Burke County board names co‑valedictorians after public outcry over transcript recalculations

The Burke County Board of Education voted Feb. 15 to name two students co‑valedictorians for the Class of 2026 after weeks of public concern about recalculated GPAs and altered class rankings.

Parents and students said the district quietly revised permanent transcripts and class rankings without timely notification. "It is unethical and it is immoral," public commenter Sarah Singletary said of the district's handling of the changes, asking the board to "override or amend the policy for the class of 2026" and to notify affected families.

Cyrus Butler, speaking on behalf of three students, cited board policy BH and regulation IHA‑R1 on grading procedures and said the district did not follow required documentation for grade changes. Butler said the district previously posted GPA calculation guidance on the Burke County High School website and that more than 700 grade changes occurred without the required paperwork. "If a correction is necessary, it must be applied uniformly," he said.

Parent Ben Roberts, who said his daughter's class ranking changed after the recalculation, urged clear and prompt communication to families. "A mistake was made, but the cover up is now worse than the crime," Roberts said, calling for faster and clearer messaging from central office.

The board read a statement saying the discrepancy resulted from an "adult procedural error" and that both students named — Sawyer and Tariq — "satisfied the established academic criteria for valedictorian distinction" when grades were properly calculated. A motion to designate co‑valedictorians passed by a unanimous show of hands.

Board members said the decision is a remedy intended to preserve fairness while staff complete a broader review of grading practice and notification procedures. During discussion, members asked whether involved students and families had been informed; the board heard that some families had not yet been directly contacted, and members committed to follow‑up.

Student leaders also addressed related concerns. Hayden Hall, vice president of the student council, urged that the district include the dual‑enrollment weighting policy in the student handbook so students and parents can locate the rule easily and avoid future confusion.

The board’s action was limited to naming co‑valedictorians and directing staff to review the matter; members did not adopt a permanent policy change at the meeting. Next steps, as announced, include targeted communication to affected families and a staff review of the grading and transcript procedures.