CLAIM: Student Senate Presidents will be able to change the grading scale for Honors classes and top level music ensembles, and will be able to retroactively update grades for past classes to reflect the new grading scale.

RATING: Mostly false.

BACKGROUND: On Wednesday, May 14, Student Senate Presidential Candidates Mercy Ngugi and Jesse Varner announced via Instagram that they would “influence ICCSD instruction policy and push for honors classes to be graded on a 4.5 scale,” as well as “advocating for retroactive GPA adjustment” if elected.

EXPLANATION: This is somewhat possible, but unlikely. Because it would involve a policy change, a new grading scale would affect not just City High, but also the other high schools in the Iowa City Community School district. 

“[Changing the grading scale] is possible, but would be met with many questions, concerns, and considerations,” Superintendent Matt Degner told The Little Hawk. “This would likely be a multiyear conversation.”

It’s important to remember that the term “advocating” when used with these claims does not mean that they will happen. Juniors who want their grades to be reflected by a new system should not expect change to occur in the next year, if the scale even changes at all.