Students at Austin Independent School District will receive pass or incomplete grades for their classes this semester, not A-F grades, the school board decided Monday night.

The board of trustees passed the resolution to address how to deal with grades as classes move online because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The board approved the following measures: Class rank for high school seniors will be calculated with grades from up to the third quarter, that is, the first six weeks of the spring semester. Students will not get A-F grades for classes they are enrolled in this semester. Instead, transcripts will show pass or incomplete. GPAs for high school students will not include this semester.

Some board members brought up families' concern about how this could affect college admissions. But board members said colleges and universities will likely understand.

“Colleges are dealing with this, too,” board member Amber Elenz said. “So I think it’s important for us to realize that every education system is going through this, so we’re not the only school district and students dealing with this.”

The district said many high school students are in career and technical education classes — including certified nursing assistance programs, veterinary technician classes and cosmetology — and they are working on how to transition those online on a case-by-case basis.

Last week, the school district announced school buildings will remain closed for an "indefinite period of time." Classes resumed Monday online.

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