FAYETTEVILLE — Beginning this year, high-achieving Fayette County seniors may no longer be ranked as valedictorian and salutatorian. A new policy will instead assign students to one of three tiers of honor graduates.

Though the second and final reading of the policy was held at Monday evening’s Board of Education meeting, Assistant Superintendent Serena Starcher says her office will accept public comment on the matter until the end of the week.

The policy sets forth the requirements to be determined an honor graduate and does away with other designations.

Based on grades achieved from the 9th grade up, students will be ranked at the end of their eighth semester of high school as summa cum laude (4.0 and above), magna cum laude (3.75-3.99), or cum laude (3.5-3.74) and be listed on the graduation program as such.

Class ranks will still be determined, however.

“In cases where schools are asked to submit the names of the students with the highest GPA, determination will be based upon the student’s GPA at the conclusion of the seventh semester,” states the policy.

“Some scholarships may be awarded to only one student per school. In the event of a tie in class rank, the ACT or conversion of the SAT will be used to determine the recipient.”

For the last four years, says Starcher, every student with a 4.0 or higher average was considered a valedictorian. Any students with the next highest grade point average were salutatorians.

The board did not vote on the new policy on Monday, as it has limited power based on a state intervention in the county’s school system. Board member Dave Arritt, however, did register his dissatisfaction with the new method, saying he likes the idea of only having one top student.

A new associate superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Mary Lu McCorkle, recently joined the county board office.

Schools Superintendent Keith Butcher introduced the educator, who holds a Ph.D. from Marshall University, at Monday’s meeting.

“I just want to say how honored and pleased I am to be working with Fayette County Schools and this great team of people,” said McCorkle. “I’m looking forward to doing everything I can for the students, staff, and teachers in Fayette County.”

Most recently, McCorkle served as a State School Improvement Specialist for the West Virginia Department of Education, where she worked directly with schools in need of improvement, with a focus on curriculum and instruction.

Fayette County Schools Director of Operations Ron Cantley reported that work will begin shortly on construction of an auxiliary gym at Valley High School. He hopes contracts for a new addition to Divide Elementary will be processed by Oct. 1.

A recent auction of equipment and supplies from the recently-closed Nuttall Middle School raised $12,792, according to Cantley. Of that, the county will receive $9,824, which will be deposited into a maintenance fund with the intention that it will be spent in the Nuttall attendance area.

Some of Nuttall’s memorabilia is now in storage, awaiting a decision on the fate of the building itself. Cantley says it is his understanding that the property will revert to heirs of the Nuttall estate, but that he is still waiting on the final word as to who those heirs are. He hopes to have more information by the next board meeting.

A group of volunteers from Republic Energy were recognized by the board for a work day they held at Ansted Middle School recently. The volunteers tore out a storage building and a set of old bleachers, smoothed the ground beneath, and did landscaping. Ansted Middle principal Victor Whitt offered generous thanks for all the work.

— E-mail: cmoore@register-herald.com