By Kathleen Megan

Thirty-eight percent of Connecticut’s school districts reported zero incidents of restraining or secluding children, according to a federal report released today.

The study, done by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, said that more than 70 percent of 17,000 school districts in the U.S. similarly reported zero incidents of restraint or seclusion to the U.S. Department of Education for the 2015-16 school year — the latest available data.

The review has prompted the GAO to question whether districts are misreporting the data, noting in a statement that the data “does not accurately or completely reflect all incidents of restraint and seclusion of public school students.”

U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd, said in a statement that the report “reveals deeply concerning gaps and inaccuracies in the Department of Education’s data on the use of restraint and seclusion. These practices — which are meant to be used as a last resort — disproportionately impact students with disabilities, yet many of our nation’s largest school districts continue to report no incidents where these measures were used.”

Scenes from today’s Staples High School graduation ceremony. Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

By James Lomuscio

Dressed in U.S. Army fatigues, Sgt. Taquasia Bravo, peered over the crowd of nearly 4,000 in the Staples High School field house today, anxiously waiting for the 132nd commencement to begin.

Members of the Class of 2019 turn their tassels at today’s commencement ceremony. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

In a short while, the opening notes of a recorded “Pomp and Circumstance” started up, and it played as it would over and over to accommodate the 475 graduates. Processing in, they sported blue caps and gowns, smiles and some frowns, not to mention the occasional class clown with dramatic poses and exaggerated waving.

Lucky for Bravo, her brother Quinntin Elijah Bravo of Bridgeport was only 49th alphabetically in line. As soon as she spied Quinntin, she ran to him. They hugged as the line kept moving. And she cried.

“I’ve been gone for a while in Europe,” the graduate’s sister said about her deployment. “I haven’t seen him since he was in middle school.”

Scenes from tonight’s Staples High School baccalaureate service. Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Salutatorian Anisa V. Prasad told the Staples baccalaureate ceremony tonight that high school “was like a lollipop. It looked sweet from the outside, took forever to get through after many attempts at licking it, sucked until the end, but overall, we’re going to miss it terribly when it’s gone.” Anisa and twin sister Sirina, the school’s valedictorian, are both headed to Harvard. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

There was a full house tonight in the Staples High School auditorium for the traditional baccalaureat service on the eve of Tuesday’s graduation ceremony. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Taking part tonight in the Staples High School baccalaureate ceremony were (l-r)  Juliette Schwebel, Mia Kobylinski, and Georgia Wright singing the finale, “I Can’t Imagine.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Scenes from tonight’s Staples Tuition Grants ceremony at Staples High School. Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com and WestportNow.com photos

Several hundred persons tonight attended the annual Staples Tuition Grants ceremony at Staples High School. Since its founding in 1943, the organization has distributed more than $5 million to students to help further their education., (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo