Prince George’s County Public Schools said nearly three dozen high school students are missing a class credit they need to graduate after a glitch.
As school administrators scramble to put students in a fast-tracked, evening class to complete the requirement, one family tells News4 they are demanding answers.
“It kind of felt like a gut punch. I was pretty quickly furious,” said mom Tamra Reyes. “They’re saying, ‘we screwed up; your child has to fix it.’”
Her daughter, Nalani, is a stellar student by all measures, with a 4.18 GPA, two college acceptance letters at home and a hefty scholarship offer on the table. Her proud parents say she’s a contender for valedictorian.
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But a letter from the school on Friday exposed one big problem.
“All of a sudden, I find out I have another graduation requirement which is a full-year class that I have to complete a couple of months before graduation,” Nalani said. “It’s definitely shocking.”
PGCPS said that 34 students are missing the earth and space science credit needed to graduate because of an electronic system error.
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The school district will offer a condensed course online Tuesday and Thursday evenings so the seniors can walk in graduation ceremonies in May.
That’s not sitting well with parents preparing to send their children to college.
“They’re flying the coop, and you’re going to take the next four months of dinnertime away from my family?” Reyes asked.
“We will work with school administrators to communicate with students and families regarding their options. The error will not keep students from graduation,” PGCPS said in a statement. “Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) sincerely regrets the incident and the confusion it has caused.”
