NY teen genius, 14, denied early high school graduation due to his age
A genius New York teen was denied the opportunity to graduate high school early and earn his diploma to attend his dream college due to his age — despite being a full-time community college student.Michael Sweeney, a 14-year-old homeschooler, is on the verge of applying to Arizona State University to study mechanical engineering, but his dreams were dashed when Bethlehem Central School District denied his request to enter his senior year, the Times Union reported.The teen, who turns 15 in December, tried multiple times to get approval to graduate early but school officials claimed his homeschool plan didn’t meet the requirements needed for the credits.Sweeney has outpaced all of his courses offered to him and is currently taking advanced classes, including Calculus III and Physics II at the local college where he’s been enrolled full-time for the last two years.“He’s moving on to 12th grade,” his mother Nicole Sweeney told the outlet.
“He’s testing out of every high school category at this point.”He is bound by New York State’s compulsory education law that requires all kids between 6 and 16 to attend full-time instruction, meaning Sweeney would have to wait until the 2027-2028 school year to graduate.The brilliant youngster has taken the California Achievement Test, a standardized exam common among homeschool students to ensure they are learning and not being left behind.The CAT scores determine the grade level the students are equal to.Sweeney scored a 13.5 equaling him to a sophomore in college, confirming his grade level is beyond that of a being a high schooler.Sweeney could get permission from the school when he turns 15, but every request he has made has been denied because his homeschooling course load doesn’t match the requirements for someone his age.“With no compliant homeschool program your student must enroll in school, either here at Bethlehem Central or elsewhere, such as a private school,” Bethlehem Superintendent Jody Monr...