MANISTIQUE - Indecision and confusion were just some of the feelings surrounding Monday night's meeting of the Manistique School Board. The culprit: Should senior Ashley Henry be permitted to graduate with her class in May?
Henry, who admittedly left Manistique High School (MHS) in the fall of 2009 to pursue sports-related options at Newberry High School, requested the board allow her to finish with her original class. In support of this move, MSH Principal Butch Yurk submitted a recommendation for approval.
However, this recommendation was met with contention from board members, as some expressed concern about whether allowing Henry back would set an unwanted precedent for other students and inadvertently encourage the movement of students between schools.
According to board member Daryl Lawrence, one of his major problems with the issue lies within the original transfer paperwork submitted by Henry and approved by MHS administration.
"We struggle with the fact that we had an administrator who okayed it under educational transfer, which shouldn't have happened," said Lawrence. "Maybe that's where we have to step back and say, 'okay, do we take this one to a policy issue and let this one slide, because it was handled improperly' or where do we go?"
Despite admitting to the real purpose behind her move - to join another basketball team - Henry also pointed out she had education reasons for wanting to return to Manistique.
"If you look at my grades from Newberry, they dropped, a lot. I've never had grades that bad in my life, and I realize that," Henry said in her appeal to the board. "With the utmost respect, I understand where you are coming fromI understand that I left for a wrong reason, but I want to come back and graduate; I want to get better gradesNewberry can't provide the education that Manistique can and I realize that."
Yet another problem for the board arose from the fact they had recently approved the return and graduation of Tyler Hinkson, another senior who left MHS for other opportunities. While Lawrence maintained the circumstances surrounding Hinkson's case were unique, some disagreed.
"Both of them (the departures) were athleticone is to chase a dream, one is because of difficulties, but in the long run, I think it was the same decision that they both made," said local resident, MHS teacher and coach Todd Kangas. "We can hate the way one person did it and we can applaud the way that another person did it, but in the end, it was the same decision. I think the policy should be consistent. If you do it one way, keep doing it that way."
The actual voting process only spawned more confusion. After one vote in favor of Henry's graduation, the board became confused as to who cast what vote. During the follow-up voice vote, the board tied 3-3 - voting down the graduation.
After a third and final motion was made, it was decided by the school board, in another 3-3 tie, not to allow Henry to graduate with her classmates.
Superintendent John Chandler pointed out this did not mean she could not re-enter the school, as she lived within the district, only that she could not walk with her class at the ceremony. He also made suggestions to the board for future controversial decisions.
"Just as a matter of course, we might want to consider that if we have any 'no' votes, thatin the future, we immediately do a voice vote," said Chandler. "We need to take a good look at our minutes next month, and our policies."