The Lowndes County School District may soon achieve the unitary status it has sought for the past 40 years. Superintendent Mike Halford said the district has fulfilled the requirements of a consent order adopted in 2009 to meet U.S. Department of Justice requirements and address the concerns of private plaintiffs who alleged unfair treatment and facilities at majority-black schools.
Specifically, the district was accused of failing to address a drainage problem at the West Lowndes baseball field and failing to provide adequate shelter to a student area at West Lowndes High School.
“The baseball field only had one rainout, and it wasn”t really a rainout,” Halford explained. “It did rain, but it was 37 degrees and, since it wasn”t a district game, both teams decided not to play.
“And there was a spot in front (of WLHS) where rain was blowing into the building. We fixed it three or four times and it was still getting wet. We put up a wall there where the rain could not blow in.”
An athletic grounds manager from Mississippi State University was contracted to inspect the athletic fields at all three LCSD campuses and report on the care of each facility.
Holmes Adams, who represents the LCSD along with the district”s board attorney, Jeff Smith, will file the next bi-annual report outlining the changes to the Justice Department June 15.
If the Justice Department grants unitary status, Halford explained, the district will be free to make changes without approval.
In the mid- to late ”60s, many Southern school districts were sued on the basis on discrimination and forced under federal desegregation orders. Most school districts who were around in those years continue to operate under the court orders, which require Justice Department oversight of transportation, teacher and student assignment, facilities and other areas.
“Unitary status allows us to handle the business of the district without the Justice Department being big brother. We won”t need permission to add classes at sites,” he said.
The LCSD recently submitted a request to build new classrooms at Caledonia High School, where an incoming freshman class of 170 is expected following the graduation of 120 seniors this year. Such enrollment increases meet Justice Department criteria for permitting the construction of new facilities at one campus but not at others.
“They”ve never really told us we couldn”t do anything, unless it was something that had to be done (on all campuses) at the same time,” said Halford.
Many school districts across the state are also pursuing unitary status. Columbus Municipal School District became one of the few districts to be granted unitary status in 2007.
Halford said the LCSD board is extremely eager to achieve unitary status and may decide to go to court if status is not granted.
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