Why new JCPS student assignment plan will lead to West End segregation: Opinion

Louisville  branch NAACP and Coalition of Black Retired Principals and Administrators
·2 min read
Marty Pollio, superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools, makes remarks during the community discussion on the proposed JCPS student assignment changes at the Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Campus in Louisville, Ky. on March 22, 2022.

Parents, do you know that the Student Assignment Plan for the West End focuses on eleven elementary schools, one middle school and one high school and will result in segregated schools?

The Choice Zone Elementary Schools are : Atkinson Elementary, Breckinridge-Franklin Elementary, Byck Elementary, Cochran Elementary, Engelhard Elementary,J.F. Kennedy Elementary, King Elementary, Maupin Elementary , McFerran Preparatory Academy, Portland Elementary, and Wheatley Elementary.

More: The Last Stop: Louisville's troubled busing legacy may be nearing its end

The Choice Zone Middle School is to be constructed in the near future. The location is unknown at this time. The Choice Zone High school is The Academy of Shawnee. According to the plan, these schools will be segregated and they are all low-performing schools.

Students attending these schools have two options: to attend the school closer to their home or to attend an away school in their zone/cluster. The term used is Dual Resides.

The students in the Choice Zone Schools are assigned to attend the new Western Middle school to be built in the West End and to attend the Academy of Shawnee for high school. The elementary, middle and high school will continue to be segregated and low-performing.

If students do not desire to attend the home school, they have options: to apply for the away school or apply to a magnet school. Placement is not guaranteed and will depend on enrollment at the away schools. Students must list their first, second and third choice. Transportation may or may not be provided.

If approved by the Board, this option will be available to students entering kindergarten, sixth, and ninth grades beginning in the 2023-24 school year. This proposal will not change the assignment for a student living in the study area currently enrolled in a middle or high school.

More: After 47 years, Louisville student assignment plan poised for major change. Will it work?

The schools in the Choice Zones and the district must be diversified. We have worked too hard for integration to return to segregation. Research shows that students who attend integrated schools have positive outcomes, score higher on tests, are more likely to attend college, graduate, are more financially secure, live in diverse neighborhoods and have better health.

Parents, please use the tools provided by JCPS to discover the schools your students will attend and find out the options for your student.

Louisville branch NAACP and Coalition of Black Retired Principals and Administrators

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Why new JCPS student assignment plan will lead to West End Segregation