Denied Part of State Funds, Students Strive for Failure
Some seniors at Chico High School intentionally flunked a state achievement test after the principal rejected their demands for a share in state incentive funds for higher test scores, school officials said.
The student action cost the school at least $66,000 in funds given to schools whose seniors improve upon the previous year’s test scores in reading, writing, spelling and mathematics, officials said Friday.
Chris Korte, 17, said the students presented their demands to Principal Roger Williams in December, two days before the test. Besides asking for 80% of the state incentive funds--for a class trip to Santa Cruz--demands included removal of speed bumps in the parking lot and permission to smoke and chew tobacco on campus, Korte said.
“Out of the blue they walked into my office,” said Williams. “My response was a polite ‘no.’ ”
Korte said he and three friends distributed about 150 flyers on campus urging other seniors to fail the test intentionally. Chico scores plummeted in three of the four categories.
Korte and two other of the leaders, Mike Wilhelm, 18, and Bill Scott, 17, said they were not punished.
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