Parents and community members raise concerns about hiring diversity and class‑rank policy at board meeting

Several community members used the board’s public‑comment period to urge changes to hiring practices and to seek clarity about how class rank is determined.

A parent and volunteer with the Hispanic Resource Center asked the board to prioritize diverse representation on hiring committees and to consider actively recruiting educators and leaders from the Hispanic community. Another speaker said the recent THS leadership selection process did not appear to reflect the diversity of the school community and asked the board to factor community representation into future hiring processes.

A different speaker raised concerns about the district’s class‑rank and senior recognition calculations. She said the student handbook protocol for determining class ranking (which can involve weighted grades for Advanced Placement and dual credit courses) has been unchanged for years and recommended an independent check of how final rankings are calculated before graduation. She asked the district to ensure any late grades or trimester timing changes are handled so that students who prepare commencement speeches have certainty about their ranking. The commenter suggested the school board consider converting the handbook policy into a formal board policy or otherwise establish independent verification of final class ranks to reduce the risk of errors or disputes.

Board members acknowledged the comments and said they would ensure the concerns are shared with the appropriate administrators. The board did not take immediate action on either request during the meeting but staff committed to follow up: HR and the superintendent’s office to review hiring‑committee composition and the high school registrar or administration to confirm class‑rank procedures and consider an independent verification step before finalizing graduation designations.