The Seminole County Public Schools is now reviewing the details of a “celebration assembly” where only Black and Hispanic students were invited. The event happened Wednesday at Winter Springs High School.
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Eyewitness News has obtained an email where the administration stated in writing that students of only certain races were eligible to attend.
It specifically said only students of certain races were allowed out of their advanced opportunity program.
We are now hearing from students who say the whole event just seemed odd.
“I didn’t think too much of it at the moment and then I got home and said that was weird,” said Andrea Torres.
She says it was awkward after only some students were invited to an assembly based on their race. Invited students could skip one of their classes to attend the event while other students stayed behind.
Torres says they received a lecture in the event.
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“That we should step up to the challenge. But I feel like everyone should have heard that. Not just some kids,” Torres said. She said the lecture was specifically geared towards people of color. She says majority of those in the room were Black or Hispanic, but she says she saw a few white students in the room that made jokes about the room being filled with majority Black and Hispanic students.
This email shows high school administration planning what they called a “celebration” September 11th for some students in the Advanced Opportunity program.
According to the district, students classified as advanced opportunity include black and Hispanic students, students with free and reduced lunch, and English Language Learners (ELL). The criteria includes maintaining at least a 3.0 GPA.
The program is designed to reduce access barriers for students who show readiness for high level coursework, SCPS said.
But though this program includes students from all backgrounds and races, Winter Springs High administration said the event “explicitly focused on a smaller subset Black and Hispanic,” according to an email sent from the Principal to staff prior to the event.
The email even notes 72 percent of Winter Spring High students are classified as Advanced Opportunity.
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The email states 28 percent of the whole student body is Black or Hispanic.
A concerned teacher reached out to Eyewitness News. They said, “I had kids asking my questions like: “What is AO”, “I’m AO, why don’t I get to go”, “Where are they going” and “So, the rest of us don’t get a party”.
Seminole County Public Schools responded in a statement to Eyewitness News saying we brought the event to their attention.
“The assembly should never have included just two subgroups of students as that is not representative of the AO program. This will be reviewed and addressed,” SCPS’s statement reads in part.
Winter Springs High Administration said in the email that they acknowledged staff’s concerns before the event, saying the goal should be to create a school environment where all students feel valued. However, WSHS administration wrote there must be a “delicate balanced,” adding that sometimes some there needs to be “targeted support.”
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