Graduation policy will be reviewed
BY TOYNETT HALL
Staff Writer

HOWELL - Some parents are asking the Board of Education to modify the Howell K-8 School District's eighth-grade graduation policy. The parents claim language in the policy is ambiguous and inadvertently punishes the parents instead of pupils.

The policy states, "No student who has completed the requirements for graduation shall be denied a diploma as a disciplinary measure, but he or she will be denied participation in the ceremony of graduation when personal conduct so warrants.

"Middle School students who fail one academic subject or more (language arts, mathematics, science, social studies or world languages) will not participate in the graduation ceremony. They will receive their diploma not sooner than one day after graduation."

The office of Assistant Superintendent Susan Vonsover released the following statement, "There have been various calls from parents in regard to this matter. We plan to meet with the prinicipals of all the middle schools to discuss this problem. After the meeting, we will take the appropriate action."

The policy directly affects eighth-grade students. Vonsover's office said, "The graduation policy only matters for eighth-grade students. It does not matter if they fail a course in the sixth or seventh grade. If they happen to fail a subject, they need not retake the course. They are still promoted to the next level, which is high school."