Federal judge declares Monroe City Schools unitary, dismisses desegregation case

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In a judgment filed Thursday, U.S. District Judge Robbie James declared that Monroe City Schools is no longer under judicial supervision and declared the district unitary.

James also denied the U.S. Department of Justice's motion for further relief, which argued the district had not met all requirements to ensure racial equality for students in the areas of teacher and administration staffing and equal course offerings at all schools.

Monroe City School Board President Bill Willson said the board was hoping this would be the outcome. He said it's a positive day for the district and he wants to see the district continue it's positive trajectory.

Willson said the board members have worked together diligently as a unit to achieve unitary status.

To be declared unitary, a school district must show achievement in the five areas, called Green factors. Monroe City Schools are now unitary in all factors:

faculty and staff assignments (2018)
transportation (2015)
extra-curricular activities (1992)
facilities (1992)
student assignments (2015)

The district, since fall 2015, has worked to ensure its administrators understand the staffing obligations to prevent a disproportionately high number of white teachers from teaching at schools the most white students attend. (The student population is 87 percent black, and there are no majority white schools.)

The judge found that MCSB has worked to develop and improve the medical magnet program at Carroll High School, which was created to recruit white students to the school.