Teen Enrolls In Local High School After 2-Year Wait

BETHESDA, Md. (WUSA) --- Amid all the sights and sounds of construction at Walter Johnson High School, Jeff Sukkasem celebrates.

"I got into Walter Johnson! I'm a Wildcat. I'm really excited, I can't wait until school starts," he says.

Today, he enrolled into Walter Johnson after a two-year wait. During that time, he went to local public libraries and tried to teach himself the middle school material posted online.

Sukkasem was born in the US but left for Thailand with family for a few years.

When he returned alone, the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) system said he needed pay $13,000 tuition as an international student. MCPS declined to be interviewed for this story.

Sukkasem's lawyer, Patrick Hoover, says Sukkasem simply fell through the cracks of the school system.

"It took longer than we expected but ultimately, the school district reversed their decision and realized that he was not an international student. He's a resident of Montgomery County," Hoover says.

Sukkasem lives with an adult guardian and dreams of becoming a pilot.