JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi school district says it's ready to stop fighting a plan to merge historically black and white schools. But the district's willingness to act comes at a cost — closing historically black schools.
The move is a concession for the Cleveland school district, which has fought federal efforts to merge two middle schools and two high schools. But some African American supporters of desegregation are unhappy about a plan that would close historically black East Side High.
U.S. District Judge Debra Brown in May ordered the district to house all high school students on the combined campuses of historically white Cleveland High and Margaret Green Junior High. East Side would become a combined middle school.
Brown says she's "optimistic" about the district's new proposal and willing to review it.
Copyright Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
More like this story
- Mississippi District Appeals Order in Desegregation Case
- Judge to Weigh Desegregation Options for Cleveland Schools
- Mississippi District: Merge Schools in Deseg Case by 2017-18
- Mississippi School Discriminated to Avoid White Flight, Lawsuit Claims
- Desegregation Ruling Says Cleveland, Miss., Must Merge Schools
Support our reporting -- Follow the MFP.
