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More than 500 Anne Arundel County high school students graduated from a brand-new school Tuesday, or at least that’s what their diplomas said.
After Broadneck High School graduates returned home from the ceremony at Maryland Live!, they quickly noticed a misprint of the school’s name on the certificate. The “n” was replaced with a “b,” making it read “Broadbeck High School.”
School officials became aware of the misprint not long after Tuesday night’s ceremony, according to an email sent out by the school’s principal, Rachel Kennelly. The email, sent to families of 2023 graduates, said that after conferring over the school’s emails with Josten’s, the company that prints diplomas for AACPS, officials concluded the proof sent to Josten’s by the school system was approved correctly, but somewhere along the way a finger slipped on a keyboard.
“Somewhere between us approving our diploma proof and the printing process an error was made, according to the representative of the company,” Kennelly wrote in her email. “Though it does not seem to be an error on the school’s behalf, I sincerely and wholeheartedly apologize that it occurred at all. It is an error that I find unacceptable, but luckily is also one that can be remedied.”
An hour or so after the ceremony, someone re-created the error on the school’s sign with darkduct tape. There was no damage to the property.
School system spokesperson Bob Mosier said the diplomas with the correct spelling arrived Thursday morning. After going through the diplomas one by one to make sure that the spelling of the school on each diploma was correct, staff and members of the National Honor Society the diplomas in envelopes that will be mailed out Friday.
The Evening Sun
“This is an unfortunate error on the part of the printer, but one that can and will be easily rectified, and one which cannot overshadow the amazing accomplishments of the members of Broadneck High School Class of 2023,” he said. “Josten’s has acknowledged its mistake and has worked hard to expedite this process. They are covering all of the costs associated with the delivery of the new diplomas. This mistake won’t cost the school a penny.”
Christie Gordon, a mom of a Broadneck graduate, is one of many parents who found humor in the situation.
“We thought it was more funny than anything,” she said. “We all got a good laugh out of it.”
“Maddy [Gordon’s daughter] said that she is only going to hang the ‘Broadbeck’ one anyway and now she gets two diplomas,” Gordon added with a chuckle.
The school is telling parents and graduates to look for their diplomas in the mail over the next few days.