Mother upset state mandates will keep daughters from graduating

A mother is furious after finding out her 2 daughters may not be graduating this year.

“Frustration and disappointment with the school,” Tonya Do said.

Do is the mother of Mariah, a junior at Andress High School, and Mylinch, a senior.

The two had expected to graduate in June.

“I got these, it was very devastating,” Do said, regarding two letters she received this month telling her, her daughters wouldn’t be graduating.

The letters stated they had not passed their end-of-year curriculum tests.

Mariah, her youngest, was on schedule to graduate a year early.

“She went all day, then at night, summer and a half-hour break. She was in school from 7:30 in the morning to 8 o’ clock at night,” Do said.

Do tells ABC-7 her daughter is facing two obstacles.

Mariah retook the test she failed but won’t find out until it’s too late.

“The test results don’t come in from the state until June 10, the day before they walk,” Do said.

The second issue Mariah faces is she found out she has more tests to take.

Four-year students are required to pass five tests before they graduate. As a junior she’s only taken three.

“Not once did they say that that did not apply to her,” Do said.

Not only did mom pass out the graduation invitations but set her daughter up with military scholarships to attend New Mexico State University.

“She’s already in NMSU. She’s got the dorm room, we put the deposit down, she’s got an acceptance letter from the military,” Do said.

Mylich, Tonya’s oldest daughter, is a four-year grad but is in the same predicament.

Mylinch didn’t pass her EOC test and won’t get her results until the day before graduation.

Do says she’s called everyone from counselors, school board members to the Texas Education Board with no results.

“How can kids succeed like this? This is why kids fail. This is why kids drop out of school because no one is there for them,” Do said.

ABC-7 contacted EPISD officials for comment they sent this statement:

“The District will not comment on the academic performance of specific students. EPISD, like every other district in Texas, has the legal responsibility of securing that all students meet the graduation requirements set by the Texas Education Agency before it issues diplomas to them.”

“Graduation requirements are clearly outlined by state and local policies and we invite parents to become familiar with such rules. We also encourage parents to speak with their child’s counselor and help draft a clear graduation plan that best suits the needs of the student.”

“Additionally, parents should speak to their child and their child’s counselor to schedule timelines and benchmarks that need to be met in order for the student to on track to a timely graduation,” Gustavo Reveles, EPISD spokesman, said.