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Change could cut down on the number of valedictorians at three high schools.
WILKES-BARRE — A planned new weighted grading system got an “F” from some Wilkes-Barre Area School Board members Monday because it could cut down on the number of valedictorians in the district.
In answer to a board member’s question in the work session about the status of a planned change to a weighted grading system, Superintendent Jeffrey Namey said the system will change next year, especially when it comes to determining the class valedictorian at the district’s three high schools.
“We’re taking a lot of heat from colleges because we have multiple valedictorians. They don’t want that; they want to know who the highest-performing student is,” Namey said. “There is pressure to go to a numeric system and have the highest-performing student be valedictorian instead of saying 93 to 100 is an A and having them all be valedictorians. ”
Namey said significant scholarship dollars rest on a student’s status as best in the class, and parents have complained because their child has a higher grade point average or has taken harder classes than others who are also named valedictorians.
“The student with the highest average has paid the price for four years to be the best and should be the valedictorian,” Namey said.
Board members Joseph Moran and Phillip Latinski disagreed. Moran said colleges give scholarships based on a number of factors and do not come to the schools with scholarship money in hand seeking the valedictorians. Latinski said the change would hurt kids.
“Why should we put in a system to eliminate valedictorians?” Latinski said, and he questioned whether the change was being made because Coughlin High School has larger graduating classes and consistently has more valedictorians. “We’re punishing our kids doing this.”
The meeting was not a voting meeting and no action was taken on the matter.
An issue involving rosters for bus drivers also prompted discussion after board member Lynn Evans, who is a district bus driver, questioned why drivers don’t have up to date rosters of the kids on their buses. Evans said all changes and updates should be given directly to the drivers.
Namey said the bus company is given updates when students move on or off a route and it is the company’s responsibility to provide the information to the drivers.
“I’m tired of being frustrated with this,” Namey said. “We give them the information and every time they mess up, I’m going to call them on it.”
In other business, the board discussed a change order that will increase the cost of roof repairs at Meyers High School by up to $16,000 and heard representatives of construction manager Apollo Group describe a potentially less expensive way to fix a leaking water pipe near Meyers.
The proposed alternative would avoid digging up and replacing 450 feet of water pipe by running a bypass line from a water pit on Carey Avenue through the school boiler room and wrestling room. The cost of the original plan was $50,000 and the board will seek bids on the alternative before settling on a course of action.
What’s next
Work session of the school board is May 10. Regular meeting is May 28 at 5 p.m.