The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating the Pinellas County school system to determine whether it discriminates against black students.
“The compliance review will examine whether the district discriminates against black students with respect to providing access to courses, programs and extracurricular activities, including access to foundation courses that are essential to prepare students to take rigorous courses in high school and to provide them with the skills necessary for success in college and/or career,” said an official with the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights.
The investigation follows “Failure Factories,” an investigative series by the Tampa Bay Times detailing the re-segregation of multiple St. Petersburg elementary schools and how they eventually became some of the state’s worst.
When contacted by ABC Action News, a Pinellas County Schools spokesperson said the system did not have knowledge of the investigation.
