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Parents and teachers urge board to reconsider gifted‑school seat lost after paperwork error
Summary
At the public-comment portion of the meeting parents and teachers asked the board to reverse a gifted-program enrollment decision they say removed an accepted student’s seat because of a clerical error; the board did not take immediate formal action and asked staff to follow up.
During public comment, several speakers asked the board to intervene after an Old Donation School (ODS) admission offer was withdrawn because staff treated an incomplete consent form as a decline.
Cathy Hendrickson, a Virginia Beach teacher, told the board that her student Coleman — a high‑performing child accepted to ODS for sixth grade — lost the seat following what she described as a minor clerical error. "They informed Coleman's parents that their policy was to count the error as if his parents had declined the spot, and the gifted office unilaterally took away Coleman's seat," Hendrickson said, urging the board to overturn the decision.
Michael Linker, Coleman's father, said the family submitted one of the two required forms within the window and had demonstrated intent to enroll; he asked the board to "honor your vision statement of ensuring every student is achieving at their maximum potential, and move forward with the enrollment process that began in March." Linker requested reasonable reconsideration rather than special treatment.
Board members did not announce immediate corrective action during the meeting. Division staff present listened to the appeals; parents were told administrative follow-up would be required to resolve the case. The board’s public records show ODS is a selective gifted program that draws applicants divisionwide, and speakers at the meeting raised broader concerns about equity and the effects of strict administrative rules on families coping with housing instability or language barriers.
No formal vote was recorded on the enrollment matter during the session; the transcript shows these comments were entered as public input for staff and board consideration. Parents asked the board to direct staff to review communication procedures and consider safeguards to prevent similar outcomes in the future.
