Hopatcong HS Grading System Still in Flux

The Hopatcong school district approved a policy in July raising from 60 to 65 while perhaps making higher alphabetical grades easier to reach—turning an A+ from a 98-100 to 96-100, and so on.

The second part of the equation will likely change, however, before the policy's finalized in October.

Schools Superintendent Dr. Charles Maranazno said Wednesday chances are the district will stick to its existing policy regarding higher alphabetical grades while maintaining a 65 as a passing grade.

"It's likely we're going to revert back to the 98 to 100 standard so that we're not contradicting ourselves in the attempt to raise the bar academically," he said.

Maranzano said he would talk with high school administrators before making a decision to change the yet-to-be-adopted policy. Principal Emil Binotto didn't return a phone call seeking comment.

"My understanding is that they were trying to expand the opportunity for students to achieve the upper grade, the A+, and trying to be a little more inclusive," Maranzano said. "I think that was well-intended.

"I just think that they were trying in an honest effort to look pragmatically at what the ranges represented," he said, "and that was trying to equalize those opportunities for students."

Christina Munoz, a middle school teacher, graduated from Hopatcong High School and has two children in the district. At Monday night's Board of Education meeting, Munoz spoke out against expanding the scope of high letter grades.

Munoz said she was worried high-performing students would achieve the same grades with less effort.

"My concerned as a teacher is that I"m going to see minimum work from my A+ and A students, even my B+ students," she said at Monday's meeting.

Then Munoz said the prospect of dropping the standard for an A+ was even more troubling from a parent's standpoint.

"As a parent who's already seen [advanced placement] classes cut, honors classes cut, advanced foreign language cut—watching the GPA go down, I'm concerned it's putting our schools in a less competitive environment," she said. "I'm a little bit [concerned], as a parent and as a taxpayer, watching our acadmic achievers being told, 'We're cutting this … ' and now we're being told my children don't have to work so hard."

Finally, Munoz made one final plea.

"Please don't lower the standard for our high achievers while you lower the standers for our high achievers," she said. "Please hold them all to high levels."

Maranzano said he would also want the school board's input on the subject.

"I don't mean the impression that we're loosening our academic standards," Maranzano said ."I think, from a competitive nature, for our children to get in the best colleges and to be competitive, the direction we want to go in is to raise our standard throughout the grading spectrum."

On the minimum-passing-grade side, Hopatcong joins Lenape Valley (65), Newton (70), and Pope John (70) as the schools with the highest standard. at Kittatinny, Sparta and High Point, students still need just a 60 to pass.