Forsyth School cancels SAT, parents and students frustrated

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. - Forsyth County parents and students are frustrated with the decision to cancel the SATs. Some students need to take the test this Saturday to meet college application deadlines.

A Forsyth County Schools representative said an employee overbooked the school, but the decision to cancel the test on May 8 was entirely up to the College Board. School leaders said they recognize taking the test is time-sensitive but out of their hands.

A Facebook post on the West Forsyth High School page alerted students and parents of the canceled college admissions test Monday.

School leaders said a track meet was rescheduled due to COVID-19 fell on the entrance exam day.

"You should be able to have a track meet outside and the test inside," Melinda Brooks said.

Brooks’ son was slated to take the test May 8 and she said he needs to submit his scores to schools by May 30 and the next available test isn't until June 5 -- nearly a week past the deadline.

Forsyth County School representatives said there wasn't enough room to accommodate both events, so they reached out to the College Board.

"The issue is the parking," Communications director Jennifer Caracciolo said. "We canceled the event that impacted the least amount of people. The SATs were for a few hundred students. The track meet will draw thousands."

The cancellation comes during an already desperate time when many rising freshmen are rushed to take SATs that they might've missed out on because of canceled tests during the pandemic.

"While we were able to secure additional seats for June 5, we know this is not resolved for some parents and students who have to find another test," Caracciolo said.

The College Board provided FOX 5 with a statement:

"Test centers make individual decisions about whether to administer the SAT, and they may close before the administration, right up until test day. In this instance, the test center notified us on April 26... Students can check for June availability..."

Brooks said she and her son are reaching out to the schools her son is applying to, to explain why his application won't be complete by the deadline. She said the College Board immediately provided a refund.

Forsyth County Schools said the system did ask the College Board to relocate the test to another school that was not already booked May 8, but the board did not choose to do so.

School leaders encourage families who are unable to secure a test on June 5 to contact the College Board directly. Some families, like Brooks', said that might not solve their problems.

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