Nearly 100 seniors at a local high school won’t be taking part in graduation celebrations this year. Officials at Lakewood High School tell NBC 10 that only 165 of the 258 seniors at the school will graduate this year.
“A lot of us aren’t going to graduate,” said Senior Xavier Martinez. “The guidance counselors are really upset about it.”
Officials say the rest of the class either doesn’t have the grades to graduate or must past a proficiency test to do it.
“I’m kind of disappointed to see all of my friends who won’t be able to make it or go to college,” said Senior Bashir Wilson.
Anthony Wright, who passed the high school proficiency, tells NBC10 teachers knew there was a problem months ago.
“They tried to give us extra help around January but by then it was too late for most people,” said Wright. “They couldn’t catch up for what they missed all four years.”
“At first I failed too, just like everyone else,” said Yaritza Martinez. “But the second time I took the HSPA (High School Proficiency Assessment) I passed.”
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Recently elected members of Lakewood’s school board say they’ve been trying to fix the low graduation rate with special classes and summer school. Board President Carl Fink admits however that undoing bad teacher morale and funding cuts will take time.
“What’s happening with the senior class is an accumulation of 12 years of bad management,” said Fink.
“It’s going to feel like this is the lost class,” said Wright. “They didn’t really get to do everything we could’ve done if we would’ve had everything we needed to get out into the world.”
