Both former and current students at Pascack Hills know that grades are vital for their experience here. However, one might say that the culture in this school is beginning to be a lot more grade-based than it originally was.

A survey was sent to the juniors and seniors at Pascack Hills asking if they believe that Hills is becoming too grade-based. 55.6% of participants responded yes, the grade culture is starting to become too much, while the other 45.4% of participants said no.

Many students who may be struggling, or may not be taking advanced classes, could feel left out or worse than other students who are achieving high grades or taking the advanced classes. 

“I always feel left out when people talk about their AP’s and [more advanced work],” said an anonymous responder who answered yes to the survey. Students could easily feel discouraged if they don’t feel like they challenge themselves enough during their time here. 

However, some students have seen almost no change in the grade culture and believe that Hills is not very grade-based. 

“I feel like it’s been the same since I’ve been here. I am currently a senior and feel that Hills does not base itself on grades a lot but it does base itself around character and community and sometimes grades do factor into it but it depends on the person,” said another anonymous student.

The community of Pascack Hills is notably uplifting. The spirit of many students in this school is very high and pride is one of the main qualities at Hills. There are many events throughout the year where students can simply live in the moment and take a break from their grades and classes. This can help students realize that Hills is not focused only on grades, but also on students’ general high school experience.

Overall, the dispute about grade culture in Pascack Hills is pretty evenly split. On one hand, grades are extremely important, to the extent that people sacrifice their mental – or physical – health to keep up with performance while also trying to take multiple advanced courses. 

On the other hand, pride is the main focus of Hills. Sports games, pep rallies, and other ways for students to show their spirit for the school could even out the grading culture and make people care about more than just grades and classes. It is simply up to the student to decide if Pascack Hills is too grade-based, and there is no set answer to this question.