By Hayley Wielgus
Math is Thomas Tisdale's toughest subject. He struggled at Bullard High School and dropped out in January.
"If I went back to my high school they would be like, 'why are you coming back,'" Tisdale said. "It would be embarrassing."
The 19-year-old instead opted to enroll in GED classes, which some argue are not on-par academically with a high school diploma. Jessie Prestridge Assistant Executive Director of the Literacy Council of Tyler said that's not the case.
"It's an outdated notion that the GED is not the same," Prestridge said. "To pass the GED exam, you really have to have at least an 11th grade level of knowledge."
While not Tisdale's choice, some people want to go the traditional route. So Texas law now allows people six years older than Tisdale to go to high school with 14-year-old freshmen.
The state used to provide funding for high school students up age to age 20, or 21 for special education students. But a law, now in effect, allows people up to age 25 to enroll in high school.
"A 25-year-old student does not fit in a high school setting," a Tyler mother and substitute teacher said. She said rational thinking skills have not fully developed in teenagers.
"A 25-year-old has that ability and could take advantage of a 14-year-old very easily," she said.
But mother of two Lindsey Ford said the new law opens doors for high-school drop outs.
"It would probably be better if they had their own classroom but as long as the teachers are equipped to handle the situation, I think it would be fine," Ford said.
Tisdale needs his own classroom to excel, one that's outside the high school setting.
"I feel more confident in coming here because this is speeding along," Tisdale said. "I'll have my GED soon; that way I can move onto college."
School districts have the option to restrict students over age 20 from enrolling. Representatives from Tyler and Whitehouse Independent School Districts said they have not decided on their policies.
