Rainier School District adopts weighted GPA for high school courses

The Rainier School District Board voted to adopt a weighted grade‑point average system for grades 9–12, approving a 5.0 scale for designated advanced courses.

Lisa Langer, a high‑school English teacher who led the proposal, told the board the change is meant "to make our students more competitive for scholarships and college entrance" by recognizing higher‑level coursework: "We would apply a new weight to our heavier classes. An A in those classes would equal a 5 instead of a 4," Langer said.

The board heard arguments both for and against during a lengthy discussion. Supporters said the policy encourages students to take more rigorous classes without fearing GPA penalties; a former Rainier teacher warned that students sometimes avoid difficult courses to protect GPAs. Langer said transcripts would show both the standard and weighted GPAs, and that the weighted scale would not affect current valedictorian standings for classes graduating before the cohort that enters as freshmen in 2030.

After discussion and clarification that the district would list qualifying courses in its annual planning guide, the board approved the motion. The motion to adopt the weighted GPA passed with six votes in favor and one abstention.

The policy change will be implemented for 9–12 grades; the district will publish the list of qualifying classes and the timeline for how weighted GPAs appear on student transcripts. The board did not change current valedictorian standings for students already enrolled in upper classes, but will apply the weighting to the first full freshman cohort for valedictorian calculation beginning with the class of 2030.