The Knucklehead of the Day award(Or how do you spell diploma?)

Today's winner is Jostens Inc. who was hired by Lee County Florida to supply high school diplomas. As reported by The Fort Myers News-Press there is only one problem- The diplomas were full of errors. Many of them spelling mistakes.

By DAVE BREITENSTEIN

About 425 Cypress Lake High seniors walked away from their May 18 graduation ceremony empty-handed. Seven weeks later, they still don't have diplomas.

"The students and parents have been wonderful and understanding, but they've worked 13 years, and it's a shame they still don't get a diploma," Principal Tracy Perkins said."It's unfortunate, bordering on the ridiculous."

Lee County schools hired Jostens Inc. to supply about 5,000 diplomas. But all 10 high schools received diplomas overrun with misspellings, typographical errors, incorrect school colors and missing mascot emblems.Jostens has sent several batches of diplomas to Cypress, but none have been error-free. The district directed the Minneapolis-based company to reprint diplomas.
Principals scrambled to print makeshift certificates so they could hand something to graduates at commencement ceremonies.

"At first, it was kind of odd because it was just a piece of paper," said Katie Haviland, 17. "But it doesn't make a difference because I know I graduated from high school."Jostens representatives could not be reached for comment Friday, and previous efforts to reach Jostens for comment also have been unsuccessful.Once the district receives all corrected versions from Jostens, it will begin trying to recover costs, purchasing director Robert George said.

Jostens had a contract worth about $14,000 annually to supply diplomas, diploma covers, embossing and stickers for valedictorians and salutatorians.District leaders say they have no tolerance for errors.

"You can't afford to do this again. It's a momentous moment in a student's life," George said."Unfortunately, it happened to schools all over the U.S. that had contracts with Jostens.

"Next year, Lee County may control its own diploma destiny. Frank Musco, the district's printing services director, said Lee could purchase its own thermographing unit for about $14,000. That will be a topic of conversation this fall, but the purchase already has been budgeted for the 2005-06 school year.