Several parents and high-school students urged the Box Elder School District Board of Education on Nov. 12 to reconsider a recently adopted grading policy they say has shifted too much weight to summative tests and left students and teachers struggling.

Maria Fonsbeck, a local parent, told the board the change "measuring what students can do on their own without help seems logical," but warned that "in real life, learning isn't something we do alone." She said the policy's emphasis on tests and limited in-school retake opportunities disproportionately affect students who rely on buses, work after school or have extracurricular commitments.

"If he can pass the test, why would he need to participate or do the assignments?" Fonsbeck said, quoting concerns she has heard from other parents. She described an October text from her son in which he wrote, "I don't think I can do school anymore," after failing two tests that left his GPA in jeopardy.

A student who identified himself as Bryce Fonsbeck told the board he is "not a test taker" and said the policy has made many students stop doing assignments because they see little benefit unless they plan to retake a test. "We all relied on assignments to help balance out our grades so our GPAs could stay good, and we can maintain good GPAs for scholarships," he said.

Other community members who spoke said the rollout left some teachers unprepared and asked the board to solicit feedback from teachers, parents and students and consider phasing or modifying the approach. A former Box Elder High graduate who now tutors students asked whether parents and teachers were consulted before implementation.

Board President (speaker 1) acknowledged the comments and thanked those who spoke. No board motion or vote on the grading policy was recorded during the meeting; the board moved on to action items after the public-comment period.

What happened next

The board did not take formal action on the grading policy during the Nov. 12 meeting. Speakers called for further review, more outreach to families and teachers, and adjustments to how retake opportunities are scheduled so they are accessible to students with outside obligations.

Why it matters

Speakers tied the policy change to students' academic opportunities, including scholarships and college applications. The board will receive citizen input and may consider follow-up items or informational updates in future meetings; no specific next step on policy revision was scheduled during the public comment segment.

Quotes attributed in this story come from public-comment remarks recorded in the Nov. 12 meeting transcript (public comments by Maria Fonsbeck and student Bryce Fonsbeck).