Catasauqua High School and Catasauqua Middle School will soon be revising their honor roll systems.

During the Sept. 3 school board meeting, CHS Principal David Ascani and CMS Principal Melissa Inselmann told the board they would like to implement changes to the honor roll system.

Ascani said if the district keeps the current requirements for honor roll status, a student at the high school could conceivably receive a B and not make honor roll due to the new grading scale implemented at an August school board meeting.

The previous grading system recognized an 83 percent as a C. The new scale now indicates an 83 percent is a B.

Ascani said the previous honor roll would preclude a student from being named to honor roll with a grade of 84 or below.

"I can't think of any other high school in the area where you get a B and you don't make honor roll," he said.

Board member Sally Reiss expressed reservations with changing the current system. She said honor roll should be the highest achievement a student aspires to.

"If a student wants to achieve to get on honor roll, a child has to work for it, and a B is not working for it," Reiss said.

The board, during last month's meeting, changed the grading system for both the middle and high school. Beginning this year, a 90-100 is an A, 80-89 B, 70-79 C, 60-69 D and anything below a 59 is considered failing.

Board member Dawn Berrigan said the honor roll system should reflect the new grading system put into place.

"If we're changing our grading system, we should change honor roll," board Vice President Carol Cunningham said.

Cunningham added she believes a student should not be penalized by being withheld from the honor roll for receiving a B.

"I think we ought to acknowledge that B," commented board member Carol McCarthy.

Inselmann said her proposal would "level the playing field" among students and place CMS in the middle in terms of other school districts and their honor roll requirements and standards.

"We did some research, looking at different school districts," Inselmann said.

Cunningham asked if there should be parity between the high school and middle school.

Ascani said the high school is slightly different in that it offers honors classes for which the grades are weighted.

"At least the grades are the same," McCarthy said.

The board directed both Ascani and Inselmann to draft their final proposals for changes to the honor roll systems and present the proposals to the board during the Oct. 7 meeting for a final review and a vote.