By: Edwin Connor

With the emergence of a new school year, new features have also arrived as well. First implemented fully this year, the Ponte Vedra High School “Shark Score” system is a point based system modeled off the FICO used to rate people’s credit. Students are ranked based on attendance, service hours, and whether or not they have any referrals on their school record, with the more serious referrals having a larger impact on one’s score. GPA is not considered in the Shark Score. The longer a student goes without receiving a referral, the higher the Shark Score will be, with seniors having the ability to receive the highest scores. According to PVHS Assistant Principal Mr. Frank, students are more than their GPA, emphasizing that the Shark Score gives the school another way to recognize student achievement. “It gives me an opportunity to celebrate kids for just being great kids, not just for grades.”

The Shark Score most heavily weighs attendance, with students receiving a boost if they have an attendance rate of over 94%. According to Mr. Frank, Community service also matters. The amount of service – not work – hours a student has also affects the overall Shark Score. Students earn bonuses when they have excellent behavior, but referrals reduce the score. The more serious the conduct issue, the larger the impact. There is no category for grades of any sort, whether that be AP classes taken or Grade Point Average. This aspect has been controversial within the student body as students with higher GPAs feel as though their efforts may have been discredited while students with lower GPAs have been rewarded for attendance and community service, factors that are not traditionally the focal point of the educational experience. According to Mr Frank, “The school already does a good job celebrating academic success … I didn’t want it to replace any celebrating of kids with great academic success, I wanted to supplement it so we can do both”.

Incentives have been given out for people to aim for higher Shark Scores. For example, high Shark Scorers will also be given an option to relax in the courtyard during the Bite Period, with additional benefits including the top 10 highest scorers receiving gift cards. The Shark Score can also play a role in determining who receives a parking spot on campus, giving students another incentive to maintain a high score. While seniors in the top 50 of their class GPA wise will always be guaranteed a spot in the coveted senior lot, some students with high Shark Scores were also given spots. Ultimately, the shark score proposes an interesting take on the idea of what it means to be a successful student. While attendance, service and behavior are undoubtedly important aspects of a student’s character, the exclusion of academic performance has left students wondering whether the system accurately represents their merit as students.

Graphic by Aden Seelbinder