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No More Valedictorian, Class Ranks at Kankakee High School

Kankakee High School will no longer have a valedictorian or salutatorian and is switching to a college-style Latin laude system starting with this year's freshman class.

The Kankakee school board made the decision last week to eliminate class rankings of students from No. 1 down based on grade-point averages. In its place will be honors recognizing everyone who scores at a certain threshold. School boards nationwide have taken similar steps to reduce pressure on students to achieve a top rank.  

Superintendent Genevra Walters says the policy will let students take classes they're interested in instead of courses to achieve a higher rank.

The high school still will track rankings for colleges. But Walters says colleges have been relying less on rankings for admissions and scholarships.

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