FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Broward school district members voted out a controversial diversion program Tuesday night that is aimed at keeping students out of the criminal justice system.
The convicted Parkland school shooter was part of the program, but never completed it.
Plain and simple, many people felt the PROMISE program had too much baggage, but supporters say it actually did more good to keep troubled youth away from jail.
Critics were quick to respond as the Broward County school district voted to move on from its controversial PROMISE program.
In a 5-to-2 vote, the district voted to dissolve its arrest diversion program for students who get in trouble.
The program faced strong and mounting opposition over its connection to its former enrollee who was behind the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Senior High School in February of 2018.
School officials said services provided by the PROMISE program will continue to be made available to students until they can come up with a replacement.
But Marsha Ellison, president of NAACP Broward, fears that without a set policy, students who need the services could be left in limbo, or even worse, fall through the cracks.
“(They could) be suspended, expelled and arrested in our schools,” she said.