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The Calhoun County School System has been freed from four of
six restrictions ordered by federal court judges following a landmark 1967
decision mandating racial integration of schools in Alabama. Calhoun County
Schools have been bound by those restrictions since 1971 when the federal
judges issued a roadmap for achieving total desegregation, known as “unitary
status,” for more than 100 Alabama schools. School administrators say being
free of the restrictions will make it easier to build new schools or renovate
old ones, and gives flexibility in assigning students to school zones.
The federal judge who lifted parts of the old order ruled
more work still needs to be done, however, and administrators think they’ve
taken steps to achieve unitary status in the coming years.
According to the ruling, called a “consent order,” the
school district “has satisfied its obligations” to provide transportation,
school zones, extracurricular activities and schools to all students.
The order cites analysis of reams of data collected each
year from the school system as showing “no evidence of racial discrimination”
in the fulfilment of those obligations.
The ruling immediately affects how soon the school system
can expect to begin work on any project costing more than $50,000 — such as construction of a new Alexandria
Middle School, or the planned renovation of Saks, Wellborn and Weaver high
schools.
While the system must still clear new projects with the
state’s Building Commission, there is no longer any review by federal judge
required.
The original desegregation order forbade administrators from
allowing parents living within the school zone of a given Calhoun County school
to send their children to any other school.
The order, issued by Judge C. Lynwood Smith Jr. in the U.S.
District Court for northern Alabama, says more work is required, though:
Calhoun County Schools must make a greater effort to hire black faculty and
staff members, and must re-examine the way students are disciplined.
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