Rogers High School Will Have Two 2017 Valedictorians
Rogers High School will have two valedictorians this year, as the student at the center of a grading controversy has agreed to share the honor with a classmate.
Our news partner, KWTX, reports that 18-year-old Allyson Talbott and Taylor Frei came to an agreement during a hearing Tuesday. Talbott's attorney, Brett Pritchard, had filed a suit against Rogers ISD, demanding that Allyson be acknowledged as top of her class. During the hearing, Frei was asked if she would be willing to share the honor with Talbott, and she said yes.
The controversy started after Temple College misreported Talbott's grade for a dual credit class she took there. When TC officials realized their mistake, they notified Rogers ISD, who had already tallied the year's grades and declared Frei valedictorian. Talbott's correct grade would have made her top of the class, so she fought the district's decision.
What could have turned into a nasty court case came to a quick resolution thanks to the decision by the students to share the honor.
“If it is true that the children of today are the leaders of the future, these two young ladies demonstrate that our future is in good hands,” attorney Brett Pritchard said in a statement Tuesday.