FARMINGTON — A new, more rigorous graduation policy that was opposed by high school faculty and administrators is set to go into effect for the Class of 2011 as planned, according to a vote by the Regional School Unit 9 Board of Directors this week.

But in a compromise move, the board concurred with the faculty that a new grading system was needed that would be consistent with the new graduation requirement. The current passing grade is 60.

After a lengthy discussion, the board voted 10-4 to require a cumulative grade point average of 70.

The new policy, passed four years ago but not effective until this school year, could affect 15 seniors with GPAs of between 54 and 69, according to guidance director Ben Milster. The Class of 2011 has 180 students.

In the junior class, 39 students out of 186 are below a GPA of 70, as are 18 sophomores in a class of 173.

The grading system, instituted several years ago, represents the total grade points earned divided by the total credits attempted. Students here are required to complete 24 credits to graduate.

Faculty members said the grades needed to graduate should be same as the grades needed to pass a class.

“Keep things as simple as possible for students,” said English teacher Dan Ryder, who works with incoming freshman to help them transition from middle school to high school.

“When they earn that credit, they need to know they are on a path to graduate,” he said.

“We have a lot of systems to help kids. That building is full of people who are invested in kids, but a complex system of numbers makes it complicated for students to understand,” he said.

Board member Robert Flick of Farmington agreed students may be confused over the different grading systems.

“It is almost a mean act to say you have passed a course and then deny them graduation,” Flick said.

The intent of the new graduation policy was to raise the bar for student achievement.

“We are handing out diplomas to students whose average grade (after four years) is unsatisfactory,” said Superintendent Dr. Michael Cormier, who has been a strong supporter of the tougher graduation requirement.

Board member Raymond Glass said he would like to see both grading systems kept in place. A 60 passing grade can give a student some leeway for poor performance.

“If a student passes one or two courses with a lower than 70 grade, they won’t have to retake the course,” he said.

But several asked if academically-struggling students can even pull up their grade point average enough to achieve a 70 by graduation.

Senior Alex Allen, one of two non-voting student representatives on the board, said those who pass with 60s may not perform well in a higher level class that builds on previous knowledge. And the lower the grade, the harder it will be to bring up a flagging GPA up to the 70 required to graduate.

“A student with a 60 average is not going to get a 91 in his senior year,” she said.

Several board members said the faculty members are the experts at teaching adolescents. If they don’t support the new graduation requirement, the board should respect their opinion.

Farmington director Betsy Hyde said the teachers at Mt. Blue do “an amazing job” helping students achieve the highest level they can.

“It comes down to trust. I am not an expert but I trust that you know what you are doing. Consistency should be the way to go,” she told the teachers and administrators.

The results of a June survey of the high school teachers presented to the board last month showed they unanimously opposed the new graduation policy but were divided on the question of changing the passing grade from 60 to 70. Thirty-one voted “yes” to change it; seven voted “no”; and 31 abstained.

The next step will be for the Mt. Blue faculty to discuss the grading system they would like to see in place and present their proposal to the board’s Policy Committee for review. It would then be placed on the full board’s regular agenda.