Parents, community members urge Swain County Schools to allow Swain Academy students to participate in main graduation ceremony

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 their schools and they deserve to be heard and respected.”

Multiple speakers focused on graduation exclusion. One parent described a student who had enlisted in the military and was segregated from peers at graduation because of placement in an alternative program; the parent said the student had failed an elective prior to enlistment and was treated as inferior during the ceremony. Garrett Lake, a licensed clinical social worker who said he has worked with families of students assigned to Swain Academy, urged the board to reintegrate students who qualify for graduation: “By the time graduation has been reached, what good can be done with that program has been done,” he said, noting the handbook’s stated transition objectives back to the main school.

Elaine Slocum, a retired college professor with a doctorate in educational psychology, cited research on adolescent bonding and said inclusion in ceremonies and extracurriculars helps students form attachments that reduce risk behaviors. She urged the board to reconsider any exclusionary decisions and to use graduation as an opportunity for belonging.

Board members did not announce a policy change at the meeting. The public comment period included reminders from the board chair that speakers should focus on policies and procedures rather than naming individual students, per board policy and federal confidentiality requirements. The superintendent and staff indicated the handbook sets out transition expectations for alternative programs but did not state a change in practice at the meeting. Commenters requested clearer handbook language and transparent decision processes; several speakers said they wanted the board to ensure parents and staff are heard in administrative decisions affecting graduation.

Outcome: no formal action was taken during the meeting. Speakers asked the board to review the handbook and to consider options to reintegrate students who meet graduation requirements into the main ceremony; staff and board members said they would take the concerns under advisement.