For the last couple of months, an overwhelmingly amount of seniors had been worried about their state test scores. Why are they so worried about these test scores? Well, they need these scores in order to graduate. Last year, the state offered alternative routes to help the seniors who did not meet the scoring requirements on the state tests but this year they decided to not provide the alternative routes they had provided the previous year but that decision was quickly overturned.

On December 6th, the Ohio State Legislature voted to give the students a few alternative routes, which are the same as those from last year. “Current Ohio high school seniors and juniors will not have to pass state tests to graduate, after both the House and Senate overwhelmingly approved alternative graduation pathways on Thursday,” according to the Springfield News-Sun.

The Senate approved House Bill 491 by a 29-0 vote, and the house passed it with a 78-1 vote. The bill will now go to Governor John Kasich for his signature. Legislators claimed that the governor’s office supported this bill that could, and will, change the Ohio graduation rate.

House bill 491 gives current high school seniors, the class of 2019, graduation alternatives identical to those from 2018. This may sound great, but, these students are still required to have the 20 classroom credits, take all of the state tests, and retake any math or english test that scored a one or a two on the five point grading scale.

Instead of needing all of the certain scores on the state tests, students can earn a diploma by meeting two of the nine including 93% attendance senior-year attendance, strong senior-year classroom grades, 120 service and/or work hours, and a variety of other options. One of Lakewood High School’s own had something to say about the aid from the state “I think this is very good for the students and a stress-reliever for the staff. I think this was a very good move by our state,” said senior Miranda Larimer.

Thanks to the Ohio State Legislature, students and faculty hopefully no longer have to worry about, almost certain, plummeting graduation rates.