Settlement prompted the change

By Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 26, 2000

Main story Settlement prompted the change Details of Pinellas' school choice plan How the plan might affect you

Q: Why did anything have to change?

A: The transition from mostly traditional neighborhood zoning to school choice is part of a negotiated settlement between the School Board and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. The case they settled was filed in 1964 by the Legal Defense Fund, which accused the district of operating inferior schools for black students. The lawsuit led to a 1971 court order that, to this day, required race ratios in schools and cross-county busing for desegregation. U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday told the board to negotiate a settlement to a 36-year-old desegregation case or settle it in court. The School Board and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund decided amicably negotiating would give the School Board power over more decisions and would be cheaper in the long run. In August, Merryday approved the settlement, which specifically says choice must be implemented.

Q: So, why choice instead of neighborhood schools? That's what most parents want.

A: Both sides surmised that traditional zoning would have immediately resegregated schools, especially in St. Petersburg, where most of the district's black children live. That would have undoubtedly angered city leaders, the Legal Defense Fund and probably the federal judge. The only way around that would have been gerrymandered zones around south Pinellas schools and circles around north Pinellas schools. Both sides have said that any policy that creates the appearance of two separate school districts would be unacceptable. They decided choice was the best hope for maintaining integration when race ratios end. But knowing that many parents would like their children to be near home -- maybe not the closest school, but a close school -- 35 percent of seats at each school will be reserved for neighborhood children.

Q: Shouldn't the school district have gotten more public input along the way?

A: The negotiating sessions between the School District and the Legal Defense Fund were held in private. But before each of the series of a half-dozen votes, including Tuesday night's, the School Board held public hearings on moving to choice. Since Superintendent Howard Hinesley released a written choice proposal in April, the district has held more than 100 public meetings. Information has been available on the district's Web site, a recorded voice line was set up and letters were sent home twice to every one of the district's 110,000 students.

Q: When does choice start? What happens until then?

A: Choice doesn't start until fall 2003. Until then, nothing will change; the district will continue to assign students to schools primarily based on their home address. Black students will continue to ride buses to desegregate schools outside their neighborhoods. Every two years, the School Board selects a new batch of white students to bus into predominantly black neighborhoods. This spring, board members will select the final batch of "rotational" students.

Q: Now that the School Board has voted on the main details, what happens next?

A: The district will prepare to survey parents in the spring to see which schools they would choose if choice were starting in fall 2001. The information will be used to develop other details of the plan, including how to provide transportation, how the applications will work and whether after-school activity buses will be provided. Votes on those policy issues have not been scheduled.

Q: How much will the plan cost?

A: Transportation officials estimate that it will cost the district $6.6-million in mostly one-time capital costs, such as more school buses. They estimate it will cost $6.4-million more annually to maintain those buses and hire drivers for them. Those numbers are just estimates; if most parents choose schools near home, the costs could be less. The district has a $9-million reserve fund that budget officials say will grow to $20-million by 2003. Long-term, though, the district does not know where the funding will come from.

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