Nicole Prince drove three hours from North Austin to see her son Jace Vasquez graduate from Victoria West High School on Tuesday evening.
When she arrived at Memorial Stadium at 8:15 p.m., the time she had originally been told to show up, she was turned away.
Victoria school officials had moved up the arrival times for students in the second half of the alphabet after Monday’s ceremony proceeded faster than planned. Families were informed of the change by email, but several didn’t see the notice until it was too late.
Prince was upset that she wasn’t able to see Vasquez, a standout weightlifter and aspiring engineer who participated in the school’s robotics program, walk across the stage. She said she didn’t receive an email from the school district.
“A graduation isn’t something you can just change on the day of,” she said. “I expect a public apology.”
Shawna Currie, school district director of communications, said the district heard from five West families who missed out on Tuesday’s ceremony.
Five students who missed the West graduation were able to walk at the start of the East ceremony Wednesday.
The school’s principal spoke with all the students who missed Tuesday’s ceremony and made arrangements for them to walk at the start of Wednesday’s ceremony, Currie said.
Administrators and school counselors from West were there to hand out diplomas to the West students.
“We definitely don’t want to take that away from them,” Currie said Wednesday. “I think they’re going to have the same experience, even doing it today as opposed to yesterday.”
Prince was disappointed when she learned of the plans just a couple hours before Wednesday’s ceremony.
“If I were to leave Austin now I wouldn’t be there on time,” she said. “This patchwork that you’re doing will not rectify the situation.”
