What is the Future of Tuscaloosa City School Students?
As the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education prepares to set in motion a recommendation by the Superintendent to re-zone and in some cases close schools on tomorrow, October 20th, it is vitally important that district officials work to ensure that minority and low-income students, families, communities and schools do not bare the brunt of this move. I certainly hope that consideration will be given to the fact that despite changing demographics in gentrifying communities and the positive results associated with diversity, schools still remain largely segregated.
Re-zoning and closure of schools will impact black and other lower-income students, families and communities. Students from the affected schools will be sent to schools either far away from their homes, less diverse or even worse, lower performing.