School district's strict graduation requirements

The Superintendent of York Schools admits it's a bold plan; in fact it's called the Bearcat Bold 8. It requires students to meet eight different requirements to walk at graduation including applying to college and taking the SAT.

Dr. Deborah Wortham, superintendent of the School District of the City of York.

At first, York High seniors Mary Gilbert and Dustin Rhoades had mixed reactions to the Bearcat Bold 8

"We were like we are the only ones, we don’t want to do this, miss classes, kind of carried on into this year, we don't want to do all this stuff," stated one of the students.

"Why do we have to do this? Everyone in the past didn't have to do this?" questioned the other.

Like each of their classmates, they have to meet eight requirements to walk across the stage at graduation this June.

The checklist ranges from the expected: Passing grades and attendance, to the more demanding: Take the SAT’s and apply to college.

Superintendent of the School District of the City of York Doctor Deborah Wortham admits it's a tough list, but one that motivates students to apply themselves.

“Our seniors have already started receiving acceptance letters,” Wortham stated. “We are posting them and you should see students coming in waiving their acceptance letters."

Financial aid and waivers are available for application fees. Gilbert says what first seemed like extra work, now makes sense.

"The more you thought about it and understood it was creating a standard, that you had to work for it to graduate and walk across the stage and it wasn't just going to be given to us, it was literally a very important thing we were going to do that now had some value to it,” explained Gilbert.

Rhoades says it's helped him create a plan. "I’m looking into political science and international relations, then law school,” Rhoades stated. “Because down the road after I get all my degrees I'd like to work in Congress"

Which isn't one of the Bearcat Bold 8 requirements, but exactly what Dr. Wortham hoped it would lead her students to.

"That's why we are here, that is the purpose of Bearcat Bold,” Dr. Wortham told CBS 21. “To allow students to tread waters they previously didn't think would be possible."

The program also requires community service. This year’s seniors will complete 25 hours, next year’s 50 and the following year, 75 hours.