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Presenter outlines proposal to shift to Latin-honors recognition
Summary
A presenter asked the board to consider moving from a single valedictorian/salutatorian system to a Latin-honors model aligned with graduation pathways; the board asked staff to collect comparative data and consider phased implementation with current seniors unaffected.
A presenter at the MSD Shakamak work session described a proposal to replace exclusive valedictorian/salutatorian recognition with a Latin-honors system (summa/magna/cum laude) to expand recognition for strong academic performance. "If we went Latin system, we would have 11 kids get honors," the presenter said, adding the change could align with the district's pathway diplomas and encourage students to take rigorous courses without penalizing small grade differences.
The presenter noted some universities and scholarship programs still use class rank or single-top recognition and said districts considering the change sometimes adopt hybrid models that retain a number‑one and number‑two speaker. Board members asked whether other districts are making the shift; the presenter said several districts are moving toward the model and recommended a phased rollout (current seniors would not be affected, with a move for a future graduating class). The chair said staff have a spreadsheet of about 46 districts to share and asked administrators to gather more comparative information. No formal action was taken; the item was informational and staff will return with models and more analysis.
