Can you please give me some key take aways from this article? A suit filed in 19
ID: 386298 • Letter: C
Question
Can you please give me some key take aways from this article?
A suit filed in 1984 by parents stated that a Student Reassignment Plan was a return to segregation. This plan stopped busing students in grades k-4 but continued 5-12. This situation is very similar. I believe the court would find, as it did in the previous case, that neighborhood plan does not have a discriminatory intent and would not reopen the case due to the district achieving unitary status. The district did not engage in de jure segregation because was not supported or initiated by government action. Based on the information given at this point, it is only the parents opinion that it will recreate segregated schools. It is not proven that the discontinuation of busing in the lower grades will result in creating or increasing segregation, which is another element of de jure segregation. The district is trying a new plan to possibly help with the time spent on the bus for those young students and saving taxpayer money. Busing can also be a treat to the neighborhood school concept which seems to be their focus.
Explanation / Answer
The busing was a concept used to ensure desegregation in schools. In this article, when the school stopped busing for students from grades K to 4 but maintained from grades 5 to 12, few parents alleged that this would encourage segregation again. However the contention here is that the school district has achieved unitary status i.e. it has removed the effects of segregation to the extent possible and removing busing for the grades K to 4 was not driven by a motive to reintroduce segregation instead it only wants to use taxpayer money in a more efficient manner and trying out a newer plan.
Also there is no conclusive proof that removing busing for grades K to 4 will lead to increase segregation and thus parent’s allegation is mere conjecturing without solid evidence.