Zoey Walker

Administrators and teachers are debating a possible switch to weighted GPAs in 2027 at Nixa High School.
The current grading system uses a 4.0 GPA scale, while weighted grades award extra points for advanced courses, often on a 5.0 scale. Although colleges tend to rescale students’ GPAs for their admissions, they don’t always do the same for scholarships.
“Universities have shifted to where there is a benefit to students with a weighted GPA over a non weighted GPA, not for admissions purposes, but for scholarship purposes,” Dr. David Kelly, principal, said.
At the University of Missouri, a student with a 4.0 GPA or higher needs a 30 on the ACT to earn the largest annual merit scholarship, but a student with a 3.9 GPA would require a 32. This means a higher GPA, potentially earned through weighted GPAs, can make a difference in scholarship eligibility.
“Our kids are missing out on scholarships that they should be getting, and that should concern us,” English teacher Amanda Stoll said.
Stoll found out students missed scholarship opportunities last year after reaching out to various admissions officers. She then presented her findings to Kelly and they met with other schools that use the weighted system such as Columbia Public Schools, which shifted over in 2022.
To stay updated on future GPA changes Kelly said the school district will begin communicating with parents and students starting next school year.
“We are going to do some surveys and have a focus group,” Kelly said. “If we decide to go to weighted grades we would most likely make that decision by January [2027]. We would then work on implementing our communication plan to parents and students.”