Students urge Connellsville Area SD to restore class rank, citing scholarship and admissions impacts

At the Connellsville Area SD board meeting, several students urged the board to reinstate class rank, saying its removal harms scholarship eligibility and college admissions opportunities.

"When class rank is taken away, it doesn't just remove a number. It removes opportunities," said a student who identified themself in public comment as Natalie Angus, arguing that many colleges and scholarship programs use class rank to award funding and recognitions. Angus said the district's decision to eliminate rank reduces access to automatic scholarships for students who rely on merit-based aid.

Another speaker, Julian, cited institutions that use class rank — including West Virginia University, Pitt, Penn State, Ohio State, Kentucky, Alabama and Clemson — and referenced a 2023 NACAC report the speaker said shows schools that eliminate rank see a decline in scholarship offers. Julian told the board the decision was made without student or parent input and urged transparency on any administrative or financial rationale.

A separate public commenter noted local scholarship criteria after checking the Community Foundation of Fayette County's FAQs and recommended that PowerSchool be configured to allow students to view class rank ordering by GPA if they choose, so they can remain competitive for local and regional awards.

Board members acknowledged the comments and directed the curriculum committee to follow up, scheduling additional meetings with students and parents to review options and next steps. No formal policy vote restoring rank was recorded at the meeting.

The board did not adopt any immediate policy change; the committee review and future meetings were presented as the next steps.