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Resident urges Oley Valley SD to restore valedictorian honors and publicly recognize National Merit finalist
Summary
A resident asked the board to reinstate valedictorian honors so a National Merit Scholarship finalist receives public recognition; the board said athletic recognitions were prioritized at this meeting and will schedule academic acknowledgments in July.
During the public comment portion of the June 16 Oley Valley School District board meeting, Maria Bogdanova-Pfeifer urged the board to restore recognition for valedictorian and salutatorian honors and to publicly acknowledge high-achieving graduates.
"I think we still need to add those three back," Bogdanova-Pfeifer said, arguing that the district should give qualifying students lasting recognition. She highlighted Elijah Wagner as a Merit Scholarship finalist — an honor she said represents fewer than 1% of students nationally — and asked the board to give him "bragging rights" from the district for his achievement.
Board members and administrators responded that they intended to recognize academic achievements at the July meeting so as not to dilute athletic recognitions at the June session. Dr. Markley asked the superintendent to confirm how the finalist was recognized and recommended earlier recognition for National Merit honorees so students can be publicly celebrated before summer travel or other commitments.
The board directed administration to schedule academic recognitions at an upcoming meeting and to report back on how National Merit finalists and similar achievements will be acknowledged.
