On May 25th, I received a letter from the Broward School Board stating that I had been unenrolled from my home school program. The letter states I failed to respond to a notice that I was “out of compliance.” It states that I was sent a letter in March that I failed to respond to. The letter wasn’t certified, and I never received an email or phone call (both of which the district has the ability to do). I was on track to graduate one year late, after rebounding from a crippling case of Lyme Disease that set my life back more than two years. I missed nearly two years of school and then entered a home school program as the cognitive effects of the disease began to take affect on my school work. Just this March I was diagnosed with ADD that stems from the disease.
At first, I imagined that this should take no more than a quick phone call to set straight. Unfortunately, my efforts over the course of the last month to appeal the decision have been fruitless. I called, provided the documents they requested, and filed an appeal. It was denied, citing a lack of credits and a prior termination (due to paperwork) as a reason. This is after I made them aware that any lack of credits was due to my illness and the cognitive condition that followed. As for the prior termination, having been my first full year of home school, my parents and I were unaware of procedures and paperwork that were expected. In no way did they affect my academic performance or my eligibility for disability protections.