Are More Black Students In West Palm Beach, Or White Students In Boca Raton, Facing Discipline? Palm Beach County School District Doesn’t Want You To Know.
BY: ANDREW COLTON | Editor and Publisher
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2023 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — The Palm Beach County School District is hiding student suspension and expulsion information, raising questions about race-based justice. The information, routinely released for years, is now being suppressed by school district officials.
“The District updated its process for Board approval to protect the confidentiality of student education records,” said a school district spokesman to BocaNewsNow.com which raised the issue prior to Wednesday’s school board meeting. “The District fully complies with all laws regarding parent and community notification of these incidents in compliance with Fla Statute 1006(4)(b).”
But the Florida Statute cited in the school district’s response does not appear to be relevant to the release of information that could alert parents and community members to an increase in suspension of students who may fall into a specific race or socioeconomic demographic. Students in West Palm Beach facing expulsion at a higher rate than students in Boca Raton would be a notable statistic. It’s a statistic the Palm Beach County School District now refuses to release.
Under the previous policy, the Palm Beach County School Board agenda included line items referring to suspension and expulsion discussions. While those discussions take place behind closed doors, the public was informed that the issue involved a student at a specific school, and a summary of what the student was accused of doing. The data points are important information for parents and community members concerned over the uniform application of justice. But those data points have now been replaced with a very generic mention that board members will merely discuss a suspension or expulsion. Both the school name, and the alleged infraction, are withheld.
BocaNewsNow.com is awaiting a statement from the Florida Department of Education which continues its campaign of “parental choice,” arguing that parents should be empowered to make educational choices for their children based on public information. Check back for updates.
