SEATTLE - Failing grades are once again a threat for students who do poorly in Seattle's public high schools.

Seven years ago, the school district did away with the E grade -- more commonly known as an F -- and replaced it with an N, for "no credit."

The difference is that an E counts as a zero in calculating a student's grade-point average, but an N isn't used in figuring a GPA.

But now the E is back.

District officials say they decided to resurrect the E because a committee doing a wide review of high schools determined that Seattle's exclusive use of N's violated School Board policy.

Since an E drags down a student's GPA, it could cause problems for some student athletes, who must maintain a C average to play.