting in June.

The board passed the first reading of the wellness policy. The policy will need to be passed on a second reading before it will be valid. The policy, if approved on a second reading, would go into effect in July.

Wellness policies are required for schools that participate in the federal school lunch program. The policy must have nutrition guidelines and requirements for physical activity, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture

Each school district can create its own wellness policy to meet its own needs, according to the USDA. This is why Bismarck Public Schools can write a wellness policy that bans soda in schools, and Mandan Public School can write a policy that does not ban soda in school and both can comply with the law.

The Mandan Public Schools wellness policy is general in nature. It says it will have nutrition guidelines for the foods sold in the school, but does not say what those guidelines are, except that school lunches will follow USDA guidelines and that other foods will be monitored for nutrition density and portion size.

The policy does not provide requirements for physical activity, just that goals for physical activity and other school-based activities will promote student wellness.

Board members said the general nature is intentional.

"It is a living policy," board member Lynn Wolf said.

This means it will be a policy that will change.

Baesler said she was under the impression they would come back with more specific recommendations in about a year.

The district does have a plan for making it more specific. Once the policy is approved by the board, it will be shared with school employees and at public forums. Then the district will ask for input for the different guidelines. Recommendations would be given to the health advisory committee.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktribune.com.)