A new, revised honor roll system is now in place at Catasauqua High School and Catasauqua Middle School.

The Catasauqua Area School Board approved changes to the CHS and CMS honor roll requirements at the board's Oct. 1 meeting. Voting in opposition were board members Christine Naegel and Sally Reiss.

The CHS Distinguished Honor Roll now requires a student to achieve an overall average of 93 percent in the marking period in all graded subjects, with no grade lower than an 80 percent and no failures or courses taken as pass/fail. The regular honor roll requires a student to attain an overall average of 85 percent in the marking period with no grade lower than a 77 percent and no failures or courses taken as pass/fail.

"Most of the schools I've talked to have allowed students to receive a C," CHS Principal David Ascani said of honor roll status.

One concern among some school board members was maintaining the higher standards for distinguished honor roll.

"I'm glad to see you've kept the 93 average," board President Penny Hahn said of the proposal presented by Ascani. "I like that."

Honor roll requirements at CMS will now call for an overall average of 85 percent or above in major subjects, a grade of 80 or better in each major subject and a grade of 80 or better in each related art subjects. High honors requires an overall average of 90 or above in major subjects, a grade of 85 or better in each major subject and a grade of 85 or better in each related art subjects. Also added was a principals award which requires a student to achieve an overall average of 93 or above in major subjects, a grade of 90 or better in each major subject and a grade of 90 or better in each related art subject.

Naegel said she was under the impression the district would keep the requirements for honors higher than for the grades.

"This is honors, hence the name," Naegel said. "I'm not sure I understand your reasoning for lowering the standards for honor roll."

Ascani said the grading scale was changed and altered, not the standards for honor roll.

In other business, district Superintendent Robert Spengler announced the state tax index for the school district for the 2014-15 year has been set at 2.6 percent.

"We will build the budget from there and look at the exceptions we're entitled to," Spengler said. Exceptions the school district might qualify for include areas such as health and special education.

Also during the meeting, board member Carol McCarthy shared her concern that community members have been parking their vehicles on and near the grass at the high school fields for such events as field hockey games and practices. Although signs are located in the general area directing visitors where to park, the signs have not been heeded.

"I think we need to be a little more enforceful," she said. "It's just a pattern we're becoming a little more lax."

The board agreed it would discuss the parking issue at a future board meeting.

Board member Dawn Berrigan also asked if a district policy exists regarding the collection of student information.

"I think there's a lot of people who don't know the scope of information being collected," she said.

Spengler said the district will look into what is being collected and place an explanation on the school district website in the future.