Overview
- A Steinbrenner High School valedictorian, Vaibhav Bhaskar, graduated with a state-record 11.99 weighted GPA, surpassing the prior Florida mark of 11.84.
- Bhaskar reached the figure by taking roughly 20 Advanced Placement courses and 24 University of Florida dual-enrollment classes, enough credits to earn an associate degree.
- Hillsborough County’s school board voted to cap weighted GPAs for the next graduating class after the unusually high number led colleges to recalculate applicants’ GPAs and raised concerns about student well-being.
- Bhaskar said he supports moving to a standardized five-point scale and estimated his 11.99 would equal about a 4.93 on that scale, and he plans to attend Duke University in the fall.
- The change joins other district efforts, such as Honors Point Average systems, to curb bonus-point stacking so transcripts are fairer and to reduce the pressure that drives excessive course-taking.