Beginning with the class of 2019, students will have the option of whether or not to put class ranks on their transcripts, with the exception of the top 10 percent whose ranks will remain intact.

Taking class ranks off of transcripts has been a topic of discussion among the LISD Board of Trustees for years. The new policy is being modeled after already participating districts such as Coppell High School, Highland Park High School and Spring Branch Independent School District located near Houston.

“They’ve visited with Spring Branch ISD and got some information on how they’ve implemented the opting in and opting out [of class ranks],” head counselor Maria Ortiz said. “So that was kind of the example that they were saying we’re going to take good stuff from and kind of alter it to fit our kids.”

Since news of the policy change was recently revealed, counselors are learning more on this topic in order to fully answer questions that any concerned parents or students might have. Likewise, the school district has put together committees and plans on creating a “parent unit of education” to help inform the larger community.

“It’s very important that you meet with your counselor, parents [and] your academic advisor at the college or university you want to go to because they will guide you on the class rank situation,” principal Jeffrey Kajs said.

Seniors will have to decide if excluding their ranks on their transcripts will affect their chances of getting accepted to the schools of their choice. They must take into consideration the requirements for the specific school(s) they’re applying to and determine if their ranks would gain them automatic admission.

“Most college applications ask if your school is ranked or not ranked, that’ll be a decision students will have to make at that point to decide [if] they’re going to want [their rank] on their transcript,” Ortiz said. “The next thing will be ‘Do I have all the needed things to get into that school and do I need my rank to show or not?’”

Though this policy change doesn’t affect seniors this year, it’ll greatly impact next year’s graduating class.

“This policy change is a good thing because it allows a lot of high school students to have a wider, more diverse high school resume,” junior Sui Tha Chin said. “Because sometimes it’s not always just about your grades; it can be about your whole body of work and what kind of student you were, what kind of citizen you were.”

Many students benefit from their ranks for automatic admissions into certain Texas public universities; for example, students in the top 6 percent are qualified for automatic admission into the University of Texas at Austin.

While this provides an easier admission for those with higher ranks, students with lower ranks are put into automatic review during the application process for many colleges regardless of whether they have a sufficient SAT score or a flurry of extracurriculars. The district’s Board of Trustees hopes to level the playing field for the lower-ranking students.

“This will give students more opportunities; colleges grant student enrollment and grants based on school rank and I feel there should be more factors involved,” LISD Board of Trustees president Angie Cox said. “LISD has amazing, talented students who should be given opportunities no matter their class ranks.”