Number of students eligible for graduation rises at Marlin High School

MARLIN, Texas (KWTX) - Earlier this month, just five Marlin High School seniors out of a class of 38 were eligible to graduate, but those numbers are up.

Now, 29 out of the 38 are eligible.

Tuesday, Marlin High called seniors and parents to participate in one of two mandatory meetings.

Some parents said they’re concerned about the graduation status of their child and have many questions on their mind.

Senior, Andrew Payne, said he’s excited to walk the stage.

“I got all my stuff done. But some people didn’t, I think they said 11 people have to come back,” said Payne.

Students received a letter with their graduation status.

According to the letter, if a student’s sheet is highlighted “Not Complete” then they must attend the “extended school year.”

The sheet said this will start June 5 and students must meet their requirements by June 22, which is graduation day.

Payne’s mother, Carol Ann Robles, said most parents were under the impression that all students would be able to graduate.

“We thought everyone was graduating until like three days before. Then, all of a sudden it was like, ‘Oh no, guess what? Everybody is not graduating and we’re postponing the graduation.’ Hopefully, no one has anyone flying in,” said Robles.

Robles said she wishes the school had better communication.

“Throughout the whole school year, we’ve never been notified if he needed anything. So how are we supposed to know as parents if my child is falling behind if no one is telling us anything? There’s no way,  said Robles.

However, other parents said they had better experiences with the district, like Darryl Foster.

He said his child is graduating and is proud of the district.

“I think they did a good job with communicating throughout the school year. This isn’t something where I just woke up and said, ‘Hey, what’s the problem?’ I’ve always had great communication with the school,” said Foster.

He said he doesn’t mind the “extended school year” option especially since it gives students a chance to walk across the stage.

“It’s a good lesson going forward. It’s a good step for them to understand to learn how to regroup, get yourself together, take care of your responsibilities, and move on.”

Marlin ISD said it’s, “committed to ensuring that all students have the support and resources needed to meet all requirements for graduation as outlined on the Texas Education Agency. I know that our students are capable; they have demonstrated their abilities over the past week, and we are proud to announce that 29 of our seniors have met the requirements for graduation. We look forward to supporting the remainder of the class of 2023 in meeting all graduation requirements as outlined by the state of Texas.”

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