It looks like the number of Benton Harbor High School seniors who will graduate this year is dramatically up from a projection made in March. At that time, Benton Harbor Area Schools CEO Robert Herrera said only 38 seniors were on track to graduate. According to our reporting partners at WSBT, district officials on Thursday revealed the number is now up to 95 for graduation in June, while another 26 are on track to graduate by August. That’s 121 out of 133 seniors. Benton Harbor Area Schools Assistant Superintendent of Transformation LaWanna Shelton says a combination of human error and problems with the district’s online database led to it appearing as if far more students were off track than really were. She also says students who were behind have been helped with credit recovery programs. Some classes that students had completed weren’t reflected in their transcripts, and computers hadn’t correctly calculated some grades. Much work has been done since March to get everything straight. Now, Benton Harbor High School’s seniors are looking forward to graduation.
