District Will No Longer Share School Information. Are More Black, Hispanic Students Being Kicked Out?
BY: ANDREW COLTON | Editor and Publisher
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2024 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — The Palm Beach County School District is set to expel seven students during a closed “special meeting” of the school board today — but the school district is withholding racial and socioeconomic information about the students set to be banned. The information block seems to violate not only Florida Statute 119, but the school district’s own policy regarding who gets suspended and for what. It raises serious questions about racial targeting in the Palm Beach County School District.
BocaNewsNow.com previously — and routinely — reported the nature of violation and schools involved when students were expelled by the Palm Beach County School Board. But now, the Palm Beach County School District’s Chief of Equity and Wellness, Keith Oswald, is withholding the name of the schools involved and specific infraction information for students set to be banned. That means the community doesn’t know if students in schools that may have a higher Hispanic or Black population are facing a higher rate of expulsion than students in schools that have a higher White population.
We do know that each of the seven students set to be suspended today allegedly violated School Board Policy 5.1814 which is the ‘zero tolerance’ policy. Here’s part of that policy:
“The School Board of Palm Beach County is committed to ensuring a safe learning and working environment for all of its stakeholders. The Board shall promote a safe and supportive learning environment in all schools by protecting its students and employees from behavior that poses a threat to school safety. The Board shall expel any student who commits a violation of the zero-tolerance policy for a period of time of not less than one year from the date of the incident. This policy shall apply equally to all students regardless of race, gender, or economic status.”
The District’s refusal, however, to release information regarding the expelled student’s school means there’s no way to monitor whether the “race, gender, or economic status” section of the Palm Beach County School District policy is actually being followed.
Does the race or ethnicity of the students truly matter? Why race into the equation when expulsion is a last resort!?!?! There are students of every ethnicity that cause problems to other students, teachers and staff every single day. The students who are being expelled have been determined to be unmanageable thus the reason for expulsion. Period
Thank you Grace. You’re absolutely correct.
It matters because if white students aren’t being expelled that means RACISM. The reason for the expulsions matter not the only thing that matter is if more blacks are being expelled then Whites. We can’t have that while living under forced diversity!
I agree, but if the kids are a danger to the community or other kids outside of school.. I am so disgusted with the lack of discipline in the schools in Palm Beach county. I am original a NY er from Long Island The schools in Florida are definitely not as good as NY. We.dont allow armed guards but have less violence? Why?
You’ll be reporting on the crimes they commit in a few months/years time anyway, and then you can analyze all the race stats you want. Very curious to see what you find! *eyeroll*
In the meantime, please continue to serve and protect; between articles about dogs in Publix and bad parking, a true community hero!
Just put the first name of the kid expelled, and let the public figure out the ethnicity from that, shouldn’t be too difficult to do.
I bet $$$ to donuts the majority of the expulsions/discipline issues are the same 13% that are the problem in society.
The same school district that tried to change its mission statement a few years ago, to satisfy a woke cabal whose children probably go to private schools… and you wonder why charter schools are booming.
Okay.. Why were they expelled???
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