Albert Lea Area Schools are investigating a mistake in Albert Lea High School’s National Honor Society selection process this year.

The high school had set the number of eligible Honor Society students at 25 to raise the academic rigor at the high school, said Albert Lea High School Principal Mark Grossklaus. Approximately 38 students applied for the Honor Society.

Approximately a week ago, the school realized National Honor Society doesn’t allow quotas on the amount of students inducted each year, said Albert Lea Area Schools Superintendent Mike Funk.

Grossklaus said the decision was an administrative error on his part.

“We just want to make sure the proper procedures were followed by the high school as we do with every activity,” Funk said.

Director of Secondary Programs Kathy Niebuhr will investigate the National Honor Society selection and report her findings directly to Funk. The administration then plans on using that information to determine their course of action.

Funk attributed the mistake to the inexperience of the administration. Grossklaus is in his second year as principal and National Honor Society Adviser Gina Klennert is in her third, Niebuhr said.

Funk said the issue could be seen as a concern by parents.

“We want to make sure we are doing the right things for students,” Funk said. “If there is a set process we need to follow that, and that’s why we’re looking into this.”

Parents expressed concern over the mistake.

“My first main concern is this happened in the first place,” said one parent, Aaron Phillips. “How can our principal, National Honor Society adviser and superintendent not know that limiting numbers was against the rules of the National Honor Society? I’m very concerned that it went this far.”

Phillips has two daughters in the school district. He said both of his children applied for the Honor Society; one made it, and the other didn’t.

Depending on the findings of the investigation, the school may delay the National Honor Society induction ceremony planned for this month, Funk said.

To be eligible, students must have a 3.5 GPA and meet other requirements. A committee selects the members based on criteria.

According to Grossklaus, the school has no plan to raise the requirements for the Honor Society, but if they did they would have to inform parents and the public ahead of time.