It will be at least a month before the Lowndes County School District learns if its bid for unitary status will be granted, but those who attended Tuesday’s court hearing in Oxford were optimistic.
The district has been under U.S. Department of Justice jurisdiction since 1970 as part of a court order designed to ensure racial equality and fulfill desegregation requirements. They are now seeking removal from the DOJ’s control, saying they have met all federal obligations to provide an equitable education for the district’s 5,000 students.
Attorneys and representatives from LCSD, DOJ and private plaintiffs presented arguments during Tuesday’s fairness hearing at the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Oxford.
Topics of discussion included facility improvements, disciplinary actions against racial slurs, equal access to Advanced Placement classes, schedules for board meetings and the usage of the Confederate mascot for Caledonia’s elementary, middle and high school.
Rep. Gary Chism, R-Columbus, said the hour-and-a-half long meeting “couldn’t have gone better for Lowndes County,” and he is optimistic U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills will rule in the district’s favor.
“I think it went real well,” Board President Jane Kilgore said after the hearing. “I think the Lowndes County School District is dedicated to making sure every student gets a great education, no matter where they go to school.”
Lawyers for the three parties must file briefs within 21 days, after which a review will take place and a decision will be rendered.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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