By Amy Renee Leiker from The Wichita Eagle:
Kurtis Tinius looks dapper in his suit and tie, passing out stickers promoting his prom king candidacy at East High School.
He’s not shy about spreading the word: He wants Saturday’s crown.
Despite speech that’s a little hard to understand, he’s a pretty smooth talker.
“Vote for Kurtis,” the 18-year-old chimes. “Kurtis for prom king.”
Like seven other senior boys at East, Kurtis this spring was elected to the school prom court. Saturday night he’ll know who gets the crown.
But there’s something different, besides his dress, about the teen who wears a suit and tie to school every day: Kurtis has Down syndrome, a genetic disorder of the chromosomes that causes delays in cognition and growth.
School officials say he’s the only special education student at East they can remember who has been given the chance to experience the flurry of prom in a way few others do.
And support for him has been overwhelming.
