Richardson ISD is changing its grading system for the remainder of the school year amid school closures related to the coronavirus.

Grades recorded during the final nine weeks of the semester will be based on a pass/fail system, according to Deputy Superintendent Tabitha Branum. However, students will still receive a numerical grade for the semester. Students who receive a 70 or above for class work will have a 100 in the gradebook for the second half of the semester. Students who receive a 69 or below will have a 69 in the gradebook for that same period.

The board of trustees first heard about the possibility of changing the grading system at a March 30 work session. After several board members expressed concerns about students who may want their grades reflected in their GPA, Superintendent Jeannie Stone said district officials would look into alternative options.

“Nothing is going to be perfect, and it's not going to satisfy everybody, no matter what you do,” trustee Jean Bono said. “But I think this [options] seems much better at achieving what we want to achieve and rewarding those students for what they have done and accomplished.”

Editor's note: This story has been amended to include correct numbers for the pass/fail grading system.