Update~ Huntsville school board unanimously approves segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever

J.R. Brooks, attorney for Huntsville City Schools (file) The Gate Keeper

Huntsville City Schools superintendent, and his media enablers claim the historic moment brings city wide equity.  I guess it depends on what their definition of citywide equity IS.

With no discussion following four hours of questions to its counsel, the Huntsville Board of Education unanimously approved the proposed consent order that plans out citywide rezoning.

 Superintendent Casey Wardynski, aided by the school's legal counsel and the U.S. Justice Department. The adopted plan will be presented to U.S. District Court on March 11 for judge approval. If approved, the school district can move forward with plans, including construction of new schools.
"It's an historic moment," Wardynski said excitedly after the board voted.

From the files of they must think U.S. District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala   has amnesia.

Judge Haikala took particular exception to much of Wardynski's testimony, from finding his comments on federal grants untrue to finding insubstantial his objections to the federal rezoning proposals.

"The Court strongly suspects that the district has chosen not to share many of the reasons for the choices that it made as it shaped its student assignment plan. The Court got a glimpse into the superintendent's thinking when the United States's cross-examined him about his objections to the government's rezoning proposals. When asked whether Hereford (Elementary) students would not benefit from attending Huntsville High, the superintendent, in an unguarded moment, replied '[t]hey [would] be going into schools that are not accustomed to dealing with students who are below grade level.'

She also admonished the Justice Department, but only to say they were being far too lax.

"From the record, it appears that years of relative calm and inactivity have lulled the government into a habit of checking in only when the district proposes actions that require the government's review. The government should be more proactive. Based on the current record, the Court does not know when inequities in educational programs arose in the district; however, standardized test scores from 10 years ago demonstrate disparate results among racially identifiable schools. Had the government been keeping an eye on that sort of information, it could have brought it to the Court's attention more quickly and enabled the Court and the district to address the issue in a timely fashion. "

It's Deja Voodoo all over again

"If there is unfairness, it is because life itself is unfair. The unfairness is not manmade," said Hugh McInnish, at-large member of the county's Republican Executive Committee.

It's like putting Lipstick on a Pit Bull

It seems the District was successful in pleading their case that it was in the best interest of the schools in North Huntsville to remain as they are and continue the same 'feeder' pattern," wrote Showers. "Failing schools feeding into failing schools."

Garbage in garbage out.  

The history in today's quick and quiet vote may not be apparent for years to come.
It's now up to Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala to set Huntsville on this uncharted road to unitary status.

Time will tell the truth.

The actions they are taking are pure segregation. You are merging every minority failing school onto one piece of land with schools with all black names,"

As usual the #hsvboe does what it does best, Covers Their Asses ,  the taxpayers be damned.

Thanks, Board, for doing such an excellent job of listening to and representing the public. No wonder you need your own personal public relations firm working for you at our expense.
Judge Haikala should send the parties back to the drawing board on this one and tell them that the public needs to be represented at the table because clearly our Board of Education is more concerned with explaining why they can’t address public concerns than they are actually, you know, representing the public that elected them.
You cannot unify the community without involving them in the process. Attempting to do so is like destroying the village to save it. Only a Colonel would think it an “historic moment.”

Prehistoric moment is more like it.