Jeff Rolson is just relieved* he didn’t get sent to the principal’s office.

The 40-something Rolson last week dropped by* Superior Senior High School, Wisconsin, the United States, where he graduated in 1977, to get a copy of his transcript* for a plumbing* apprenticeship*. That’s when he found out he had two outstanding debts — US$7.95 for a missing algebra book and US$5 for an unpaid physical education fee.

A secretary told him he had to pay up before he could get his transcript.

“I told her, ‘Do you realize this was 30 years ago?’” he said.

Rolson says he doesn’t understand why the school didn’t contact him earlier. After all, he still lives in Superior — and his daughter attends the school.

“Nobody contacted me, so I ended up paying the US$13 to get my transcript,” he said.

State law prevents a school from withholding* documents such as transcripts and diplomas, said district administrator Jay Mitchell.

But it’s not uncommon for schools to try to collect unpaid fees and fines before providing documents, he said.

“She did forget the US$2 fee for the transcript,” Rolson said.

He’s also grateful the school didn’t charge him interest.

“It was 13 bucks. If they had charged me interest all these years — compounded for 30 years — I don’t know what the bill might have been,” he said.