Hopes for school success dashed

For as far back as she can remember, 14-year-old Lisa Marie Hunt has been on a special education plan. As she worked her way along in Hingham public schools, she was always enrolled in remedial math and reading classes, the result of a learning disability that makes it hard for her to learn auditorily.

And on the occasions where she did make it into a ``regular" classroom, she was assigned a teacher's aide.

Years of being teased cost her dearly in self esteem and made her nervous about her future.

That was until she was accepted to the Career and Technical Exploratory Program at Weymouth High School in March . There, she figured, it would be a level playing field as she started the ninth grade.

Everyone agreed Lisa would do well in classes of culinary arts and hairdressing because she would be taught in the way her brain could best absorb the information -- by hands-on training instead of sitting in a classroom and listening. She was excited at the prospect of success.

Then Lisa's mother received a call from Kevin Carr , director of career and technical education for Weymouth, who told her the acceptance letter that he signed had been rescinded by the superintendent over what he says is admissions policy.

Lisa says she was never more disappointed -- and her mother was devastated for her.

``Oh my God, I was crying," said her mother, Elizabeth Hunt . ``It breaks my heart.

`` She has taken a big step. . . . She thought, `I'm going to take a leap of faith to be a regular kid, I'm going to be a normal kid when I go there.' "

The first question Lisa asked when she heard the news is ``What did I do wrong ?" Hunt said. But the state Department of Education says Lisa did everything right.

Jeffrey Wheeler , director of career and technical education for the department, said he will investigate whether the Weymouth Public Schools are operating under the policy approved by his office, as is legally required.

``The fact is, they've got to use the policy approved by the [DOE] and Mr. Carr , and the others should be well aware of that," Wheeler said.

Weymouth School Superintendent Joseph Rull -- citing the online Weymouth Public Schools handbook -- said in a telephone interview that Lisa and another student were denied entry because all applications have to go through his office , and he had never seen it. And if he did see it, he said, he would have denied it because his vocational program doesn't admit ninth -graders.

``I received no applications for nonresidents to attend Weymouth High School as a Grade 9 career and technical student," Rull said. ``They didn't apply correctly because they should have applied to the office of the superintendent , and first of all, we can only accept them in the 10th grade."

When asked in an e-mail for the exact date the policy was last updated, Rull would only say, ``this policy is updated as needed. All handbook policies are viewed each year."

The last admission policy Weymouth filed with the state, as required by law, is dated Feb. 19, 2004. It mentions nothing about not accepting ninth -graders from out of town and stipulates that applications should be submitted to the guidance office at Weymouth High School.

The only mention of a parent contacting the superintendent's office is: ``parent/guardian contact with the superintendent's office of their sending community regarding tuition will also be required."

The only eligibility issue mentioned for students from other towns is that they ``are eligible to apply for fall admission or admission during the school year provided they expect to be promoted to the grade they seek to enter by their current school."

The superintendent said that Carr exceeded his authority by accepting Lisa and another Hingham student . Rull said he became aware of the issue when Carr asked him recently if out-of-towners could attend the program.

``I said, `No,' " Rull said.

But Wheeler said he hopes Weymouth can be flexible.

``I've never heard of a rescindment," he said. ``It's so sad. These are kids' lives and their education. They count on these things. It's very disappointing. . . She did all the right things. . . I don't know what schools do when they make a mistake. Weymouth should do something to make it right."