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When did attending a High School Prom become dependent on where you go to school?

Carrollton Michigan Public school is denying a special needs teenager the ability to attend his girlfriend’s prom because he attends a charter school.  MLive is reporting about the 19 year old teenager being barred from going to his girlfriend’s prom because, as the Interim Superintendent Rachel Snell stated because:

The handbook policy states that if a student is enrolled in an alternative school outside of our district they are not allowed to attend the prom as a guest…We follow policy

The teenager graduated last year with his Arthur Hill High School classmates and instead of receiving a high school diploma received a Certificate of Career Pathways. That certification replaced the Certificate of Completion offered last year to students with learning complications.

His mother stated that her son was a cognitively-impaired student at the time. After receiving the certification the teenager wanted to obtain an actual high school diploma so he enrolled in Covenant Academy when it opened in November.

His mother did meet with Carrollton Public School officials and stated that the Covenant Academy is a high school that offers a High School diploma and is not considered an alternative school. Covenant Academy is chartered through Grand Valley State University.

His mother stated:

I understand about alternative schools and that some students could be problem students, but he graduated from high school…My son just wants to go to the prom with his girlfriend.

Kathie Stewart, Saginaw Intermediate School District Superintendent, stated that local districts create their own policies for prom.

The question I have is why does the school district have a policy that states that “a student is enrolled in an alternative school outside of our district they are not allowed to attend the prom as a guest”?

Also why do they consider a Charter school, which is a non-traditional public school, an alternative school?

Sounds to me as just another way to fight against a mother’s ability to choose what is best for herself and her child.

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