School greatly decreases weighted offerings

 Between the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years, a committee of staff, parents, and board members decided to make some changes to which classes would be considered weighted.

  Weighted classes are classes which are usually more rigorous and are given one extra GPA point due to that extra difficulty. This allows students to boost their GPA past a 4.0.

   In the past all dual credit classes, advanced classes, and some upper level math and science classes such as trig or physics were weighted.

   The committee decided over summer break that dual credit classes would no longer be weighted and only one class per core subject would retain their weighted status. These classes are Calculus, Advanced Government, Senior Composition, and Biology II. This number is significantly down from the 20 weighted classes offered last year including dual credit classes.

  These classes were chosen by the committee as they felt they were the most rigorous from each subject.

 “The changes were made because some weighted classes were acting as a barrier for most students,” said counselor Laura Cooke. “It wasn’t fair for a kid to not be as highly ranked in their class because they couldn’t afford dual credit in order to get more weighted credits to boost their GPA.”

  The reaction to these changes has been mixed among the student body, though. Some agree with the decisions such as senior Sam Thompson and junior Cody Wilson.

  “I think it’s a good idea. I think it makes it fair so people aren’t taking a bunch of weighted classes so they don’t have a super high GPA,” said Thompson.

  “I think it makes sense to only have one weighted class per subject because then it is harder to get an extremely high GPA,” said Wilson.

  Other students such as senior Rebecca Letcher oppose the new changes citing that fact that dual credit classes are more rigorous due to the fact that they are college classes.

 “I don’t like it. I feel that if I’m taking a dual credit course, I should received a weighted credit,” said Letcher.

  Cooke reminds sophomores, juniors and seniors that if they have taken weighted classes in past years, that their GPA will not be affected by these changes. These changes became effective in August, and any dual credit classes students might have taken during the summer will still be weighted.