Is it is, or is it aint.......desegregation

Way back in 69, Ft Myers / Lee County School District was placed on a federal list of most segregated cities in the country. It wasn’t until 99 they were removed from the list., when a "School Choice Lottery" implemented.

This system lets you apply for a seat at almost any school when a child is entering kindergarten, sixth, or ninth grade. You are given nine choices on the form. The lottery is run in three batches at different dates by computer. Even so, your chances of getting one of your higher choices is better in the first batch. The idea is that you can choose a neighborhood school for convenience, or a school with a specific specialty away from your area that you wouldn’t have been able to before. By having an unbiased computer picking, and the conscious choices by the parent, the fed considers this an acceptable means of desegregation. On average, ninety seven percent of the kids in the first batch get their first choice.

Most folks stayed with the neighborhood schools, so the actual populations of the schools have changed, but not drastically. Of course, you have that small percentage of parents that are pi$sed. If you move to a different area midyear and reapply for a school closer, you may not get it. Then there’s the unlucky bunch who live up the street from the school they wanted, but got a lower choice, and their kid(s) are getting bussed across town. This system has been used in Rockford IL, and the Charlotte Mechlenberg (sp) school system was looking into a similar system a few years ago, so ours is not unique.

We are entering our last year of the plan, and big brother is watching. The school board is undecided at this point of how to continue and stay off the list.:doh:

My question is, do you think this is desegregating ?

:high: :high:

That sounds like an interesting idea. I suppose it is a fair way of dealing with school choice. All I know is that if I was in grade 9 and didnt get to choose the school i wanted to go to (which was based mostly on my friends), I would be mighty pissed. lol