NEW ORLEANS – Parents and students of John F. Kennedy high school are still waiting for answers. Several kids are in limbo about their graduation status, almost a month after the rest of the 2019 class received their diplomas.
The New Orleans charter high school is withholding transcripts and diplomas from some seniors due to grade-fixing accusations.
The incident surfaced after a former data collector says he was “wrongfully fired” after he told New Beginnings, the charter school group that runs John F. Kennedy High School, that admins were manually changing grades for students, for the benefit of the school’s overall rating.
On May 17th, students were able to attend the graduation ceremony but they left without their diplomas. Parents say the process has humiliated their children and the wait is effecting college opportunities.
Yesterday, the Orleans Parish school board gave us the following statement. . .
“. . .New Beginnings School Foundation must immediately confirm the outstanding students’ eligibility status and provide necessary support to students where needed. . . O.P.S.B. will continue to monitor and oversee activities at the school site to ensure the best interests of the students.”
A close source tells us, select students have received their transcripts within the last few days. We have no further information at the moment.