Michael Sweeney is 14 years old, has aced Calculus II and linear algebra, and has already banked 26 college credits. But the Glenmont teen cannot graduate high school early, because the Bethlehem Central School District has rejected three separate homeschooling plans his family submitted this year and says he is not yet old enough to be done.
Sweeney needs permission from Bethlehem Central to graduate at age 15, according to a report from the Times Union. He won't turn 15 until December 10, and under New York's compulsory education law, he is required to attend school for this school year and next because he won't turn 16 before the following school year begins. New York would otherwise consider him a graduate at 16 based on his college coursework, per the same report.
The Sweeney family submitted Michael's homeschooling education plan three times during the school year, and the district rejected all three. Superintendent Jody Monroe rejected his college credits because last year's individualized home instruction plan only said he would “try college” and that quarterly reports would provide updates — even though the family says each quarterly report included his course schedule and transcripts. Monroe wrote that without a compliant homeschool program, Michael must enroll at Bethlehem Central or another school, such as a private school, and the district reportedly proposed that he complete ninth grade during the current school year instead.
Family Pushes Back With a Lawyer and a Board Appeal
Monroe told the family it could appeal her decision to the school board, according to the Times Union's reporting. The Sweeneys have since requested a school board review of that decision and hired a lawyer. The district delayed a scheduled school board meeting by one month to give attorneys time to work toward a solution, though the district did not respond to a request for further comment, the outlet reported.
Michael's transcript tells a different story than “ninth grade.” He has completed Composition 1 and Composition 2, plus courses in history, engineering, physics and health, on top of Calculus II and linear algebra — and he's now taking Calculus III and Physics II. He earned an A in every class except linear algebra, where he got a B. His mother, Nicole Sweeney, said Michael is moving on to 12th grade and testing out of every high school category. Michael scored at grade level 13.5 in every CAT category.
Rounding out his high school credits, Michael has also completed discus competitions, cycling and music appreciation, per the family's account to the Times Union. He has attended college full time for more than a year while also completing high school work, planning to finish lower-level college classes this school year before starting a mechanical engineering degree program the next.
Building Animatronics and Eyeing Theme-Park Engineering
Michael is applying to Arizona State University's mechanical engineering program and plans to enroll in the university's online degree option, which is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Arizona State sends students kits to build items and provides professional simulation and computer-aided design software as part of the program, according to the Times Union's reporting. But Michael needs a high school diploma to attend ASU, and Nicole Sweeney said he needs to enroll full time there because 300-level courses cannot be transferred.
His career goal is specific: designing, creating and testing animatronics used in theme parks. He said he enjoys the problem-solving and creativity involved in animatronics, and he's already putting that into practice at home in Glenmont, building a Halloween animatronic device using a 3D scan of his property made with Gaussian splatting to plan its placement.
Outside the classroom, Michael applied to join the town's tree advisory committee and now volunteers for it — he's reportedly the youngest person ever interviewed for the panel. He's been working on a design for a tree catalog the committee can update easily, the Times Union noted.
A Statewide Surge in Homeschooling
The Sweeneys' fight is unfolding against a broader shift in how New York families are educating their kids. Homeschool enrollment in the state jumped 178 percent between 2013 and 2023, according to Spectrum News. More than 50,000 students were homeschooled statewide in the most recent year cited by the Empire Center for Public Policy, and the Johns Hopkins Homeschool Hub found that 1.8 percent of New York's K-12 students were homeschooled during the 2021-22 school year.
New York homeschool parents are required to submit a notice of intent, an individualized home instruction plan, quarterly reports and annual assessment results, per the Empire Center's account. Students in grades one through six must log at least 900 instructional hours annually, while those in grades seven through 12 need at least 990 hours, Spectrum News reported, and students generally must remain in school until age 16, possibly 17, or until they graduate. The Empire Center's guidance also states that homeschooled students are not eligible to receive a New York State high school diploma — a wrinkle that looms over Michael's case as his family presses the school board for a different outcome.
