“What do you mean we don’t have a Valedictorian anymore?” the Class of 2020 has been asking since it was announced they would be the first class to graduate without class rank.

The system is now completely gone.

But is Spring-Ford’s decision to omit the class rank system a good thing or a bad thing?

The class rank system is a way to measure a student’s GPA compared to the other students in his or her class. There is controversy on whether or not schools should even have a rank system.

Class rank grants students the ability to compare their performance to other students. Teens are able to see where they stand and decide if they are content with it or will keep working to improve.

Moreover, class rank helps determine who is ranked No. 1 and would be valedictorian when graduating. Being valedictorian is a great honor for the student with the highest GPA.

In regards to college acceptance, class rank helps colleges see who to accept if their grades were high enough. Colleges can see how a student placed in their high school and how that relates to the high school overall.

Even so, many students are happy with no longer having a rank system placed in school.

But why?

Ranking can be seen as a way to degrade the students who do not have as high of a GPA or are ranked towards the bottom of the list. The system gives a sense of competition which makes some students even more stressed and can make them feel bad about themselves if they are ranked lower than they want to be.

Students who are ranked lower may feel shame or embarrassment when asked about their rank, yet still be doing incredible well in school.

So, is no longer having a class rank at Spring-Ford a great decision or a mistake?

There are many sides to this question; therefore, it comes down to a matter of opinion.

What’s yours?