New repeat-grade plan: Parents can request but not have final say TRENTON – Parents could request that their child repeat their current grade next school year but wouldn’t have the final say in the decision, under a revised grade-retention plan advancing in the Legislature. The bill endorsed Wednesday by the Assembly Education Committee differs from one a Senate committee had OK’d in March in that a retention request would then be followed by a consultation with teachers, counselors or a child study team. If there’s agreement that the retention is necessary, the school principal would be required to approve it. If there’s no consensus, the superintendent of schools would make the final decision – not the parents, as was the case in the earlier plan.