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Lawsuit Claims Delaware Failing Low-Income Students & Others

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WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - Two civil rights groups are suing state and local officials, claiming Delaware is failing students from low-income families, students with disabilities and students who are learning English.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in the Court of Chancery on behalf of Delawareans for Educational Opportunity and the Delaware NAACP.

It claims the problem of low achievement among disadvantaged students has been long recognized, and solutions have been laid out in state-commissioned reports. But it says the state often provides more support for children who are well off than for children living in poverty.

Defendants in the suit include Gov. John Carney and Secretary of Education Susan Bunting, as well as county-level financial officials.

The Delaware Department of Education told The News Journal it had not seen the complaint and will respond to any litigation in court.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.