School District 1 Changes Valedictorian, Salutatorian Selection

With education disrupted by the COVID-19 virus, Sheridan County School District 1 has changed how the high school valedictorians and salutatorians will be chosen this year.

Action was taken in a special meeting of District 1 trustees Friday.

The two seniors at graduation time are traditionally chosen based on cumulative GPA and ACT composite scores for eight semesters. With classes being held online this final semester of school, the amended policy calls for those composite scores to be determined only by seven semesters.

District Superintendent Pete Kilbride said the district has typically waited until the very end of the year to determine the valedictorian and salutatorian.

District 1 owns the high schools in Big Horn and Dayton.

Kilbride said the valedictorian is the senior with the highest composite scores, and the salutatorian has the second-highest scores.

Kilbride said one way or another, the high schools will have graduation ceremonies, although how and when those will happen remains undecided at this time.