Achiever's school - a fresh bold face question from egmat

Hello Everyone,

Here's a fresh question from e-GMAT. I hope you enjoy solving this. Looking forward to a great discussion as usual

Achievers’ Administrative Officer: At Achievers’ School, students from economically underprivileged backgrounds, who study free of charge under the company’s social responsibility clause, tend to spend less-time in school than the financially well-to-do, fee paying students. This is despite the fact that on average, economically underprivileged children have more pressing academic needs than the fee paying-students. Critics of the school have concluded that the economically underprivileged students are not receiving proper academic attention. However, this conclusion is almost certainly baseless. Careful investigation has recently shown two things: students from financially well to do households hang around in school premises to discuss their after-school parties, and tend to stay back in the school after classes to attend such optional sports activities that have nothing to do with a student’s academic development.

In the administrative officer’s argument, the two boldface portions play which of the following roles?

A. The first states the conclusion of the administrative officer’s argument; the second provides support for that conclusion.
B. The first is used to support the conclusion of the administrative officer’s argument; the second states that conclusion.
C. The first was used to support the conclusion drawn by school critics; the second states the position that the administrative officer’s argument opposes.
D. The first was used to support the conclusion drawn by school critics; the second provides support for the conclusion of the administrative officer’s argument.
E. The first states the position that the administrative officer’s argument opposes; the second states the conclusion of the administrative officer’s argument.