“I received e-mails from other superintendents asking about eighth grade promotion and Mr. (Kim) Lewis had community members come to him, feeling it was time to do away with it,” Snowflake School District Superintendent Hollis Merrell reported to the governing board Oct. 13.

In July, Lewis, who serves as principal of Snowflake Junior High School, sought public feedback regarding whether to continue holding promotion exercises.

In response to a question posed by Board President Shea Flake, Lewis reported that the number one reason to do away with eighth grade promotion is the cost/burden on the family, and the number one reason to keep it is because it is a tradition.

When questioned on the cost to the district, Lewis noted that it wasn’t a cost to the district, it was a cost to parents, especially if they had girls and had to purchase dresses, and if they had high school graduates and students being promoted from eighth grade, it was a double cost.

“One thing that came out of this is that the district doesn’t require a higher standard for eighth grade promotion than moving from one grade to the next,” said Merrell. “For example, if students fail AIMS (Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards), they can still promote, where it is not that way in high school.

“Some of the responses of those that wanted to keep it (eighth grade promotion) is we want to recognize them for those accomplishments. If we do that, we should not let those who didn’t pass AIMS be recognized,” said the superintendent.

“If we do promotion, I want to do something that’s not a free ride,” said Snowflake High School Principal Larry Titus.

“Every year we get freshmen who know they’ll move up because they can’t be there after 16,” said Titus, “so if we continue it there needs to be something on there like, ‘Pass the AIMS and we’ll promote you up.’”

Titus noted that 49 percent of this year’s class failed math, which makes it hard on the high school.

It was pointed out that years ago, eighth grade was as far as some went in their education and it had been an eighth grade graduation, but in recent years the board approved changing it to a promotion.

Lewis pointed out that they will still have an assembly, and will recognize top students and those kids who are promoted with distinction.

Merrell said that he recently had an opportunity to visit with people from all over the country and they were surprised that the district still had eighth grade promotion.

He reminded the board that this item did not require action, it will be on a future agenda for action, giving board members time to review the issue.