Hillsborough still under court's watch

By SARAH SCHWEITZER

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 11, 2000

TAMPA -- Hillsborough County's continuing desegregation battle has parallels with the battle in Pinellas.

The district has struggled with the issue for years. Its desegregation efforts have been under federal court supervision for decades. It has adopted a school choice plan similar to the Pinellas plan in answer to a 1998 court order that the district do more to eliminate segregation.

Judge ends Pinellas busing Next challenge: school choice Highlights of the order What does judge's ruling mean? Key events

Yet unlike Pinellas, Hillsborough is at odds with the NAACP, which has denounced the district's proposed school choice plan as a fast-track to further segregation. In June, the group formally broke ties with the district group in charge of shaping the school choice plan.

Despite the NAACP's concerns, the district is forging ahead with the plan, which seeks to give parents greater choice in which schools their children will attend and to eliminate racially imbalanced schools by using enticements such as magnets to draw suburban students to the inner city.

Community meetings are planned for later this month and next to gauge public opinion. The School Board is expected to discuss the plan Sept. 26.

Simultaneously, the district is appealing the 1998 court order with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. Oral argument has been set for Sept. 20.

Ultimately, the district hopes to end the federal court supervision.

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