Education

Reading gap between Black and white students spurs debate during ACPS superintendent search

Community members, parents, and teachers gathered Thursday for a panel focused on the racial literacy gap in Alachua County schools, citing a reading proficiency difference between Black and white elementary students of 42 to 47 percentage points — far above the statewide gap of roughly 29 points. The forum, hosted by the Alachua County Community Remembrance Program, came as the school board conducts its search for a new superintendent, with many attendees calling on that future leader to address the disparity. School Board Chairman Thomas Vu participated as a panelist and noted the state offers limited tools to track whether students are reading at grade level before 12th grade.

Sources: WCJB TV20