Jayla Sinclair began attending Science Park High School in 7th grade in September 2020. Ever since she entered the school, teachers and classmates alike have praised her for her academic excellence. Jayla is an extremely kind and hardworking girl who rightfully earned every grade and award she has. However, Jayla's life is not all sunshine and rainbows. Jayla Sinclair was born with sickle cell anemia. She frequently experiences physical pain and health complications due to her incurable disease. She has to go to the hospital very frequently because of the disease she was born with. Despite her very serious issue, she somehow manages to be one of the best students in the Science Park High School's Class of 2026.

Jayla applied for Science Park's International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB program) in her sophomore year of high school, and it's no surprise she was one of the few students in the sophomore class to get accepted. Jayla entered the IB program in her junior year and worked diligently to keep her grades up in this college-level program. However, in December 2024, Jayla's health greatly depreciated, causing her to end up in the Emergency Department of a hospital. She missed many days of school, completely out of her control. The IB program has a policy that states 7 absences will result in expulsion. This is precisely what happened to Jayla Sinclair.

The IB POLICY and PROCEDURES ACADEMIC GUIDELINES states, "Extenuating circumstances may cause a student to be temporarily absent from the program for an extended period. An agreement upon the conditions and acceptable length of absence will be facilitated by the program coordinator. Failure to comply with the agreement will result in removal from the Program."

Is being hospitalized for your painful, incurable disease not an "Extenuating circumstance"?

It is Jayla's dream to have an easy and free ride to college, and the IB program was giving her exactly that. To expel her for the program for something that was entirely out of her control is heartbreakingly unfair.

By signing this petition, you are voicing your belief that expelling Jayla Sinclair from Science Park High School's IB program is unjustified.