School board approves path to graduation for former students

By DINA ARÉVALO
Port Isabel-South Padre Press
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com

Former Port Isabel High School students who completed their course requirements but failed to pass the standardized tests needed to graduate high school are being given one last chance to earn a diploma with a program approved by the Point Isabel School Board of Trustees Tuesday night.

The alternative path to graduation applies to students who were required to take the TAKS test in order to graduate, Superintendent Dr. Lisa Garcia explained. The State of Texas will no longer be offering the exam to former students, some of whom have returned to the school district for several years in an attempt to pass the exam after completing all their high school classes, Garcia said.

“Thank you guys, for doing this for our kids,” said Port Isabel High School Principal Dr. William Roach said, referring to the Board’s consideration of the program.

“Between 2007 and 2012, we’ve had about 56 students who have finished all of the credits for high school, but they were not allowed to graduate high school because they had not passed all of their TAKS,” Roach explained.

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