USA v. G'wood Public Sch

Filing 35

ORDER granting 32 Motion to Amend/Correct. Signed by District Judge Sharion Aycock on 6/30/2015. (psk)

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTIITRN DISTRICT OF MISSISSPPI
GREENVILLE DIVISION
UMTED STATES OF AMERICA
PLAINTIFF
V.
GREENWOOD MUMCIPAL SEPARATE
SCHOOL DISTRICT, et al

DEFENDANT

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NO: 4:66-cv-00040-LTS

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ORDER GRANTING EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL RELIEF

ON THIS DAY, this cause came on for consideration in the United States District
Court for the Northem District of Mississippi, on the Greenwood Municipal Separate School

District's Second Amended Motion for Emergency Supplemental Relief and Expedited
Ruling, and this Court after being fully advised in the premises, finds and orders as follows:

l.

The Greenwood Municipal Separate School District (hereinafter "Greenwood

Public School District" or "District") presently consists of one high school (Greenwood

High), one middle school (Greenwood Middle), an altemative school (Greenwood
Alternative School), a career and technical center (Greenwood Vocational Center), and

four elementary schools (Bankston, Davis, Threadgill and W. C. Williams Elementary
Schools.) Each elementary school serves kindergarten through sixth grade, excluding
Threadgill, which serves pre-K through sixth grade.

2.

On or about June 10, 2014, the Board of Trustees of the Greenwood Public

School District authorized the superintendent to explore cost saving propomls that would
firrther promote the fiscal responsibility of the District.

3.

This process led the District to conclude that it should close W. C. Williams,

reassigr those affected students to Bankston and Threadgill elementary schools, and revise
the elementary school zones to reflect those changes.

4.

The District developed two plans and proposed them to the United States

Departrnent of Justice, which did not object to either plan. The Dis&ict also subsequently
conducted meetings with both W. C. Williams parents and staff to obtain their feedback.

5.

The District thereafter approved the closure of W.C. Williams at the end of the

2014-2015 school year and the adoption of Plan B.

6.

Under Plan B, all students would attend

tle

elementary school within the

school zone where they reside, as set forth in the map (Exhibit 1) attached hereto, except the

District could allow: (1) fourth (4th) and frfth (5th) emde Threadgill students for the 20142015 school year the option of continuing their attendance at Threadgill, if they so selected,

until their completion of elementary school through the 2016-2017 school year (i.e. ,.limited
gmndfathering provision"), (2) exceptions for those students who receive special education
services, whether at a centralized or non-centralized location within the district, whereas said

services are available outside

of their residential school zone, and (3) majority/minority

transfers should the district resident students in the future meet the criteria as set forth in
previous orders entered in this case.

7.

The District's projected student enrollment of the elementary schools,

affected by Plan B, is set forth in Exhibit 2 as atached hereto.

as

IT IS THEREFORE, ORDERED, ADJUDGED, and DECREED (l)

the

Greenwood Public School District's motion to proceed with the closure of W. C. Williams
Elementary School and modify district school zone lines of the Greenwood Public School

District consistent with Plan B as presented is approved effective immediately Q) that the
District may allow the following exceptions to Plan B, to wit: (a) fourth

(

grade Threadgill students for the 2014-2015 school year the option

of continuing their

attendance

at Threadgill,

if

th) and fifth (5th)

they so selecte{ until their completion of elementary school

through the 2O16-2017 school year (i.e. "limited grandfathering provision"), (b) exceptions

for those students who receive special education services, whether at a cenhalized or noncentralized location within the district, whereas said services are available outside of their

residential school zone, and (c) majority/minority transfers should the district resident
students in the future meet the criteria in those previous orders entered in this case; (3) said

actions are

not

inconsistent

with the United States Constitution, applicable

federal

desegregation laws and orders in this case, and (4) that all other previous orders of this Court,
except as modified herein, shall-remain in

DArEDthisthe

e^$
30\,

A

full force

and effect.

,2015.

Greenwood Public School District
Proposed Consolidation School Zone

P

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Tatile 1
Greenwood Public sciools and Projected Membenhip as Proposed by Special
StudY GrouP with Federal lnPur.
plan B (SIUDENTS) with (Grandfather Provision for Threadgill Zone north of river merging with Bankston)

**rools, capacitres, April 26,7ll5,Pupil Membership by

SCHOOLS

PRESENT

CAPACITY

Race

-

%%%

uEMiirnsHtp

9L'"%
IVHIIE

PROPOSED MEMBENSHIP

BLACI( WHITE

tsLACK

OTHER

OTHER

I

500

K-5

to7

160

2L

288

55%

37%

8Y"

K-5

L42

240

31

4t3

s8%

34%

8%

BANKSTON

700

K-6

2

s89

0

591

99.6%

0.3%

o%

K-6

2

589

0

591

99.6

o.3%

a%

DAVIS

900

K-6

2

616

L

619

99.5%

o.3%

o.2%

K-5

3

79L

I

795

99.5%

o.4%

o.1%

THREADGILL

soo

K-6

36

25s

10

301

85%

L2%

3%

TO

BE

l.btl0

\-l,r

f47 1,6J0 j2

8"

):

K

lj

2%

w.c.
WILLIAMS

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