HHS Graduation Decision Reversed

Just a week after voting to allow students who had passed all their required courses but had failed to pass a state test to participate in the Hillside High School commencement ceremonies, the Board of Education voted at last week's meeting to rescind that very decision.

The motion was made by school board member Nagy Sileem and came after a week of buzz from the press and confused parents.

The board's previous decision would allow a student who had passed all local requirements - including passing all required classes, meeting the amount of required credits, and being in good financial and attendance standing - but had failed the state's SRA test to participate in commencement. These students, however, would not receive a diploma until after completion of summer courses.

In the end only five students participated as a result of the decision, but the board realized their decision to change commencement criteria in the first place was a mistake.

"Apparently the members of the school board had time after the first meeting to realize that their move was not entirely the best thing to do," one school administrator told the CITIZEN-DISPATCH.

At last week's meeting, the board voted to rescind their earlier decision. The district's long-standing policy of only allowing the students who have met every single criteria to march will be reinstated for next year.