After SATs fly out of UPS truck after exams, Texas high school seniors may have to retake tests
The SATs of more than 50 Texas high school students were lost after their test papers flew out of a UPS truck.
In a statement sent to to Paste BN on Monday, El Paso Independent School District said the incident affects El Paso High School students who took their SATs at the school on Oct. 27. Staff recovered all but 55 tests.
"El Paso ISD is working closely with the College Board to determine a remedy for the El Paso High School students whose SAT exams were lost in transit after they were securely submitted to UPS," El Paso ISD officials said.
The school district added that students whose tests were lost will be able to take the ACT, a different standardized test that's also used in college admissions, on Dec. 10 at no cost. Further updates will be provides by the school district and the College Board, officials said.
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The SAT is a standardized test administered by the College Board, required by some colleges and universities nationwide as part of the undergrad application process. According to a report by the College Board, at least 1.7 million students in the high school class of 2022 took the SAT at least once.
"In rare instances, test materials are lost in transit. When this occurs, we work with the school to ensure that students are able to retest as soon as possible," the College Board wrote in a statement to Paste BN on Monday. "We are currently working with El Paso High School to provide options for the impacted students."
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In a statement emailed to USA TODAY, UPS said it had apologized to the school and students and added the company was still working to recover the tests. UPS did not identify the person who was driving the truck.
"Our employees are working to recover as many tests as possible, and we will work with the school to resolve the situation," UPS said. "The driver’s actions in this case are not representative of UPS protocols and methods, and we are addressing this with him."
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Students whose tests were lost expressed their frustration to local media. Some reported seeing the test papers fly around nearby streets.
"On the test score sheets, we have all of our information and identification on the score – our location where we live, our address, our date of birth, all of our information. And it stinks because our identity is out there right now," El Paso High School student body president Zyenna Martinez told KTSM-TV.
The impact could extend beyond the 55 tests that are still lost. Another El Paso High School student, Ezra Ponzio, told KFOX 14 that many more tests are also invalid "because they could have been tampered with."
The incident also came before many schools' early decision application deadlines – which typically range from Nov. 1 to Dec. 1. Ponzio, who chose to retake his SAT on Oct. 27 in hopes of a higher score, told the station that losing the test meant he would miss the early decision application deadline for Texas A&M University.