The Mountain View Los Altos High School District Board of Trustees voted 4-1 at a recent meeting to adopt a new regulation governing how students can earn graduation credits from courses taken outside the district, formalizing a practice that ensures students complete most coursework within the district and establishes clear standards for outside credits.
Under the regulation, students may receive credit for outside coursework only if they are enrolled in at least six district classes during their freshman and sophomore years. Students are also limited to 40 out-of-district credits on their transcripts. District administrators said the six-class requirement helps keep students on track for graduation and limits unsupervised open periods on campus.
The proposal’s potential impact on students’ schedules and access to alternative programs was discussed prior to the March 9 board vote. Trustee Alex Levich suggested reducing the minimum course load requirement from six district classes to five, arguing that a slightly lighter schedule could give students more flexibility to pursue legitimate outside coursework without becoming overwhelmed.
“In practice, what it means is it would restrict students’ ability to take legitimate outside courses while maintaining a reasonable workload and keeping their mental health,” Levich said. “Our practice actually uses a five-period threshold, which still ensures students remain primarily enrolled in MVLA, and it actually allows quite reasonable flexibility.”
District administrators, however, emphasized the importance of the six-class requirement. Superintendent Eric Volta said it keeps younger students on track toward graduation, noting, “all students must pass six classes their first two years and then five their second and third.”
He also highlighted a safety concern: “There’s no guarantee with our block schedule that we would be able to put these open periods back to back, depending on what the students signed up for and what classes they were taking. Therefore, you might have a freshman 14‑year‑old with no place to go during the school day.”
Some trustees also said the requirement helps maintain consistent expectations across schools and ensures students complete most of their coursework within the district rather than relying heavily on outside classes.
Administrators clarified that district-supported options such as international exchange programs, concurrent college enrollment, or independent study are considered district programs and would not be limited by the outside-credit rules.
Levich and other board members expressed concern that the regulation, as written, might limit legitimate options for students in certain circumstances. She proposed amendments to account for programs like College Now, international exchanges, and independent study, noting the policy should preserve students’ ability to participate without undermining the district’s goal of consistency.
One community member who spoke during public comment expressed support for the policy while raising concerns about the quality of health classes taken outside the district.
The board ultimately rejected the proposed amendments in a 4-1 vote, leaving the six-class requirement in place.
