GPA lawsuit gains support in PSJA

SAN JUAN — Since filing suit against PSJA High School over its grade policy last week, senior Yanira Ramos has seen substantial support gather behind her.

About 20 of her classmates, most of who are enrolled in the school’s honors program, appeared at a school board meeting on Tuesday to protest a policy they say allowed a few select students to take additional classes at South Texas College and boost their grade point averages.

“We were not given the opportunity others were given,” said Carla Cantu, 18. “We would have taken the classes to help our GPA, but they didn’t tell us until just before the deadline.”

Principal Rene Ramirez writes in a Feb. 20 letter to Ramos that students can take college classes for credit up until April 13. The students maintain the long-held policy is that those classes must be completed by the end of the fall semester, Dec. 12, if they are to count toward their GPAs.

Ramos is vying to be class valedictorian and alleges one of her competitors was one of a few informed they could take classes past Dec. 12.

“This occurs every year,” said Superintendent Arturo Guajardo, referring to instances of students protesting the calculation of grade point averages. “I will be consulting with the counselors, because if they told them December, that’s ridiculous.”

The school board’s policy on submitting grades for the honors program states students must complete four college-level classes by the end of the fall semester, Dec. 12. It does not address the issue of deadlines for additional college classes.

Momentum has gathered behind Ramos not just among students, but also among staff, said Yvette Brasher, a health teacher and golf coach at the high school.

“I feel like all students should be made aware of what credits they can get. The criteria should be known,” she said outside the school board meeting. “I was just talking to a couple teachers before I came over to see what was happening, and we all feel the same way.”

Last week, after Ramos filed suit, a judge issued a temporary restraining order barring the district from calculating rankings, pending a hearing scheduled for March 12 in 275th state District Court.

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James Osborne covers PSJA and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4428.