FRANKLIN—Some students at Franklin High School have issues with the current grading scale in a particular class and are experiencing scheduling conflicts for the upcoming year. During citizen’s time at Thursday’s school board meeting, Kylee Ponder, a rising senior, spoke on behalf of some students taking the Principals of Technology II class at Paul D. Camp Community College.

She said that the grading scale shouldn’t be on a 4.0 basis for the class.

&uot;It is a more challenging, college-level class,&uot; she said to the board.

She noted that other classes taken for college credits are graded on a 5.0 scale.

&uot;So, why aren’t we allowed to be graded on at least a 4.5 if not a 5.0 grade scale?&uot; she asked.

Superintendent Bill Pruett brought up the fact that waiting until the September meeting of the board to look into the issue may be too late to help the students.

Chairman Bill Scarboro said it would be discussed in time for the new school year.

Mollie Blythe, also a rising senior, came to the board on behalf of students in the marketing program at the high school who are having scheduling difficulties.

Blythe has been in DECA, the association of marketing students, at the school for three years and is president of the association.

To be in DECA, a student has to be enrolled in a marketing class at the school.

She said she has benefited tremendously from DECA and her relationship with her teacher, and being it is the students’ senior year, they do not want to have to abandon DECA, and leave the teacher with no officers.

Blythe recently found out that the conflict lies with her marketing and calculus classes.

&uot;I’ve taken every math class except calculus,&uot; she told the board. &uot;(I need to take calculus) to continue my math studies and prepare for college.&uot;

Blythe has been to the school to try to work toward a solution with the principal and guidance counselor. Blythe said she suggested switching classes around.

Principal Samuel B. Jones said although this is a unique situation with the DECA students this year, that it is not unusual for students to experience conflicts.

&uot;We have very bright students, some who are taking as many as six single-block classes,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s almost impossible to schedule all the classes without a conflict somewhere. If we move a class here, it causes problems for students elsewhere.

&uot;The only option I see —and I can understand why they wouldn’t want to do this—is to take the dual-credit AP courses online to free them up for marketing or marketing management.&uot;

Concern from the students was that calculus is a hard class, and they would be required to take the AP exam online as well, with no guarantee for college credit if they do not do well on the exam.

The teacher for calculus already has six classes and therefore, may not be available for consultation.

Other suggestions were students taking another marketing class that fits their schedule, even if not at their level, to be able to remain in DECA, and teacher Sandy Atkinson said she could handle a marketing class within her marketing management class.

&uot;We are not going to be able to resolve this tonight,&uot; said Pruett.

Chairman Scarboro said, &uot;We’ll roll up our sleeves and see what we can do.&uot;