May 18 (UPI) — A New York high school’s graduating class boasts a record-breaking 21 valedictorians among its approximately 300 students.
Jericho High School in Nassau County, Long Island, bases valedictory status on unweighted letter grades, rather than percentages, meaning each valedictorian has gotten straight A+ report cards through their academic career, but may not have achieved 100% in every course.
“It gives all of the students some equity and opportunity,” district superintendent Robert Kravitz told WPIX-TV of the system. “So if you have that student who’s not taking advanced placement classes, they can also become a scholar.”
Co-Principal Brian Cummings said each A+ represents a score of at least 97%.
“It shows a lot of success,” Cummings told NBC New York. “Historically this is the way we’ve done it with letter grades. The difference between a 99.8 and a 99.83 is insignificant so letter grades really capture what we represent.”
Officials said the 21 valedictorians represent a new record for the school, with the second-largest being a previous class with 15 valedictorians.
Cummings said the academic achievements led to one problem — not all 21 valedictorians will be able to give speeches at graduation.
“We’re going to put them at the front of the procession,” Cummings said. “We’re [also] creating a video that we’re going to share with the community about their accomplishments.”
