HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — One school district in Madison County is continuing to focus on diversity due to a court ordered desegregation plan.
News 19 received an update on where Huntsville City Schools (HCS) stands in achieving unitary status.
The board has voted to submit a motion for partial unitary status in the area of faculty and staff. During Tuesday’s work session, board members explained how achieving unitary status is important to them and something they’re working hard on.
HCS has already achieved partial unitary status in the area of transportation.
Keep in mind, once the district can demonstrate it has achieved unitary status — meaning it has met specific demographic goals — it will no longer be under federal supervision.
“At this stage, we don’t have any reason to think that the United States or the local plaintiffs will file any sort of objection to our motion,” said Christopher Page, the attorney for Huntsville City Schools. “They’re certainly entitled to do so. I can’t speak on their behalf, but at this point they have not expressed any objection to our motion. If they do, the judge will give them a chance to file a brief [sometimes that can be weeks to file a brief] and then we would get to see what’s in their briefs, and then we would have time to respond as well… putting the question fully before the judge.”
Other areas to be addressed include:
- Facilities
- Extracurricular activities
- Student discipline
- “Equitable access” to court offerings
- Student assignment
Pape anticipates the next motion we could see presented to the board will be in the area of facilities.
To learn more about the district’s road in achieving unitary status, click here.
