A rural Texas high school made the difficult decision to postpone its graduation ceremony after only five seniors qualified to graduate.
The Marlin High School will reschedule the graduation to June to allow students more time to meet the graduation requirements. The senior class is small, consisting of only 33 students.
“The move is part of a broader effort by Marlin ISD to maintain academic expectations and ensure student success,” the district said in a statement. “The district has affirmed its commitment to providing necessary resources and support for students, and the new graduation date is seen as a testament to this commitment.”
A mandatory emergency meeting with senior students’ parents was held this week.
CNN reports that 17 additional students were eligible to graduate in June after making up missed classroom assignments and hours.
In the meantime, Marlin Missionary Baptist Church held an unofficial graduation on what would have been graduation night to reward the five students who qualified to graduate. Students received a certificate of achievement and words of encouragement from their community.
One student’s family member flew in from Mexico for the ceremony and could not travel back in June.
Parents acknowledged to KWTX that although it’s not the real thing, they were proud of the Marlin students.
