https://ktul.com/news/nation-world/b...ass-with-013-g

BALTIMORE (WBFF) ' A shocking discovery came out of a Baltimore high school, where hundreds of students are failing. It's a school where a student who passed three classes in four years, ranks near the top half of his class with a 0.13 grade point average.

Tiffany France thought her son would receive his diploma this coming June. But after four years of high school, France just learned, her 17-year-old must start over. He's been moved back to ninth grade.

'He's stressed and I am too. I told him I'm probably going to start crying. I don't know what to do for him,' France said. 'Why would he do three more years in school' He didn't fail, the school failed him. The school failed at their job. They failed. They failed, that's the problem here. They failed. They failed. He didn't deserve that.'

France's son attends Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts in west Baltimore. His transcripts show he's passed just three classes in four years, earning 2.5 credits, placing him in ninth grade. But France says she didn't know that until February.

She has three children and works three jobs. She thought her oldest son was doing well because even though he failed most of his classes, he was being promoted. His transcripts show he failed Spanish I and Algebra I but was promoted to Spanish II and Algebra II. He also failed English II but was passed on to English III.

'I'm just assuming that if you are passing, that you have the proper things to go to the next grade and the right grades, you have the right credits,' said France.

Her son's records show in his first three years at Augusta Fells, he failed 22 classes and was late or absent 272 days. But in those three years, only one teacher requested a parent conference, which France says never happened. No one from the school told France her son was failing and not going to class.

'I feel like they never gave my son an opportunity, like if there was an issue with him, not advancing or not progressing, that they should have contacted me first, three years ago,' said France.

In his four years at Augusta Fells, France's son earned a GPA of 0.13. He only passed three classes, but his transcripts show his class rank is 62 out of 120. This means, nearly half his classmates, 58 of them, have a 0.13 grade point average or lower.

'He's a good kid. He didn't deserve that. Where's the mentors' Where is the help for him' I hate that this is happening to my child,' said France.

WBFF talked with a City Schools administrator, who works inside North Avenue, but asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation. That administrator says the school system absolutely failed France's son.

The administrator said City Schools failed because it has protocols and interventions set up to help students who are falling behind or have low attendance. In France's son's case, they didn't happen.

'I get angry. There's nothing but frustration. We see on the news the crime that occurs, the murders, the shootings, we know that there are high levels of poverty in Baltimore. Things like this are adding to that. His transcript is not unusual to me. I've seen many transcripts, many report cards, like this particular student,' said the City Schools administrator.

Dr. Sonja Santelises was the City Schools CEO four years ago when France's son was a freshman. But she will did not agree to an interview. Instead, she sent a two-page statement, which explains what should happen when a student is chronically absent or failing.

WBFF asked the City Schools administrator what they would say to France. The administrator replied, 'I didn't have a hand on this student, but I worked for City Schools. So, he is one of my kids. I would hug her, and I would apologize profusely.'

'He feels embarrassed, he feels like a failure,' France said of her son. 'I'm like, you can't feel like that. And you have to be strong and you got to keep fighting. Life is about fighting. Things happen, but you got to keep fighting. And he's willing, he's trying, but who would he turn to when the people that's supposed to help him is not' Who do he turn to''

France has pulled her son out of Augusta Fells. He's now enrolled in an accelerated school program at Francis M. Wood in west Baltimore. If her son works hard, he could graduate by 2023.