School changes grading scale

During its Monday night meeting, the Custer School District Board of Education voted to change the current grading scale.

“Throughout the year the administrative team had discussed changing the scale,” said Supt. Scott Lepke. “We looked at schools around our area and found that some grading scales were slightly different than ours.”

Lepke said there has been a nation-wide trend to go back to the old scale which gives an “A” for anything graded 90 points and above, a “B” for anything 80 or above, a “C” for anything 70 or above and a “D” for anything 60 or above. Currently, the Custer School District awards an “A” for anything in the 93-100 range, a “B” for 86-92, a “C” for 77-85 and a “D” for 70-76.

Lepke said the change could benefit students when it comes down to scholarships and awards.

“A lot of scholarships now go on grade point average and class rank,” he said. “Our students may not be able to compete with other students on a different grading scale.”

Lepke also thought this would help curb the dropout rate among high school students. 

“If a student is walking that fine line of a “D” or “C,” this could push them in the right direction and give them the encouragement they need to stay in school,” Lepke said.

“I look at this and I laugh,” said board member Larry Vickers. “Every teacher grades differently and when you start to put a number by a grade it gets pretty loose. Each teacher should decide their own grading system.”

Available only in the print version of the Custer County Chronicle. To subscribe, call 605-673-2217.