As the first semester comes to a close, Polk County students face the daunting task of passing their End of Year exams. In Polk County, these tests, or EOYs, will count as 30% of student grades and will be administered in about one to two weeks. It is notable to mention that this is the only county whose test scores will be counted for such a high percentage. In years past, the EOYs have shown such a lack of preparation and objectives that many- students, teachers, and parents alike- now find the chances of a majority of students failing highly probable. These odds increase when you consider that even if a student were to have an A the whole semester, if they were to fail the exam, the current weight of 30% has the potential of dropping their final grade all the way down to a C. Due to this resulting effect, there is also a well-founded fear of losing academic competitiveness in the eyes of prospective colleges were such a drastic change to happen. This is why action must be taken. The grades of Polk students as well as their efforts towards college selection are at risk. While EOYs are necessary for the evaluation of their learning at the end of both semesters, it seems retrograde that this also be the method by which some of them fail rather than excel. If they must be done, it would be much better to present them with an equal percentage value, as well as an equal chance, as that presented by other counties. We cannot allow our students and their semester-long work to suffer under the attempt to appear challenging in comparison to other areas in the state. We demand a change to abolish the 30% grade value for EOYs in the Polk County School District.