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Florida Department of Education investigates all Polk schools

Reported by: Karen Castillo
Email: kcastillo@wfts.com
Reported by: Karen Castillo
Last Update: 11/20/2009 11:28 am
HAINES CITY, FL -- All Polk County schools are under investigation by the state after a US Department of Education report says one school discriminated against its students.

The US DOE report says special needs students at Davenport's Ridge Community Senior High School were being treated unfairly.

Bart and Chris Pannelli are special needs students who were picked up with other students in the morning. But in the afternoon the bus picked them up 15 minutes early from school every day.

The school says it was for safety reasons.

"When you have thousands of students all exiting at the same time, it can be overwhelming for some of the students," said Nancy Woolcock with Polk County Schools.

The mom says its discrimination and the DOE agreed in a report it released this week. It is asking the school to make changes.

"The school owes my sons a total of 6 days," said Pannelli-Banyes.

The district is now changing the bus schedule.

ABC Action News has learned the Florida Department of Education has launched an investigation into all Polk County Schools.

The school owes Bart, Chris and 23 other special needs students a total of 6 days of class time.

In next 90 days the state will look at every school's special needs bus schedule.
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