Ranking System Soon to be History in District 204

After this year, the titles of valedictorian and salutatorian will be a thing of the past in .

The district's Board of Education voted unanimously Monday night to eliminate class rank from school transcripts, starting next school year.

"As I said earlier in our earlier discussions, we're late to the dance already," board member Dawn DeSart said.

According to a recent report by the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, more than half of all high schools no longer report student rankings. In October, the board began discussing the elimination of class rank in an effort to help students in the college admission process.

Eliminating class rankings could help students by eliminating the often misleading impression class rank might give to college admissions officers, the district said. For example, a student with a "B" average would not be ranked in the top half of his or her graduating class, district officials said.

Rather than look at class rank, colleges consider college prep classes taken, standardized test scores, strength of the high school curriculum and overall grade-point average.

While board members said concerns have been expressed about students who are in the running for the valedictorian and salutatorian distinction next year — some concerns raised by the students themselves — the change is being made to help all students.

Board member Mark Metzger said the board had a decision to make between being unfair to six people and being unfair to several hundred.

"It will never be perfectly just, but it's a heck of a lot more just than what we have," he said.

Metzger pointed out the district is still bestowing titles on the students. Starting with the 2011-2012 school year, the district will use a Latin Honor System to recognize graduates.

The academic recognition system will designate students as Summa Cum Laude for a GPA of 4.5 and above, Magna Cum Laude for a GPA of 4.2 to 4.49, Cum Laude for a GPA of 4.0 to 4.19.

Indian Prairie Scholars will also continue to be recognized at graduation, an honor given to all students who have earned a 3.6 GPA and above.

In other news, the board unanimously approved the 2010 tax levy resolution. The district is looking to levy $222,376,150 for the 2010 tax year, along with $28,350,380 for bond and interest. The amounts total $250,726,530.

Residents can expect to see their taxes increase about 2.7 percent, a result of the Consumer Price Index, said Dave Holm, assistant superintendent for business.

"The increase on a $347,000 home — which is pretty close to our average — increases roughly $82 for the year," Holm said.