Makena Simonsen, a high school graduate in Washington, claims she graduated with a 3.87 GPA despite finishing her senior year at a first-grade reading level

Simonsen and her family have filed a lawsuit against the Edmonds School District for "educational malpractice" and "benevolent discrimination"

In the complaint, her attorneys argue that the school district denied her an "opportunity to graduate with a meaningful diploma," leaving her unprepared for "postsecondary education, gainful employment, or citizenship"

A high school graduate in Washington is suing her former school district, claiming it awarded her a "meaningless" diploma.

Makena Simonsen, who attended Lynwood High School in Bothell, recalled celebrating a graduation day full of promise. "I was happy. I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I finally made it!' " she told local outlet KING 5 News.

However, her sense of excitement quickly faded, she said. Simonsen, who has an intellectual disability and has been enrolled in special education programs since elementary school, graduated in June 2022 with a 3.87 GPA despite ending her senior year reading at a first-grade level.

She had planned to enroll in the Edmonds School District's free vocational program, which helps transition special needs students into independent life — but discovered she was ineligible because she received a regular high school diploma.

Instead, Simonsen had to enroll in Bellevue College's Occupational and Life Skills program at a cost of more than $40,000 annually, which includes her tuition, room and board and living expenses.

Asked if she felt prepared for her post-graduation life, the 22-year-old told KING 5, "Not at all. I should have earned that diploma, not just something that really got me nowhere."

Simonsen and her family have since filed a lawsuit against the Edmonds School District in Snohomish County Superior Court, alleging "educational malpractice" and "benevolent discrimination."

In the complaint, obtained by PEOPLE, her attorneys state that Simonsen "was unable to read, write, or do math beyond an elementary level" at the time of her graduation from Lynwood High School in 2022.

"The District’s failure to provide Ms. Simonsen with the opportunity to access a basic education that was fully aligned with state and district standards, and its decision to issue a diploma to her on that basis, thus cutting off any transitional supports, has caused significant harm to Ms. Simonsen," her attorneys argue in the complaint.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.  

They claim that the district "pushed" Simonsen through the system and gave her "perfect grades along the way," despite her having "little to no comprehension of the material."

She got As or A-minuses in math classes but can’t tell “how many quarters, nickels, or dimes are in a dollar,” the complaint states.

"Put simply, Ms. Simonsen was denied an opportunity to graduate with a meaningful diploma. Her education did not prepare her for postsecondary education, gainful employment, or citizenship," her lawyers argue in the complaint.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Simonsen's attorney, Lara Hruska of Seattle's Cedar Law, said, "It's frustrating that receiving this high school diploma actually closed doors for Makena instead of opening them. The District should have postponed her diploma conferral so that she was able to access her transition services through special education to prepare for life in the real world."

"We are seeing this as a statewide problem in Washington: students with disabilities have their IEP [Individualized Education Program] services prematurely cut off when the District confers a regular high school diploma that simply doesn't mean what it's supposed to," Hruska continued. "This was a disservice to Makena but also to all the Edmonds students who properly graduated, since this really undermines the value of that diploma."

PEOPLE reached out to the Edmonds School District for comment.

In a court filing obtained by PEOPLE, the school district denied that it failed to provide Simonsen the basic education she was entitled to. The district said her general education classes were aligned with state standards and argued that the case should be dismissed.

Simonsen is currently in her third year at Bellevue College and faces up to $160,000 in student debt upon graduation, per KING 5. She told the outlet that she is "actually earning" her own grades now and has a positive outlook on her future.

"I feel much better about my future now than I did when I was in high school," she said. "I'm passionate about it."

Read the original article on People