Parents of a Galesburg High School student are frustrated their son isn’t being allowed back in school.
The school told Local 4 News their hands are tied.
Nathan Cantu was attending Galesburg High School until he transferred to an alternative school.
The 15-year-old was sent there because it specializes in special education and behavioral therapy, but the plan was always for him to come back to Galesburg.
The parents said the sophomore needs special education programs to help him learn.
His parents said Cantu’s case was complicated last summer when he was charged in a fight at a carnival. Even though most of the charges were dropped, his parents said a recently filed restraining order is related to that incident.
The superintendent told Local 4 News because of that, Cantu isn’t permitted to enter the school.
The superintendent told Local 4 News there is little else he can release publically at this time.
Nathan’s father Louis Cantu said, “It just gets confusing. It gets frustrating.”
A long break from school might find some students onboard for that curriculum but right now, not Nathan Cantu.
“Not allowed to attend school,” Nathan Cantu said, “I can’t learn or get my education, grades up, credits and all that.”
Since taking off for Christmas break, he hasn’t been back in school.
His parents told Local 4 News, Cantu was attending an alternative school and making progress with his academics and behavior.
They said it was enough that the plan was for him to return to Galesburg High School before the school year was up.
But over break, they removed the 15-year-old from the alternative school because they felt it was no longer safe for Nathan there and started to work on returning him to Galesburg.
Louis Cantu said, “We did go to [Galesburg] school, we did go to meetings, and they did say they were going to let him in the next day to that school but somehow or another way, it didn’t happen.”
Cantu’s parents soon learned that was because of a restraining order filed against their son and that’s why school officials reversed course.
Nathan Cantu said, “I was just mad and like come on now, what’s the reason for it.”
Cantu’s education hasn’t stopped, Monday, starting classes with a tutor off-site from the high school, but they don’t last long.
Nathan Cantu said, “What can you learn in two hours.”
His parents are now concerned it isn’t going to be enough.
Louis Cantu said, “Their school is a big school, and they got a special ed teacher there that could teach me, and they were teaching him.”
Now they want away…
Louis Cantu said, “He needs to be in school eight hours and then come home.”
That sees him back to hitting the books and the halls.
Nathan Cantu said, “Go back and learn and get my education.”
His parents told Local 4 News they fear their son is being singled out for something that wasn’t his fault.
They also don’t want their son to fall behind in his school work.
