Students and parents urge Connellsville Area School District board to reinstate class rank

Connellsville Area School District board members heard more than a half‑dozen public comments urging them to reinstate class rank, valedictorian and salutatorian honors during their meeting's public‑comment period.

Students and parents told the board the November 2023 decision to eliminate class rank has disadvantaged students who planned course schedules and took weighted honors and AP work to earn higher GPA and scholarship opportunities. Emma Hall, a senior at Connellsville Area High School, said a petition she helped organize has 1,013 signatures and asked the board to “revisit said decision with a broader perspective.”

“Class rank has class rank creates an environment of healthy competition,” Hall said. “Having class rank at CAHS would allow colleges to see how students compare at Connellsville Area High School as many may be applying to some of the same schools.”

Other student speakers echoed that theme. Julian Smith, a senior, said removing rank undermined recognition of “years of effort and long nights” and removes motivation for students who choose more rigorous classes. Natalie Mingus, a junior and one of the petition’s organizers, asked the board to consider limiting online AP courses as a separate remedy rather than eliminating rank for current classes who already enrolled in weighted courses.

Parents and alumni also spoke. Robin Turlington, a parent of a student in the class of 2026, said the change affected students who were already choosing AP and honors courses as part of long‑term college planning. Jody Vangas, a district alum and University of Pittsburgh graduate, urged the board not to “erase the evidence of academic success.” Luis “Flip” Ben Yevas said the rank recognizes effort and encourages students to strive for excellence.

The board received a response from CAHS Principal Foster, who described why administrators moved away from class rank. Foster said the district studied practices at other local high schools, scholarship organizations and colleges and concluded class rank had been “gamed” by some students seeking weighted courses and workarounds that did not reflect broader preparation. Foster said district staff surveyed local scholarships and colleges and “there wasn't one time that I got a return answer of, yes, it had an impact” in a way that advantaged valedictorians beyond other indicators.

Foster said the intent of the change was to encourage students to challenge themselves across a broad curriculum and to avoid rewarding students who learned to navigate the ranking system rather than pursue coursework that fit their future plans.

There was no board vote on class rank during the meeting. Several speakers asked the board to reconsider the policy for the class of 2026 and later classes; the board acknowledged the comments and thanked students and parents for appearing.