Hernando schools chief: "We screwed up."

Parents had a chance to voice their anger and hear school district officials explain what happened at last week's Hernando High graduation, when many parents were kept out of the ceremony due to overcrowding. Superintendent Wayne Alexander and school officials met with them Monday evening in the school's performing arts center. [Ron Thompson, Times]

BROOKSVILLE -- Sometimes an apology just doesn't cut it.

That's what some parents said Monday, nearly a week after graduation ceremonies at Hernando High School descended into a chaotic mess of shouting mothers, crying graduates and tight-lipped police.

Speaking to around a dozen parents, superintendent Wayne Alexander said the school had failed to assign sufficient staff last Tuesday to make sure 1,519 ticket holders could find seats in a gymnasium with at least 1,550 seats and a rated capacity of 1,928 people. And administrators failed to respond quickly when the situation at the door began to fall apart.

"There was no one to coordinate the efforts to pack people in," Alexander said. "I'm sorry. We simply screwed up, we didn't do our jobs."

He said the district would hold graduation outdoors in the football stadium next year, with a rain date the next day, and a free DVD of this year's fiasco for all who missed it.

Parents said they appreciated those words, and his willingness to hold the evening meeting with school officials and school board chairwoman Sandra Nicholson.

But others told Alexander that his staff had compounded their error by initially defending their actions, telling reporters the doors had been open until 7:15 for the 7:30 ceremony, when dozens of families had been sent to an overflow room 45 minutes earlier to watch the event on television.

"You put a kid through 12, 13, 14 years of school, you want to watch that kid graduate," said parent Richard Stone. "That's something you took away from me. I can't get that back."

For more details, read tomorrow's St. Petersburg Times or visit tampabay.com.

-- Tom Marshall, Times staff writer

Comments

[Betty is a Fiasco with Feet]

Of course she wasn't there. That is not Betty's style. Betty blames others for her failures. She doesn't own up to them. She isn't disorganized, her secretary is. She doesn't make mistakes, her underlings do. Hernando would have been a perfect school if it weren't for everyone else...

I predict this year will be a total fiasco at Deltona and then finally she can be escorted from the building and this county will be safe from her.

[UPSET PARENT]

Noticed the one truly responsible, Betty Harper, who was broached before the ceremony and did nothing to help conveniently was NOT at the meeting. Even if she had planned a vacation, it could have been postponed like she postponed parents seeing graduation. At least Mark Griffith who was the Assistant IN CHARGE of graduation who BIG TIME messed up was there. Dr. Alexander, what were you thinking by allowing her to stay a principal?!... especially over little ones who cannot stand up for themselves like high school students can. She should have been placed at an assistant level or let go! Last thought, why was Sonya Jackson there?...apparently to defend Harper and yet she did nothing to help us and didn't even shake the seniors' hands congratulating them. Dr.Alexander, she too needs to go!

[bb]

CLB - I can't believe you can say it is the parent's fault? I am sure more parent's didn't show up because they figured, why bother. They already knew the answers the school was going to give us. And the meeting was pointless. Hernando High School has gone down hill over the years and has become an awful school. It is ABSOLUTELY the school system's fault for the poor planning of what should have been a very special evening for these kids and families. You have no business making a comment. You are obviously not a caring parent, or maybe you work for the school system and are trying to defend them. It is a great thing Harper is gone. She was the most sorry individual for a principal. And Mr. Wayne Alexander, he should also be fired. His arrogancy in the meeting was not necessary, all he is doing is collecting his paycheck and not caring about what is best for our children!!!

[clb]

The lack of parent involvement... this is what it comes down to. 12 out of 100's that cared what happened with their kids. The same 12 made sure their kids went to school, did the work and graduated. It's not the school system's fault... it's the parental system that's to blame. Again parents blame the schools for the failure of their kids. Sad very sad!

[kj]

These parents and graduates were robbed of a shared milestone that can never be replayed. This meeting added insult to injury. Would you show up?

[Dr_Dug]

They need to practice the FCAT!!

[Jane]

doesn't say what time meeting was held, but I bet lots of these people work shifts, like at the hospitals, sheriff's office or community college. why would you take a priceless sick or vacation day to find out something that won't fix what you already lost?

[Kenny]

Still more than any conference night I remember.

[TJ]

Only 12 parents actually SHOW UP to this meeting for an apology? TWELVE PARENTS!

I can't get past 12 parents - out of how many that were inconvenienced?

12, twelve, a dozen, XII, 6x2.

(yawn)

[Concerned citizen]

With all the money that the schools boards WASTE each year, you'd think they could at least handle the graduation ceremony properly.
Someone at that school should resign/be fired over this. THAT would be an acceptable "apology" to the parent who missed one of the most important moments in their children's lives! Also, that would tell next years faculty that they better not screw up or it's their a** on the line!

[Scott]

Joe--you're an idiot. You obviously either have no children or they are all dropouts or you have the I.Q. of a piece of squash.

[Joe]

It doesn't take much to graduate from high school in Florida anyway, pretty much just show up to school and that will be enough. Come on, it's high school.

[Gilbert R. Ford]

The most cherished moment of kids, parents, grandparents and family lives is significantly botched and idellibly stamped in everyones mind. Surely, the Superintendent would offer an apology after all it was his subordinates that was responsible for this debacle. Good start though.