More high school students will have an opportunity to be academically recognized at graduation after the Shawnee Board of Education passed new standards.
The new three-tiered system will replace the current system of only honoring a valedictorian and salutatorian.
The motion passed with a vote of 5-1, with second vice president Larry Walker voting against the proposal. Member Bo Bohuslavicky was not present at the meeting.
Walker’s main reason for not supporting the measure was his belief the new standards could possibly lessen the value of being valedictorian or salutatorian.
“It cuts both ways and we don’t know which way it cuts,” he said.
Walker also asked if the committee, made up of counselors, parents and others, considered the students’ thoughts.
“Did you consider that valedictorians would feel like this would minimize their efforts?” he asked.
Michael Cappo, a parent of a 2009 graduate said his daughter would have loved the opportunity to be honored.
“It still gets the middle which is important to her,” he said of his daughter’s accomplishments last year. She would have been recognized by receiving her Diploma with Honor.
“She still got the cords,” Cappo said. “This program would allow her to broaden here academic horizons. What she wanted was the top group of graduates.”
The new system will take effect for the 2012-13 school year.
In other business, an election was set for Feb. 9 for school board seats 3 and 6 for four-year terms. Those seats are currently held by Janice Spears and Hernandez, respectively.
If no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote, a run-off election will be held April 6.
Candidate filing will open at 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 7, and close at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9. All filings must be made at the Pottawatomie County Election Board office, located inside the courthouse at 325 N. Broadway.
SHAWNEE, Okla. —
