WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — Some parents in Lexington-Richland School District 5 discovered a "grading floor" that has sparked mixed feelings district wide.
In a Facebook post a mother explained that Crossroads Intermediate School does not give grades lower than a 50 on report cards.
This sparked more than 100 replies from other parents. Some confused why only a few schools have a grading floor, while others were able to give kids lower failing grades.
We brought the concerns to Lexington-Richland 5 Board Chair Jan Hammond, who says this policy has actually been in place for a while.
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"I know this all started under Molly Spearman, and it's not really anything new," Hammond explained. "But, I can see how people would be surprised by it."
Derek Phillips with the South Carolina Department of Educations says its up to each school to decide.
"The district has to adopt the policy, but ultimately it's up to each individual school in the district to decide whether or not they want to implement a grading floor," Phillips explained.
The State Board of Education explained that the grading floors are a common practice spanning from the Greenville school district all the way up to Charleston and into midlands districts as well.
Although Jan Hammond is a school board member for Lexington Richland 5, she also works as a teacher in Lexington School District Two, and says the school she teaches at has a grading floor. As a teacher, she sees both sides of the issue.
"I do sometimes dread putting in that 50 at the end of a semester when I know a kid is doing worse than that, but also I know that there are some kids who are struggling and really need that extra boost, so I can see how this grading can help them," Hammond said.
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Both Hammond and the State Board of Education ask that parents keep constant track of their children's progress so they are not being notified of a failing grade at the end of a semester when a 50 shows up on a report card.
To see if your child's school uses a grading floor, you can ask their teachers or look for a grading policy section on their school's website.