College bound Sam O'Leary says when he first heard about the Lakewood graduation guarantee, it sounded a little... odd.
Sam O'Leary: It does sound kinda strange to make students out to be, you know, equitable with household appliances or something along those lines.
FAKE AD: "Sam O'Leary! Class President, editor of student newspaper, varsity swimmer, and now, Sam O'Leary comes with a two-year guarantee!"
Okay, so Lakewood isn't really advertising its students, but it is making a bold promise to potential employers and colleges.
David Estrop: We will guarantee for a period of two years that you can meet the standards established by the state of Ohio.
Dr. David Estrop came up with the graduation guarantee. He's superintendent of Lakewood City Schools and he says if employers or colleges believe a graduate from Lakewood just isn't up to state standards, they can, in effect, take the student back.
All they have to do is write a letter to the district. Then, if the student agrees, Lakewood schools will test him and if he's below Ohio graduation test standards, he'll get free remedial help, usually through the district's online academy.
Estrop says he hopes his graduates won't actually have to use the guarantee.
David Estrop: We have confidence in the students coming out of the Lakewood city schools, and the work that our staff and our parents have done in preparing those students and we're willing to put our money where our mouth is.
As student body president, Sam O'Leary became the first student to receive the graduation guarantee. Initial reactions aside, he says he's warmed up to the idea.
Sam O'Leary: It's a strength. If I were applying for a job, I absolutely would put it on my application and let that employer know that the district that I come from stands behind my diploma.
O'Leary says some students wondered why a diploma is not enough; why they need an additional document.
Patricia Rossman Skrha wonders that too. She's director of undergraduate admissions at nearby Baldwin Wallace College, which admits a sizable number of Lakewood grads each year.
Patricia Rossman Skrha: It might be interesting to see what some other employers and schools have to say, but Lakewood in general has always had a strong reputation of being a good high school. At least for us, we haven't seen any change in the quality of graduates from Lakewood, so from my perspective, I haven't seen that it's necessary.
And, Skrha says, Baldwin Wallace would probably prefer to do its own remedial work with students rather than outsource it back to a high school alma mater.
At the local Phoenix Coffee shop, Lakewood junior Amanda Nobbe says the guarantee might make more sense for students going straight into the workforce, rather than college.
DB: Now, when you apply for colleges, are you going to tell them you're a guaranteed graduate?
Amanda Nobbe: I don't think so. I think I'll just go with the stats and statistics maybe.
DB: Why won't you tell them?
Amanda Nobbe: I dunno, I guess if you put it on a college application it might seem kinda silly, almost.
Clearly, the one thing you can't guarantee is that students will take the guarantee seriously. Dan Bobkoff, 90.3.