Updates to 60-year-old civil rights case could bring major changes to Jefferson County Schools

    JEFFERSON COUNTY, Alabama (WVTM) -- New updates in a sixty-year-old civil rights lawsuit could mean major changes for one of the largest school districts in Alabama.

Earlier this month, representatives for The Jefferson County Board of Education, as well as the plaintiffs of the 1965 court case Stout v. Jefferson County, came together to propose a new consent order that would allow Jefferson County Schools to shed the court oversight it's been beneath for decades.

That original lawsuit, filed by Blevin Stout in 1965 on behalf of his daughter and other black students, challenged racial segregation in the county's school system following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Brown vs. Board of Education

The case led to the operative desegregation order that the Jefferson County School District has remained under since 1971.

This month's consent order states that vestiges of the former segregated system still remain and puts forth several steps the district must take in order to satisfy its desegregation obligations, achieve educational equity, and end both the case and the judicial supervision it still faces.

Those steps include:

Student Assignment and Desegregation

Achieve enrollments at each school within +/-15% of district-wide racial demographics Establish majority-to-minority transfer programs Require court approval for changes to attendance zones and grade structures Create equitable access to magnet and signature academy programs

Discipline Reform

Eliminate exclusionary discipline for minor infractions Implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Revise discipline policies to address racial disparities Reform Alternative School Program policies Require data collection and monitoring of disciplinary actions by race

Facilities Improvements

Conduct comprehensive facilities assessment Develop long-term facilities plan to address disparities and maintain equity Establish construction standards for new facilities Monitor and address inequities in facility spending

Quality of Education

Monitor academic achievement gaps Expand access to advanced courses Address disparities in special education identification Provide equitable resources and opportunities

Oversight and Monitoring

Create a Desegregation Advisory Committee with 28 members Appoint Desegregation Coordinator Require annual reporting on implementation progress Establish data collection and review procedures

If this consent order passes, the district must demonstrate that it has, in good faith, implemented all of the listed provisions for at least 3 years. At that point, if all requirements have been met, the district can seek total release from supervision.