TIPP CITY — A senior attending Tipp City High School received a letter notifying him that his last day of school would be this Friday and he wouldn’t be able to finish the school year.
Michael Bittinger told News Center 7 that he was allowed to enroll in the district’s Policy 5111: Non-resident Eligibility Part D. However, the superintendent contacted him to report that an investigation found he was not allowed to finish his senior year at the school district.
“All of a sudden they sent out an email to me and they said, as of Oct. 11, you will not be going here anymore,” Bittinger said.
The 5111 policy states that students between the ages of 18 and 22, who support themselves, live away from their parents, live in the district and have not completed the district’s High School program can enroll. This policy comes after the Board of Education got rid of open-enrollment.
“I had to show them my pay stubs to show that I’m able to financially support myself and I make enough money. They needed receipts to show that I am paying for things and that my family isn’t helping me, like gas, car insurance, all that,” Bittinger explained.
“All they wrote in the email is that the board found that I could not financially support myself according to them.”
Bittinger is a month into his senior year enjoying band and spending time with friends.
“It’s disruptive for his education, to his mental and emotional well-being. He’s established here and has an amazing friend group,” said April Barnes, Bittinger’s mother.
The district’s superintendent, Mark Stefanik, could not talk about Bittinger’s case, but spoke about the 5111 policy.
“Again we are getting close to the individual student account, but again we consider all the provisions of the policy. For a certain part of policy 5111, there are residency requirements. But for other parts of 5111, there are not,” Stefanik said.
News Center 7′s Monica Castro asked Stefanik if they would revisit Bittinger’s case.
“In any of these situations, when decisions are made, folks can share their input. They can share their input with the Board of Education or with the Superintendent, or both. When we receive that input then the board determines whether or not decisions are revisited or if the decision has been finalized,” he said.
Despite the recent news, Bittinger says he is not going down without a fight and is working to sway the board to let him stay. A petition has been circulating on social media for Michael called “Keep Bitty in Tipp City.”
“I’m trying everything I can to stay here because this is school means everything to me. I have so many memories here,” he said.