Parents and students press Connellsville board to restore valedictorian, board declines to revert

A series of public commenters urged the Connellsville Area School District board to reconsider its 2023 decision to eliminate class rank, valedictorian and salutatorian honors.

Robin Purton told the board the removal of class rank harms students’ college-admissions and scholarship prospects and criticized what she described as poor communication to parents and students. Student speaker Alli Krishna said class rank provides motivation for students to pursue challenging courses and urged the board to maintain traditional recognitions. Coach Mangis cited a petition of more than 1,100 signatures and asked the board to take another vote.

Board members replied that the district’s change followed recommendations from high-school leadership and consultations with college administrators. A board representative said that while the district no longer emphasizes rank in commencement, class-rank information remains available to colleges and to students who request it, and that the majority of the board does not support reverting to the prior recognition format at this time.

The public comments highlighted broader concerns about communication and consistency between the administration and board. Several speakers also asked that teachers and staff be present at future meetings during contentious discussions so community feedback can be directly heard.