Parents criticize grading system

School administrators are examining the grading system.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- A Twitmeyer Avenue couple want the Hermitage School District to change the way it grades pupils' performance.
The Hermitage grading system is more strict than many other schools' and leaves its pupils at an unfair disadvantage against those from other schools when it comes to securing college financial aid, said William DeJulia.
He and his wife, Tami, have four children in the Hermitage schools.
They presented the school board with a written statement Monday detailing the difference between grading systems.
They said that Hermitage pupils must secure a 94 percent performance to get an A and an 85 percent performance to get a B while pupils in many other schools in the area need only a 90 percent performance to get an A and an 80 percent to get a B.
Their own survey showed that many colleges don't take that difference into consideration when determining who is eligible for scholarship assistance.
Westminster College
The DeJulias cited Westminster College as an example, pointing out that the college doesn't take different high school grading systems into account when it considers pupil standings.
That means a pupil with an 81 percent performance from a school with a lower grading system would have a 3.0 grade point average reported by that high school and automatically qualify for $7,000 in Westminster College financial aid, William DeJulia said.
However, a Hermitage pupil with an 81 percent performance would have only a 2.6 grade point average under Hermitage's tougher grading system and wouldn't qualify for any aid from Westminster, he said.
"I obviously think this should be changed," he told the board.
"I do think we have to look at this," said Gene Martuccio, school board president.
Superintendent Karen Ionta said the issue was brought to her attention about two months ago and the administration is gathering information on the matter and will report its findings to the board.
Eric Trosch, Hickory High School principal, said a committee will be formed to look at the issue.