A+ Scholarship Program

Students must meet the following requirements to be eligible for tuition benefits:

• Attend an A+ School for two years
• Graduate with an unweighted, unrounded cumulative GPA of a 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• Graduate with at least a cumulative 95 percent attendance record
• Maintain a record of good citizenship and avoid the use of alcohol and unlawful drugs
• Perform 50 hours of unpaid tutoring or mentoring to other students in our district
• Apply for non-payback scholarships by completing a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
• Must score proficient or advanced on the state level Algebra I or Algebra II End of Course Exam or meet one of the qualifying scores on the ACT with a qualifying GPA.
  • Pre-ACT or ACT math Sub-Score     17 and 2.5 or greater GPA
  • Pre-ACT or ACT math Sub-Score     16 and 2.8 or greater GPA
  • Pre-ACT or ACT math Sub-Score     15 and 3.0 or greater GPA

Once A+ funding has been activated, the student must meet the following criteria to maintain A+ eligibility:

• Attend a Missouri community college or post-secondary vocational/technical school on a full-time basis (12 credit hours/6 credit hours during summer session) and maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher for the first semester and a 2.0 GPA the following semesters.

• Participants in the A+ program are expected to attend school regularly. Students must graduate with a cumulative average daily attendance (ADA) of at least 95% for grades 9-12.

• The A+ Program makes no distinction between excused and unexcused absences.

• Attendance is based on Monday through Friday when school is in regular session. Only the days and times, which are calculated for Average Daily Attendance (ADA), will be used to determine the 95% attendance requirement.

• The A+ attendance policy provides for relief in cases where the absence was beyond the control of the A+ participant. A request for an attendance Appeal must be filed in accordance with the established policy guidelines. Each A+ participant should read and understand the attendance policy.

• It is the responsibility of each A+ participant to closely monitor his/her attendance.

• Recovery time for attendance does not count for A+ Scholarship purposes.

Attendance Appeals Guidelines

Students enrolled in the A+ Program who must file an attendance appeal will be notified via e-mail in the spring of their senior year. Filing an attendance appeal will require documentation to support absences in excess of the 5% allowed. Examples of acceptable documentation are:

• Hospitalization — Physician Letter
• Chronic Health Problems — Physician Letter
• Court Appearance — Court Letter
• Funeral — Parent Letter and copy of Death Certificate, obituary or memorial pamphlet
• Religious Holiday — Minister Letter
• Personal/Family Calamity — Parent and school counselor letter
• Catastrophic Illness/Injury — Physician Letter

Attendance Waivers will NOT be granted for the following:

• Truancy
• Suspension
• Personal/Family Vacation
• Transportation (unless late bus)

A+ attendance requirements are not to be confused with the general attendance requirement.

The A+ Schools Coordinator or Assistant shall convene a committee for consideration of the appeal. The Committee shall hear the appeal and return its decision to the student/parent. The decision of the committee will be final. The A+ Schools Appeal Committee will consist of the following individuals: Assistant Principal in charge of A+ Schools at each high school, each A+ Schools Coordinator, and the A+ Coordinator’s Assistants. The A+ Coordinator from the school at which the student is enrolled will facilitate the appeal, but will not be involved in the voting process for their schools. The assistants also do not vote however, they are in attendance to provide clarification or to answer specific questions on behalf of the committee/students or parent(s). Appeals will be considered at the end of the students senior year.

To be eligible to participate in the Lee’s Summit North A+ Schools Program requires certain behaviors and attitudes. Specifically, students who participate in the A+ Schools Program must be good citizens and be judged so by the proper school authority. A student whose character or conduct is such as to discredit him/herself or his/her school is not considered a good citizen. His/her conduct shall be satisfactory in accordance with the standards of good discipline. Students who participate in the A+ Schools Program should remember not only the financial rewards, but also the individual discipline and responsibilities that come with it.

The following criteria regarding the school’s discipline policy will serve as a measurable indicator of respect for self, school, and good citizenship:

Criminal Activity: Students who are convicted of a felony will not qualify or will lose eligibility if already in the program.

Substance Abuse: Students shall not possess or use alcoholic beverages or controlled substances. Any violation (possession, use, manufacture, sale, or transportation) that results in suspension (ISS or OSS) will result in loss of eligibility for the program.

Suspensions: Effective September 2005, students will lose A+ eligibility if they accumulate fifteen (15) days of suspension (ISS or OSS) during their high school career for offenses other than alcohol, drugs, or violations of the Safe Schools Act.

Violations of Safe Schools Act: Students who are disciplined in accordance to the Safe Schools Act of 1996 will be removed from the A+ Schools Program. These violations include, but are not limited to, assault, weapons possessions, and drug distribution.

Free Application For Student Aid

A+ participants and their parents must complete and file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid with the government. The information reported on the FAFSA is required by post-secondary institutions to complete the enrollment process.

Financial need is not a factor in determining student eligibility for the A+ tuition benefit. However, an A+ participant is required to complete a FAFSA to make sure he/she is not eligible for any non-payback financial aid.

Different colleges and universities set priority deadlines by which FAFSA forms are submitted to
be considered for the aid programs they administer. Please check with the college for State and Federal
guidelines as they may change from year to year.

FAFSA Website

A+ participants must graduate with a CUMULATIVE unweighted, unrounded grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.  (Notice:  The Department for Higher Education WILL NOT ROUND UP to meet this GPA requirement.)

It is the responsibility of the A+ participant to closely monitor his/her grade point average. Final determination of A+ eligibility can not be made until an A+ participant graduates and his/her final GPA is calculated.

This is a requirement before you can start your tutoring hours.

The dates of trainings are listed below:

9/15/2026 @ 2:20 PM in the LMC

10/13/2026 @ 2:20 PM in the LMC

11/10/2026 @ 2:20 PM in the LMC

12/8/2026 @ 2:20 PM in the LMC

1/12/2027 @ 2:20 PM in the LMC

2/9/2027 @ 2:20 PM in the LMC

3/9/3027 @ 2:20 PM in the LMC

4/13/2027 @ 2:20 PM in the LMC

5/11/2027 @ 2:20 PM in the LMC

Please plan to attend one of these sessions to complete your tutor training requirement.

A+ participants must perform a minimum of 50 hours of unpaid tutoring or mentoring. The tutoring/mentoring must be:

• Coordinated through the LSN A+ Office
• Up to 12.50 hours can be from job shadowing (upon pre-approval of the A+ office).
• Up to 12.50 hours can be from out-of-district tutoring/mentoring (upon pre-approval of the A+ office).  They must be working with children for the hours to count.
• All hours can now be done through Lee’s Summit Parks & Recreation if the hours are available (upon completion of a background check provided by LS Parks and Rec).  Park & Rec does all the scheduling of the students once their background checks have been approved.

Guidelines

• A+ participants must complete all A+ required paperwork.  Students must also attend a tutor training session BEFORE they can begin a tutoring/mentoring assignment.
• A+ participants must receive a confirmation sheet from the A+ Office before engaging in tutoring/mentoring activities unless other arrangements have been made.
• Tutoring/mentoring time must be documented on the A+ Student Tutor Log. When they sign up for a tutor assignment, these will be given to the student. Additional logs will be available in the A+ Office.
• Tutoring/mentoring may also be counted as community service as long as it meets the guidelines of both programs and appropriate forms for each program are completed and turned in.  Please ask for clarification if you have questions.
• Tutoring/mentoring activities are to be conducted in a controlled, disciplined, and orderly manner and only for as long as the experience is productive and necessary.
• Participants should consider themselves guests of the school and/or supervisor and conduct themselves according to all rules, regulations, and guidelines discussed at training. A+ participants who do not meet the behavioral expectations of the supervisor during any portion of the tutoring experience risk forfeiture of tutoring opportunities.
• The signature of the supervisor must verify all tutoring/mentoring time. Tutoring/mentoring time must be recorded and verified on the A+ Student Tutoring Log.  Tutor logs are available in the A+ Office or emailed to students upon request. Students will not receive credit for unverified tutoring hours or for forms that are lost or not turned in.
• Tutoring/mentoring for A+ hours must be unpaid and working with children.

Students are encouraged not to wait until their senior year to begin earning their 50 hours of tutoring. With over 600 students enrolled in the LSN A+ Program, there is no guarantee there will be tutoring opportunities available to all students during their senior year.

When you are ready to receive a tutoring assignment:  Contact Mrs. Husted via email or come by the A+ Office in room 2128.

Most tutoring occurs in the classroom after your school day at the elementary and middle schools. There are homework/reading clubs at the elementary schools that like to have help. Special Olympics does Bowling, Basketball, and Track and Field. Parks and Recreation at Harris Community Center is also available on Saturdays, evenings, and non-school days.

If you are a junior or senior, you may be eligible for the PIE (Peer Inclusive Environment) class. This is a class that is included in your actual school schedule and will receive a graduation credit and grade.  You will be working in our Life Skills classrooms.  There is an application/approval process for this class.  Students will recieve their 50 hours for successfully completing one semester of this class.