The Laurel School District will be going to a new modified 10-point grading system at the beginning of the new school year.

Laurel School District Superintendent Dr. Glenn McGee in a press conference Thursday announced the change.

McGee said the school board on Tuesday approved the modified 10-point grading scale for grades 6-12.

Jones Middle School Principal Carl Michael Day said the new grading system offers students “equal opportunity.”

“It’s all about helping students,” Day said. “This new grading scale gives the students equal opportunity for scholarships.”

McGee concurred.

“As students seek college scholarships and athletic opportunities, this move creates a level playing field for our students,” the superintendent said. “This is a move that many school districts across the state are making.”

Jones County, Smith County, Wayne County, Covington County and West Jasper County school districts have all approved or are already using this grading system.

District test coordinator Jeff Davis, who explained the new grading scale and its advantages, said in research conducted by the district, the students will have more opportunities to receive scholarships under the new grading system.

Davis said when he began working on this project in September 2008, there were 41 school districts in the state on the 10-point scale. As of Thursday, Davis reported that 84 of the state’s 152 school districts have adopted the 10-point grading scale or a modified 10-point grading scale.

“When students apply for scholarships and college admission, most colleges do not recalculate GPAs based on the school’s particular grading scale,” McGee said. “By using a grading scale that the majority of schools use, this gives our students the same opportunities as students in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and even neighboring school districts in Mississippi.”

Day said the new system improves local students’ ability to compete with other students.

“It’s all about the children and making sure they are compatible to others,” he said. “We live in a global community and we have to make sure our students are able to compete and are more prepared for college.”

Davis agreed.

“If a student makes 92 in every class throughout high school and scores a 29 on the ACT, in Laurel under the current system his GPA would be a 3.0, but in over half of the school districts in Mississippi, his GPA would be a 4.0,” he said. “The other student is eligible for $34,000 or more in scholarships and the Laurel student is eligible for up to $12,000 at a Mississippi university.”