Dozens of students and parents urged the Connersville Area School District Board of Directors during the public-comment period to reinstate class rank and the honors of valedictorian and salutatorian, saying the change removed last year has harmed students'college and scholarship prospects.

The comments came during the board's public-comment segment, where speakers asked the board to reconsider a decision to eliminate class rank made in November 2023. Students and parents said the change was implemented without adequate notice and that it removes a long-standing recognition used in college applications and scholarship competitions.

Emma Hall, a senior, said on behalf of peers and future students, "we ask that you please reconsider your decision to eliminate class rank." She told the board she and other academic achievers participate in athletics, clubs and jobs and that removing rank does not reflect the full lives top students lead. Robin Tervonton, a parent of a graduating senior, said the elimination did not address root causes that she said had led to perceived unfairness, and argued "We fix the system. We don't punish the students. We don't take away honors and distinctions that they have earned and deserve to be acknowledged for." Natalie Mangus, a senior and petition organizer, said the petition supporting reinstatement has "received support from over a thousand people." Jimmy Smith, another student, said the group believes there are more than "1,100 people" backing the effort.

Speakers asked the board to place the issue on a future agenda so trustees can consider restoring rank or otherwise address how GPA and AP/dual-enrollment credit are handled. Several students told the board they see AP or externally taught courses as creating inequities because some students pay for those courses while others cannot; Natalie Mangus said, "If students choose to pay for those classes to gain college credit, allow them to do so. Not allow them to count it as a class rank competition." Parents and students requested clearer rules about what credits count toward district GPA and whether limits or other reforms should accompany any reinstatement of rank.

Multiple speakers criticized the timing and process used when the board removed class rank in November 2023. Jody Magnus, a parent, said she reviewed meeting records and believes the decision was not adequately advertised and demanded that the board listen to the petition and public comments. She said parents and students feel they were not given adequate notice prior to the removal.

Board discussion during the meeting was limited. A board member offered brief, public encouragement to the students and parents, saying, "I support you by 5%." No motion to change policy or a formal vote on class rank took place during the meeting, and board staff did not report a formal change to policy on the record at that time.

The public commenters asked for the board to: publicly advertise any change, place class rank (and related policies on GPA/AP credit) on a future agenda, and consider targeted policy changes rather than removing honors entirely. The board did not take formal action on these requests during the meeting; the item remained a public-comment matter only.

The district has been the site of an organized petition effort to reinstate rank; speakers and parents attending the meeting said they will remain engaged and, in some cases, consider running for board seats if the issue is not addressed.

Ending: The board did not schedule or vote on a policy change during this meeting. Parents and students said they plan to return and requested that trustees add the matter to a future agenda so the district can consider policy options that address equity concerns while preserving scholarship and college-application benefits tied to class rank.