Some students in Missouri won’t get to participate in their high school graduation ceremonies this spring, even though they’ve completed all of the requirements. A few schools in the state bar students who have graduated early from participating in spring commencement. Some educators say a student needs the full eight semester hours for the full educational experience. But Brent Ghan with the Missouri School Boards Association admits schools lose state money if a student is not in class, so the schools use withholding commencement to keep them in class. He says some could see it as a punishment for working hard and finishing early. Ghan says his group encourages schools to allow early graduates to walk with their class, but it’s up to the district.
