More than 200 students in a class of 300 seniors at an East Chicago high school are at risk of not graduating.
Three weeks before summer break, those students at East Chicago Central High School need as few as one and as many as 19 credits to receive their diploma, according to the Northwest Indiana Times.
A portion of the students have dropped out and others are in special ed programs, the paper reports. As for the rest, Central Principal Wendel McCollum told the paper some of the students are making up courses they need in after-school "credit recovery," a program for students who have fallen behind. Other students will earn their credits this summer.
McCollum still hopes to have 200-plus graduates this year.
A spokeswoman for the Indiana Department of Education said Sept. 30 is the deadline to complete credits to be included in the June 2012 graduation.
Some are skeptical of the credit recovery program, though. Pastor T. Brian Hill told the Northwest Indiana Times that parents have called with concerns about a program that awards credits in mere weeks.
McCollum said students can't make up 19 credits weeks from graduation, but one or two classes can be completed.
