The Wabash Community Unit School District #348 Board of Education has approved a change in how Mount Carmel High School selects its valedictorian and salutatorian.
The revised policy was approved during Monday evening's school board meeting and will first apply to students currently in eighth grade, who are scheduled to graduate from high school in 2031. Current high school students will not be affected.
The change follows the graduation of eight valedictorians in the Class of 2026 under the existing policy, which awards the honor to students who complete required coursework and maintain straight A's throughout high school.
High School Principal Amy Duckworth first presented the proposal to board members in July.
Under the new policy, the valedictorian will be determined by the highest cumulative grade percentage earned over four years of high school, rather than simply maintaining straight A's.
The change will not affect the school's grading scale or reinstate weighted grades. Students must still complete the rigorous college-preparatory coursework required under the current policy.
Duckworth previously explained that using cumulative percentages will better distinguish between students earning grades in the low 90s and those consistently earning grades closer to 100 percent.
The revised policy is designed to recognize one valedictorian and one salutatorian, although co-valedictorians could still be named if students remain tied after calculating grade percentages to additional decimal places.
The selection process will continue to be based strictly on academics, without consideration of attendance, discipline or extracurricular activities.
With Monday's approval, the new selection process will begin with the Mount Carmel High School Class of 2031.
Click the links for our previous stories on the new policy…
https://wsjd.fm/new-blog-1/2026/7/22/mchs-may-change-how-valedictorians-are-chosen?rq=VAL