Proceed cautiously, trustees advised

A teacher and parent urges the Oconee school trustees to take caution as they consider raising the criteria for high school students to make the honor. Amy Welch is a teacher at the Hamilton Career Center and spoke to the county trustees during the board’s March work session on Monday night in Walhalla. She’s concerned by raising to a 4.25 GPA the criterion to be an honor graduate and raising to a 4.75 GPA the criterion for high honors, some students enrolled in college prep courses will be disadvantaged. Later in Monday’s meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michael Thorsland addressed the issue with the trustees: “It would not be impossible for a CP (College Preparatory class) student to have a GPA of 4.25 or higher. They would have to have a couple of 93s or 94s averaged in with some 90s to get up there. But it’s not impossible for a CP student to have that GPA….”