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Seneca High School’s Class of 2017.
Lenape District Schools Will No Longer Name Valedictorian, Salutatorian Beginning with the Class of 2024 and Automatically Release Class Rank Staff Writer
SHAMONG—Starting with the Class of 2024, the class rank of high school students in the Lenape Regional High School District (LRHSD) will no longer be published or released, unless a waiver is granted by the district for a limited circumstance. The LR HSD Board of Education approved six policies, some new and some revised, on Jan. 8, including its amended District Policy 5430, “Class Rank,” last amended in 2014. “We believe after our research, and our study, and lots of conversations with people, that our students’ level of achievement is not necessarily or equitably communicated in one single transcripted measure, which is the class rank on the transcript,” said Heather Xenakis, director of Curriculum and Instruction, during a presentation about the changes to the class rank policy at the meeting. Xenakis added in an interview with this newspaper after the meeting that as a result of the amended class rank policy, there will be no valedictorian or salutatorian named for graduating classes beginning with the Class of 2024. Instead, she said, a committee will select student speakers for commencement. The amended policy, now available online, does not outline a process or any criteria for the selection of class speakers. D i s t r ic t Sp oke s p e r s on A l ly s on Roberts said in a Jan. 10 email to this newspaper that the selection process to choose class speakers for graduation and commencement for Classes 2024 and
beyond is not finalized, and discussions to develop a process are in its early stages. The decision to eliminate the naming of a valedictorian and salutatorian is final, according to Roberts. The board, however, has decided to continue releasing class rank and naming a valedictorian and salutatorian for the classes of 2020 to 2023 (or for the existing 9th through 12th grades). “ We b e l i e v e t h a t c l a s s r a n k unnecessarily increases competition within our students and our school, and also increases anxiety, and some stress level for the students,” Xenakis said. “We have had many students tell us over a long period of time that oftentimes they choose classes based on what that class will do for their class rank, and not necessarily the interest that they have in the course or the content. So, that was all part of the conversation. Class rank does not always accurately reflect the high student achievement within our district.” Xenakis said a committee studying the class rank policy contacted 96 colleges and universities, and reached out to them to ask what they are seeking from students as they are applying for admission. “Of the 96 that we communicated with, only two of them told us that they require class rank for admissions,” she said, “So two of the 96. The top factors that those colleges were looking for were the students’ GPA, the rigor of the high school classes, the students’ SAT or ACT scores, as well as the holistic scoring of the student for that specific college. Those were the themes of what the admissions
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January 18, 2020 – January 24, 2020
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officers were looking for of those schools that we were able to speak to.” Xenakis added that the district also spoke to more than 12 New Jersey school districts who have chosen to no longer release the class rank of its students. “We are not the first to begin this journey, but we are in good company,” she said. In order to qualify for a waiver to have their class rank released, students must present a limited circumstance in which they may be adversely affected without the release of it. According to the amended policy, some examples include students who need the ranking released for consideration of scholarships, program recognition or college admission. “The district does not anticipate keeping it a secret from the student, because if the student demonstrates the need for rank, then the district is happy to provide it,” Roberts said. “This policy was developed to help students succeed.” After the meeting, when asked if there were any specific cases resulting in the change to the class rank policy, Xenakis said it was based on a “body of evidence over a long period of time.” The policy was not formulated 10 years ago, per se, she said, because with large operations like a school district, “changes take time.” The other five policies taken up at the meeting were “little tweaks and updates to keep current with the law, and not really a change in practice,” said Superintendent Dr. Carol Birnbohm. Board member Paula Lee, policy See LENAPE/ Page 14
County Officials Expect Hanover Street Bridge Will Open in February By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer
PEMBERTON BOROUGH—Hanover Street, one of two main thoroughfares that run through the Borough of Pemberton, is expected to reopen in February after Burlington County missed a promised deadline of Dec. 7 to finish the Hanover Street Bridge project and reopen the road. The Pine Barrens Tribune has learned. Nicholas Gangemi, a public information officer for Burlington County, did not return multiple messages left by this newspaper over the past month seeking an updated timetable for the reopening of the road and debut of a new bridge. However, it was revealed through a Jan. 15 call by this newspaper to the Burlington County Engineer’s Office that the new bridge is scheduled to be opened to vehicular traffic “by approximately Feb. 24.” Pemberton Borough Mayor Harold Griffin told this newspaper Jan. 15 that he was also told by county officials last week that the road will be reopened during the last week of February. “I met with them last week and they said the ‘last week in February,’” Griffin said. “Originally it was Dec. 7. I am very disappointed.” Griffin indicated that was hopeful that the county was just setting a reopening date out further in time only to reverse course so that they could claim that they exceeded expectations for public relations purposes. “I think they told me the last week in February so that if they got finished before that they can say, ‘Oh look, we got finished before that!’” Griffin said. Griffin had previously expressed concern that the project, which began on June 7, was “definitely going to have an effect” on borough businesses. Now months into the project, the mayor said Grist Mill Antiques, along with other Hanover Street businesses “have gotten used to it,” but are feeling an impact. “I know people at Elly’s Beauty Supply and the Hanover Shopping Center have expressed concern with how long it has taken,” Griffin said. “Every time I go in to get Chinese at (Lim Fong’s), she (the owner) asks me, ‘When is the bridge going to be open?’” Griffin said that the only reason he has been told for the delay was because it took longer than the county expected for the new bridge to be prefabricated offsite. “ It wa s a n out side c ompa ny (who prefabricated it) and project workers took longer to get it ready for them (the county),” the mayor said. Griffin added that he does know that the concrete that project workers are laying at the site must cure for at least three weeks before it can have any traffic. See BRIDGE/ Page 5
INDEX Are We There Yet?.............. 9 Job Board.......................... 14 Opinion.............................. 10 Dear Pharmacist.................. 8 Leo the Lion Challenge....... 6 Games................................. 7 Local News.......................... 2
Senior Column..................... 9
Here’s My Card.................. 12 Marketplace....................... 15 Worship Guide................... 11
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