The way Fountain Hills High School GPAs are calculated may be up for re-evaluation following concerns expressed by a local parent.

According to guidelines outlined in the FHHS student handbook, F grades are still calculated in a student’s overall GPA, even following grade replacement by re-taking a failed class.

By comparison, the same calculation is not utilized if a student retakes a class to replace a D. In that instance, the new grade replaces the old one when calculating a student’s GPA.

Whether or not a student replaces an F or a D, however, both old and new grades are included on a student’s transcript, properly marked to indicate if it has been replaced.

Parent Mark McDermott expressed concern to the School Board regarding these calculations, saying that including an F in a student’s GPA following replacement penalizes the effort and harms the student’s GPA.

In some cases, such a calculation may prevent a student from obtaining a 3.0 GPA, for instance, which colleges usually take into consideration when evaluating applicants.

McDermott previously expressed his concerns to FHHS Principal Tom Brennan and Superintendent Tom Lawrence.

He broached the subject at the Jan. 28 School Board meeting.

Having looked into the matter, Lawrence stated that he was able to identify the policy being utilized for at least the past 14 years, possibly as long as FHHS has been open.

While McDermott seeks to see the policy revised in time for it to affect the class of 2015, Lawrence spoke to the challenges of such a sudden and last-minute change, saying it would have a negative impact on other students in regards to class ranking.

“It’s a complex issue,” Lawrence said.

“But our students have been operating under this policy for more than 14 years and simply switching it at this time would not be responsible.”

Brennan agreed.

“I agree that this policy does need to be looked at, but there’s a process we should adhere to,” he said.

“The policy needs to be evaluated. We need to look at the rationale for why it was originally used or for changing it.

“It would be rash and have far-reaching consequences if we decided to make a mid-year change.”

According to Lawrence, peer districts handle transcripts similar to FHHS, with F and D grades listed but annotated to show that they have been replaced.

Unlike FHHS, however, Lawrence said that the other districts he looked into do not actually include a replaced F grade in the student’s GPA.

Being a school-specific matter, Board President Jill Reed stated that members would take this into account before considering any further action at the next meeting.

The board may recommend a specific action or refer back to FHHS administration to take further action as it sees fit.

McDermott, however, responded with an open letter to the board, asking members to spend “some urgent time in the immediate days ahead” to have an impact on this year’s graduates.

“I respectfully submit to you that there is a very real, present harm being done to those that are currently impacted by the F’s being included in GPA calculation and, by not doing anything about this in order to protect the current overall class ranking, you are opting wrongfully to leave these students unjustly harmed,” McDermott stated.

With the class of 2015, like all classes before it, operating under this current policy, however, the district holds that a sudden change so close to graduation without proper consideration would not be fair to the rest of the student population.

As an example, the recalculated GPA’s of students who retook classes for passing grades would cause a shift in overall class rankings for other students.

A student affected this way would have no opportunity to react to the change.

The governing board is expected to revisit the matter at its Feb. 11 meeting.