Three new schools pose choice dilemma

Three new schools in mostly black neighborhoods are proving too popular with their neighbors. They will probably have to turn away black students.

By DONNA WINCHESTER, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 19, 2003

ST. PETERSBURG -- If there were no rules to the contrary, three brand-new public schools that will open their doors this fall would do so with a vast majority of African-American students.

Built as part of the agreement to end decades of court-ordered busing for desegregation, these schools are in the vanguard of the district's "choice" plan, designed to give parents more control over where their children attend school. These three started without built-in student bodies and, as such, had to sell themselves to fill their seats.

Because racial ratios remain in effect for now, none of these schools, which are in predominantly black neighborhoods, will have student populations that are more than 42 percent black. But judging by applications, each of these schools is vastly more sought by black parents than others.

And that raises a question about how hard the district might have to work to maintain desegregated schools once the racial ratios are lifted in a few years.

The schools have brand-new buildings. They feature special programs unlike any in the county. They have enthusiastic principals who have hand-picked their leadership teams. They even have student populations ready and willing to attend.

In each case, they have plenty of black students clamoring to attend but not enough other students.

Based on parent preferences, it appears that James Sanderlin and Douglas Jamerson elementary schools and Thurgood Marshall Middle School not only will have to turn away black students, but they will have to seek nonblack students who didn't list the schools as one of their top five choices.

That could be particularly problematic for Thurgood Marshall, which plans to be a fundamental school, requiring parents and students to sign contracts. In effect, the district will be telling students who didn't ask to be there to adhere to the strict fundamental school philosophy.

The burden of desegregation has traditionally fallen to black children. Thousands have endured long bus rides to schools in predominantly white neighborhoods to balance the school populations in those areas. Additionally, white children have been selected to attend schools in predominantly black neighborhoods to balance the ratios at those schools.

"Controlled choice" was inaugurated to revamp how the district matches schools and students. After a four-year period in which the district will continue to monitor ratios by assigning black and nonblack students to balance the requirements, the ratios will be lifted.

When the choice plan got under way, superintendent Howard Hinesley expressed the hope that the schools' special programs would attract diverse groups of students that would keep schools integrated long after the federal court requires it.

But the choices parents made prior to the Dec. 13 choice application deadline tell another story. The numbers, released by the district last week, verify what earlier surveys predicted: Most families want their children to attend schools in their neighborhoods, regardless of the special programs being offered at schools farther away.

The three new St. Petersburg schools are cases in point. They attracted enough students to ensure they will be at capacity when they open in August. But all three attracted nearly four times more black students than nonblack students.

The lack of diversity concerns principal Denise Miller at Sanderlin Elementary, but she is not surprised at the numbers.

"I expected a lot of people would choose Sanderlin because it's in their neighborhood," she said. "I hope that in time, they'll be saying that besides being close, they want the school because of what it's all about."

Encouraged by the racial makeup of her kindergarten applicants, where choices almost reflect acceptable race ratios, Miller thinks her school will be attractive to children from all backgrounds once more parents learn about it.

The story is much the same at Jamerson Elementary School. Area III superintendent Cathy Athanson said the high percentage of black students who chose the school did so to be near their homes, but she expects that by the time the ratios are lifted, Jamerson will have built a reputation that will keep it diverse.

At Thurgood Marshall, the fundamental middle school, the good news is that all 456 nonblack children who applied will get a seat, said magnet and fundamental coordinator Chris Lowry. The bad news is that 441 black students will be put on a wait list, while the district will assign enough white students to make up the racial balance.

Fundamental schools, which promote discipline and parental involvement, require students and parents to sign a contract. Students who violate the contract's provisions can be asked to leave the school.

"Parents may say, 'That is not an environment that we feel works well for our child,' " Lowry said, adding that asking a child to leave a school he did not want to attend in the first place could create an uncomfortable situation.

But principal Joan Minnis is concentrating on the overall number of children who chose her school rather than the percentage of black students in the mix or what could happen if children are assigned to the school to make up the balance.

There may come a time, she said, when perceptions will have to change about all-black or all-white schools. Although she thinks a balanced racial population is as important as a balanced curriculum, she said what is most important is that all schools have the same resources, whether they are all white, all black, or racially mixed.

Although he was not surprised by the choices parents made to stay close to home, Area II superintendent Lew Williams said he would not like to see a return to segregated schools.

"I came up through a segregated system myself, where separate was not really equal," he said. "I would hope that we would be at a point in 2007 where there will be incentives that would not allow us to go back to racially identifiable schools."

Choice plan director Jim Madden admits that if parents opt out of diversity, preferring to stay in their own neighborhoods, there is nothing in the legal agreement that would prevent resegregation. But he remains optimistic that desegregation by choice will be a reality despite the first-run numbers.

"Once the principals have a chance to put their fingerprints on what's happening at the schools, I feel very optimistic that they'll get the diversity," he said.

Douglas Jamerson Elementary School

1200 37th St. S

Selling point: math and engineering focus

The numbers: 212 black parents made it their first choice; 49 nonblack parents made it their first choice

James Sanderlin Elementary School

2350 22nd Ave. S

Selling point: Primary Years International Baccalaureate Program

The numbers: 175 black parents made it their first choice; 74 nonblack parents made it their first choice

Thurgood Marshall Middle School

2130 40th St. S

Selling point: fundamental school

The numbers: 389 black parents made it their first choice; 150 nonblack parents made it their first choice

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