Edit~ The Huntsville City School System is Hopeless

The motto for the Huntsville City Schools  used to be Education is the Hope of the Republic, but after attending a recent Save our schools, Save our Neighborhoods meeting I've come to the conclusion there is no hope for the Huntsville City Schools, so they should just close all of them. The powers that be aren't interested in educating ALL children, they are interested in educating SOME children.

Based on a the findings of a so called demographic study the school system is closing 9 public schools with the majority being guess where...the African American neighborhood.

Have you ever heard of a demographic study with no data?

Several questioners — in particular, Dr. Roger Richardson of Alabama A&M – demanded to see the data, methodology, and assumptions behind the study. Said Dr. Richardson: “If the board paid $75,000 for this study, it should demand its money back.” He went on to explain that in his professional capacity, he would give no credence to a study that did not explain where and how it arrived at its conclusions. One lady who was at the microphone later said to the panel: “You’re in a town full of engineers and other technical people, and they’re going to want to see the data.” Answered Wilson: “Yes, I’m finding that out.”

Psst Dr. Richardson, they don't have to give you no stinking data because they are the HSC BOE. You know, the same BOE that ignores the United States Supreme Court.

Remember over 50 years ago when the Supreme Court ruled separate but equal public schools were illegal in the Brown vs Board of Education of Topeka decision? Evidently Huntsville City Schools didn't get the memo because it's deja vu all over again.

The District’s 2007-2008 overall student enrollment was 43.1% black and 48.7% white. However, the majority of the District’s 47 schools were racially identifiable black or white due to the composition of their respective student bodies.

The school closure/consolidation plan is supposed save money but as Ben points out that dog won't hunt.

One of the more enlightening moments of the evening came near the end from, of all people, Ann Roy Moore (assuming she knows what she is talking about, and in this case, I believe she probably does). Given the recent Huntsville Times article reporting that the city is still paying gobs of money to maintain the schools it shut down last year, I had been wondering why the system didn’t just dump the properties for whatever low ball price someone was willing to pay, just to end the upkeep costs. Moore explained that according to state law, the school system is not allowed to sell any property for less than its appraised value. The state can grant exceptions on a case-by-case basis, but only if a property fails to sell in a couple of years or so. Another option would be for the system to demolish the school building and sell the land. But in poor neighborhoods, even the land isn’t worth much.

In other words, if the system closes the nine schools currently on the chopping block, it will have to pay for all the costs associated with combining schools, buying more buses, etc., but it will also have to maintain the shuttered campuses for a couple of years or more until they can be sold. Or it will have to pay to demolish the school buildings. The more I hear about this, the worse it sounds.

So here's the deal,  if you are affluent, you have access to the best public education your tax dollars can buy your property values are safe.

If you are middle class/ low income, you don't have access to the best public education your tax dollars can buy,  and your  property values aren't worth much.

I repeat

Back in the day ALL of the Huntsville City Schools were excellent schools. There were no identifiably black and white schools. All the teachers taught all the students, and all the students learned. Back in the day it didn't matter where a student lived because the quality of the school in the neighborhood wasn't tied to property values. Fast forward to the present and the reverse is true.


As long as the quality of public education in Huntsville is based on parental income and property values there is no hope for the Huntsville City Schools.


As long as those in positions of power believe it’s a silly, unrealistic, line that every school should be as good as Grissom, there is no hope for Huntsville City Schools.

As long as those in positions of power believe them uppity coloreds and sneaky Mexicans would receive an education only white, god-fearing, clean, and law-abiding children deserve, there is no hope for the Huntsville City Schools.

As long as black parents aren't politically involved to the same extent as white parents there is no hope for the Huntsville City Schools.

I don't care how many Superintendents, clueless consultants and school boards are hired and fired, there is no hope for the Huntsville City Schools as long as people with racist beliefs have the power to exercise racism.

One would think a school system whose motto used to be Education is the Hope of the Republic would make an effort to educate ALL students regardless of race, gender, sex, or address for the HOPE o our Republic.