Students in Tualatin High School's Class of 2027 will compete for a single valedictorian spot under a new weighted GPA system, replacing a policy that let every student with a perfect 4.0 share the title.

The change, reported Monday, Aug. 24, by The Wolf, the school's student newspaper, means one graduate with the highest weighted GPA will be named valedictorian and the runner-up will be salutatorian. To qualify, students cannot have any failed classes or withdrawals on their transcripts.

Tigard High School's Academic Planning Guide also lists a weighted GPA valedictorian policy, though it is unclear whether the school made the switch at the same time as Tualatin or had it in place earlier.

Under the old unweighted system at Tualatin High, all courses counted the same on a four-point scale regardless of difficulty. The weighted scale uses a five-point scale for advanced and International Baccalaureate courses, pushing top GPAs above 4.0.

Associate Principal Brooke Mayo said IB Diploma candidates taking the most demanding course loads were being shut out of valedictorian honors under the old rules.

Mayo acknowledged the shift will disappoint some students but called it a welcome change. The old system, she said, gave students an incentive to avoid harder classes in order to protect a straight 4.0.

The West Linn-Wilsonville School District follows a similar single-valedictorian model using weighted GPA. Lakeridge and Lake Oswego high schools do not recognize valedictorians at all.

The policy is set for current juniors and all future graduating classes. No public comment period or upcoming board vote has been announced.