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Parents, community members urge Swain County Schools to allow Swain Academy students to participate in main graduation ceremony
Summary
Multiple public commenters asked the board to include students assigned to Swain Academy (temporary alternative/behavior program) in the main high school graduation ceremony; commenters cited social and developmental benefits and asked the board to follow handbook transition language.
Several residents and community professionals urged the Swain County Board of Education during public comment May 17 to allow students assigned to Swain Academy — a temporary alternative program for students with behavioral or academic issues — to graduate with their peers when they have met graduation requirements.
The appeals came from parents, a licensed clinical social worker and community members who said exclusion from the main ceremony harms students’ social attachment to school. Leslyn Jones, who identified herself as “a resident of and a registered voter in Swain County,” told the board: “Our educators and parents deserve better. They deserve a say in who guides…
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