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Bentonville School Board votes to eliminate class rank, ending Valedictorian/Salutatorian for Class of 2026
Summary
The Bentonville School District board voted unanimously Oct. 21 to discontinue class rank effective immediately; staff said there will be no valedictorian or salutatorian for the Class of 2026 and the district will offer commemorative letters and guidance for campus commencement speaker selections.
The Bentonville School District Board of Education voted unanimously Oct. 21 to discontinue class rank, removing valedictorian and salutatorian designations for the Class of 2026.
Dr. Morrow, who led community outreach on the issue, told the board staff held two community input sessions and met with a 30‑member student advisory council. “A student saying, a young man saying, he thinks this overall better for mental health of students,” Dr. Morrow said, summarizing feedback the district received.
Board members moved forward after staff outlined options for acknowledging high‑performing students. Dr. Morrow said the district will deliver commemorative letters to the top 10 in each class and can note historical rank in letters of recommendation. “That is a 6 semester calculation for the class of 2026,” Dr. Morrow said, describing the basis for the commemorative letters.
When asked about commencement speaking roles, Dr. Morrow said each campus will continue to make its own decisions about speakers and that a separate policy item referring to valedictorian/salutatorian procedures will be brought back to the board. “There is one piece of policy that refers to Val and Sal that we'll have to bring back to you later,” he said.
A motion to remove class rank was made by Willie and seconded by Bill; Becky called the roll and the motion passed with all members present voting yes.
The board’s action follows staff and student testimony emphasizing mental‑health and curricular impacts — staff noted some students changed course selections to pursue academic tracks that preserved rank. Dr. Morrow said counselors and principals are taking steps to support affected students and families.
The most immediate procedural change is that the district will not award valedictorian or salutatorian honors for the Class of 2026; staff will supply commemorative letters and other documentation for students who request it. The board did not adopt a replacement scoring system at the meeting and directed staff to return with any related policy changes.
The board’s vote concluded the item; no further board action on class rank was taken that night.
