Sullivan graduated from Alpine High School in May with a 4.0 grade point average. She planned to attend the College of Charleston Honors College in South Carolina. Her high school career ended in third place, but Sullivan was preoccupied by a pending court date against the Alpine Independent School District. This story tells her story and how she came to believe that the school district erred in calculating her GPA.
Sullivan’s GPA was not counted in class rank calculations
Sullivan was upset when her high school, Alpine High School, did not count her 4.0 GPA in the calculation of her class rank. The reason? She was enrolled in Advanced Placement and dual credit classes that did not count in the calculation of her average. Her final transcripts to colleges left most of her AP scores out and her report card showed no grades for the final semester. This isn’t the first time AISD has disputed Sullivan’s GPA.
Sullivan’s case is being heard in the 394th District Court in Texas. This court handles divorce, criminal, and civil cases. In the case, Sullivan’s case is unique because the judge is a former prosecutor who won a separate lawsuit against the school. Judge Roy B. Ferguson has a reputation for tackling this kind of judicial medley, so it’s no surprise that he was willing to accept the case.
Sullivan’s case could cost her $75,000
In October, Sullivan’s client, Lewandowski, filed a lawsuit against Haverhill attorney William R. Sullivan for legal malpractice. The Lewandowskis have sought $75,000 in damages, including legal fees that Sullivan collected. A call to Sullivan’s office did not produce a reply. Lewandowski declined to comment on the case. But the family believes they should have gotten more than $75,000 from the case.
The judge in Sullivan’s case ruled that the school had not followed proper procedure in calculating the grades. The school district had repeated the calculations, but Sullivan was still third. In addition, the judge disapproved of Leon’s vote, despite Ms. Sullivan’s claims that her G.P.A was higher than the other students. Sullivan’s lawsuit may end up costing her $75,000 after all.
Sullivan’s parents were inspired by a case in Pecos, Texas
Sullivan’s parents were inspired by statewide laws that allow the highest-ranked Texas high school students to attend free public colleges. This case occurred in Pecos, Texas, a small town 100 miles from Alpine, Texas. In Pecos, Texas, two students were declared valedictorian after a tabulation error. Pecos High School sought an injunction against the student who was declared valedictorian, but the judge found that the students were both valedictorian.
The parents of Sullivan, a junior at Alpine High School, were inspired by the Pecos, Texas, case. The Pecos case, which involved the expulsion of a high school student for failing to pass an English course, gave Sullivan’s parents an idea for a legal battle. Sullivan, an aspiring lawyer, argued that the school intentionally left her out of an awards ceremony, even though she had higher grades than the other students. However, the school district has said that they calculated her grades repeatedly.
Sullivan believes her GPA was miscalculated
Dalee Sullivan, a recent graduate from Alpine High School in West Texas, believes her GPA was miscalculated. She earned a 4.0 grade point average, which would easily have put her ahead of students ahead of her. The school then recalculated her grades and determined that she placed third instead of first. Sullivan is now taking the school district to court to challenge their decision.
The student is not the only one to dispute the school district’s grade calculation. She has competed in cheer, public speaking and UIL science for the last two years. Sullivan has a strong case and will argue before Judge Roy Ferguson, the 394th Judicial District. In the meantime, she is spending her last summer in Alpine. She plans to attend the College of Charleston in South Carolina, majoring in biophysics.
