“Not [adhering to graduation standards] really undermines the school, and what the school is about,” said School Union 29 Superintendent Nina Schlikin, in comments made Thursday to the Sun Journal.

Schlikin was speaking about McKyle Foster, a Poland Regional High School senior from Minot, who was disallowed by school administration from participating in today’s graduation ceremonies.

Foster can graduate, just not today and not with his classmates. His transgression was missing three English assignments, given by an instructor who says students are responsible for knowing what they need to make up, because it isn’t the teacher’s job to tell them.

For failing to know his missing assignments, and then failing to complete them during the school’s designated make-up time, Foster has been barred from striding across the graduation stage.

He has a strong mitigating factor, however, as a serious parental illness disrupted his homelife. His ill father, Matthew, has delayed needed life-saving procedures to watch his son walk proud in cap and gown. Regardless, the school will only technically let McKyle graduate, and give him his diploma during an in-school function, but participation in the public celebration is verboten.

To paraphrase the superintendent, is this what Poland Regional High School is all about?

Foster’s crimes are academic misdemeanors, yet his school has sentenced him to the equivalent of life imprisonment. He only has one chance to graduate high school and, his family, this one chance to celebrate it. His extenuating circumstances are unique, and should allow him understanding and leniency from school officials.

Foster deserves to walk with his classmates.

Adherence to stringent regulations is laudable. Graduations are earned, not given away. But for the wont of the three assignments, Poland Regional High School seems willing to discount his academic efforts, and his family’s troubled situation. The ceremony recognizes cumulative achievements, which shouldn’t balance on three missed assignments that were likely overlooked due to his father’s illness, not casually disregarded.

Levying this punishment – the ceremonial sidelines – for it is too severe.

Poland Regional High School has earned accolades for its policy of having seniors complete college applications as a graduation requirement. Legislation to encourage the Maine Department of Education to expand a similar program statewide is on the cusp of lawmaker approval.

With this policy, the school trumpets a belief that lofty academic achievement is within reach of every graduate. Bill Doughty, the school’s principal, testified to the Legislature that students resistant to college “turned around” and elected to enroll with this program.

This says, simply, the school believes all graduates are equal, a statement that should apply to Foster.

His exclusion from ceremonies says bureaucratic enforcement trumps educational nurturing, and shows a distinct dearth of compassion. Poland Regional High School can resolve this conflict.

There’s an easy way.

Let McKyle Foster walk.