School photos a no-show over one year later for students, parents of Hayward charter school

ByRandall Yip KGO logo

Friday, October 14, 2022

200 Hayward students left without school photos for over a year

The parents of some students at Hayward Twin Oaks Montessori School said they reached out to the photographer, but did not receive a response.

HAYWARD, Calif. (KGO) -- Some of our favorite childhood memories are captured in the class photos we all took. But more than 200 students at a small charter school did not receive theirs. So the parents contacted 7 On Your Side's Michael Finney for help.

Phuong Nguyen looks through the memory box she compiled of her son Ethan's first grade year.

"I throw the things in there like his swim -- each level he passes for swim and just awards," she said.

One item missing from the memory box is Ethan's class photo.

"So I have all my class photos as a kid. So I wanted that for him as well," Nguyen said.

The closest Kellie Dimic Nelson has to class photos for her child are little thumb-sized images on the receipt.

"This $10 that I may have spent or someone else has spent on a photo is the only record of our class time that our children will have for years to come," said Nelson.

Both Nguyen and Nelson's children attend Hayward Twin Oaks Montessori School.

The merged two-charter campuses educate students from grades 1 through 12.

Both said efforts to reach out to the photographer were ignored.

The company told 7 On your Side that they learned, after we reached out that the families, of more than 200 students who ordered class photos last school year but did not get them.

Ethan Richter says he has since shut down his company School Kid Pix due to issues related to COVID. He said he was not aware of the missing photos before 7 On Your Side reached out, but would offer refunds or replacements promptly.

"My deepest apologies to the families for missing inquiries after we shut down," he wrote to 7 On Your Side. "I will have the class photos sent to them within 7 days."

"This Friday?" asked a surprised Nelson.

She expressed shock at the news. "That would be awesome."

The superintendent at Hayward Twin Oaks confirmed it received a stack of class photos, which have since been distributed.

"You guys were so responsive and amazing and I appreciate the help," Nguyen said. "I wish it didn't have to go that far, but I'm glad that we were able to get results."

The school's superintendent could not confirm everyone got their photos, but says she has not received any additional complaints.

Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.

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