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Federal desegregation court orders that still govern the Coweta
County School System prevent the system from implementing a new
state law that allows student transfers to schools where space
is available.
House Bill 251 – approved this year by the Georgia General
assembly – allows parents to send a child to another public
school in the same county school district, as long as there is
classroom space available at the school. The law takes effect
July 1.
The Georgia Department of Education issued advisories to school
districts about the law in June. The advisory notes that “If
there is a conflict between the Federal desegregation order and
State law, the Federal desegregation order applies…” in school
districts that have court-approved orders affecting student
transfers.
The school system has posted a letter to parents on the Coweta
county Schools website addressing the issue. The letter reads:
“As the parent or guardian of a student in a Georgia School
System, currently enrolled in our school district, we are
writing to notify you that under a new state law you may be
allowed to request to transfer your child to another public
school in the same school district.
Under this law, a parent or guardian, can request to have his or
her child transferred to another public school within the
assigned school district of residence as long as the school
district has determined that there is available classroom space
at the school after all assigned students have been enrolled,
and as long as the school system is not under any court approved
desegregation orders that would not allow the transfer.
The Coweta County School System is currently under a
desegregation order and will not be allowed to implement
transfers under this new state law at this time. Once the Coweta
County School System has been released from the desegregation
order by the Justice Department, we will post guidelines for
these transfers on this website.
If you have any questions regarding this, please contact Dr.
Steve Barker, Director of Administrative Services at
steve.barker@cowetaschools.org or call 770-254-2802.”
A desegregation court order affecting the Coweta County School
System and other school districts has governed the county’s
policies since 1973.
In November, 2006, the Coweta County Board of Education and the
United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division,
entered into a mutual Consent Decree in federal court in an
attempt to resolve the 1973 court order.
To meet the terms of the decree, the school system has had to
provide extensive documentation on school districting and other
items over the course of a minimum two-year period.
The school system met the requirements of the decree during that
period, and is awaiting word from the U.S. Justice Department
about the matter. The terms of the decree and the 1973 court
order still stand until the matter is resolved by the federal
court. |
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