Findlay student urges school board to consider weighted GPAs

FINDLAY — The most recent Findlay City Schools board agenda included items related to preschool, the budget and English language learners. But along with the scheduled items to discuss, the board also heard from a Findlay High School senior urging them to reconsider the district's approach to transcripts. Julia Bollenbacher asked the board on Monday to consider adding weighted GPAs to student transcripts to ensure graduating seniors have access to college scholarship opportunities. She said weighted GPAs more accurately reflect the difficulty of a student's coursework, and by assigning extra weight to AP or Honors classes a school district acknowledges and rewards students who challenge themselves academically. "This encourages more students to take rigorous courses, which better prepares them for college," she said. Assigning extra "weight" to certain classes means that a student could have a GPA higher than 4.0 (the highest possible under the current system), such as a 4.5 GPA. Several other districts in the region use weighted GPAs on their transcripts, including Perrysburg and Bowling Green high schools, Bollenbacher said. However, Findlay does not. She said many scholarship programs use a student's GPA to determine eligibility, and students from schools that offer weighted GPAs may appear more desirable candidates even though they have taken the same courses and earned equivalent grades. This can put students at schools like Findlay High School at a disadvantage, she said. "Implementing weighted GPAs can level the playing field, increasing students' chances of earning scholarships," she said. She noted that the school district's mission statement is "Excellence, Opportunity, Belonging." Bollenbacher said she and other students in National Honor Society have been discussing this for some time. "However, I'm not sure it has been brought to your attention," she told the board. "I just wanted to open the door to the idea that weighted GPAs would be beneficial for the students at FHS, and let the board start thinking about and discussing the issue." She and the other students are collecting data on this, which she plans to present to the board at a future meeting. "I was nervous" addressing the board, Bollenbacher said in an interview following the meeting. But she said she hopes they will listen and take it seriously. She said students don't realize what a difference this can make until their senior year. "You're missing out on money," she said. "Obviously I can't change it for me," Bollenbacher said, but she hopes the school board might change this policy for future graduating classes. On Monday, the school board voted to approve full-day preschool tuition at $675 per month. Superintendent Andy Hatton said the figure was derived from the $17 per half day current tuition, which would be $34 for a full day. He noted that this still makes Findlay City Schools tuition competitive when compared with other options. Hatton said the district has been looking at reinstating full-day preschool options, something preschool principal Jackie Nelson has recommended. The board also heard a report on proposed changes to the district's English language learner service. "We know that our current model is no longer sustainable," said Katie Abbott, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning. The district currently offers ELL instruction at Whittier Primary School, Wilson Vance Intermediate School, Glenwood Middle School and Findlay High School. However, a work group has been looking into providing ELL services in more buildings so students can access these services in their neighborhood schools. Abbott said the committee was determined to come up with recommendations that would be viable beyond the 2026-2027 school year and feasible with the current physical capacity of each building. "The English language learner committee ultimately believes that all Findlay City Schools students should have the opportunity to attend their school of residence," she said. "However, our current building space limitations and enrollment numbers do not make this a viable option for the near future." For now, they recommend expanding to offer ELL services at both Glenwood and Donnell middle schools, and adding services at Jefferson Primary School and Chamberlin Hill Intermediate School. Middle school ELL students will attend their school of residence based upon the school boundaries. So will ELL students at Jefferson, Chamberlin Hill, Whittier and Wilson Vance. Students whose school of residence would be Northview Primary School or Bigelow Hill Intermediate School will be transferred to another school. This portion of the district will be divided in half, with ELL students in the northern portion attending Whittier or Wilson Vance and those in the southern portion attending Chamberlin Hill or Jefferson. Families can apply for intradistrict enrollment beginning March 1 and, if accepted, can receive ELL services at a school other than the one they have been assigned to. However, these families must provide their own transportation to the other building. Abbott said this recommendation is "staffing-neutral" and will not require any additional personnel. It's also "just the beginning," she said. In the near future they will be meeting with parents and families. Findlay City Schools currently has 104 ELL students in grades K-2, 53 in grades 3-5, 55 in grades 6-8 and 61 in grades 9-12.