Fla. School District Sued Over Low Graduation Rates

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a class action against the Palm Beach County, Fla., school district, claiming its low graduation rate is a violation of the Florida Constitution.

Even using the “most generous” measures, the lawsuit says, almost a third of the students in the 175,000-student district do not graduate. The graduation rates of black and Hispanic students, which are lower than those of white students, further establish that the district is failing its students, it says.

“And, the consequences for the students and the county are devastating, as those who leave school without even a high school diploma are significantly less able or likely to share in the American dream,” says the lawsuit, filed March 18 in Palm...