Notes from Informational Meeting on the Huntsville City Schools Desegregation Order sponsored by Huntsville South Civic Association
March 25, 2019
Legal fees from March 2011-March 2019: $3,569,856.43 for 21,128.8 hours
Hogan Lovells Law firm charged $1,509,964.43 from 2012-2017. C.Pape
March 25, 2019
- HSV South Civic Assn sponsored meeting with intent to provide transparency in cost, objectives, implementation in Desegregation Order so that ALL students can succeed. Our City can not tout success unless our students have an opportunity to learn and become a part of the high-tech industry.
- All HSV City School Board representatives, HSV City Council members, Mayor Battle, Superintendent Findley and Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne PC attorneys were invited.
- Format: Public was encouraged to write questions on index cards which were posed to invitees for responses.
- Invitees in Attendance:
- Mayor Battle (in audience)
- Dr. Robinson District 3 City Council
- Beth Wilder/Elissa Ferrell/Walker McGinnis School Board representatives, Superintendent Findley, Mr. Tim Scott/Chief Academic Officer, Tina Hancock/ CFO HSV City Schools
- JR Brooks/Chris Pape from Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne PC
- Mayor Battle (in audience)
- Chris Pape had Powerpoint presentation and made the following comments:
- HSV City Schools Strategic Plan:
- Intense Focus on Student Outcomes
- Ensure Safe Learning Environment
- Focus on Building Teacher Network
- Ensure Efficient & Effective Operations
- Focus on Community Connectedness
- Intense Focus on Student Outcomes
- HSV City Schools Strategic Plan:
- Unitary status to be decided solely by Judge Haikala based on implementation of desegregation orders in good faith and maintain for a reasonable time.
- Gardendale AL didn’t succeed in achieving unitary status. One factor was due to social media posts reviewed by Judge Haikala.
- Madison City and Madison County have not requested unitary status (they don’t have a desegregation lawsuit)
- Tuscaloosa AL achieved unitary status and national media disputed this result.
- Legal fees from March 2011-March 2019: $3,569,856.43 for 21,128.8 hours
- Hogan Lovells Law firm charged $1,509,964.43 from 2012-2017
- Unitary status to be decided solely by Judge Haikala based on implementation of desegregation orders in good faith and maintain for a reasonable time.
- How much money has been spent by HCS on the desegregation order attorney’s fees since inception? And the last three years?
- How many attorneys and staff are currently assigned to work on the Desegregation Order?
- Can the legal fees be broken down by federal funds as compared to taxpayer dollars?
Legal fees from March 2011-March 2019: $3,569,856.43 for 21,128.8 hours
Hogan Lovells Law firm charged $1,509,964.43 from 2012-2017. C.Pape
- Questions: There are (5) green factors in the order to be reached, can you tell us how many of those have been achieved and an estimate of when the others will be achieved? Speak to the three-year fact gathering period? Student assignment; Faculty and staff assignment, facilities, extracurricular activities, transportation.
- The judge declared that the HCS and DOJ would "work together" to come up with recommendations to her. Yet not one green factor has been mutually addressed to date. Why?
- When was the unitary status procedure started? On average how long does the process take to be resolved? Is there an oversight period by DOJ once the status has been achieved?
- To meet the student assignment requirement, HCS rezoned districts, re-aligned feeder patterns, opened magnet schools and increased majority-to-minority transfers. How close of HCS to meeting this factor?
- There’s been no unitary status on the any of the green factors (objectives). DOJ is reviewing Transportation (HSV schools spent $11M on Apple Bus contract this year). C.Pape
- Facilities and Extracurricular activities have become more equitable. C.Pape
- Superintendent and E. Ferrell stated that they are provided legal fees and green factor status at every work session.
- Who developed the redistricting lines for the schools?
- Changes in zoning plans such as Hampton Cove growth, decrease in other areas would require DOJ and Court approval which School system tries to minimize. C.Pape
- One comment that seems to be recurring is the opinion that there is a lack of discipline and respect overall in our schools with little consequences, many place blame on the discipline policy and say the policy is required by the desegregation order. Please address.
- Teachers have started inputting discipline into BLOOM database. There are problem-solving teams in every school. School system doesn’t want to kick students out of school. C.Pape
- Who writes the Behavior Learning guide?
- Behavioral Learning Guide (BLG) which lists discipline issue and consequences is developed with Donna Clark (lead), teachers and then attorneys. Want to avoid discrimination in discipline. Superintendent Findley
- Does HCS still provide an alternative school for students who need a different learning environment? What is provided in the school? How many students attend?
- Alternative School (ACE) is for 7-12 grades. Students stay 90-180 days, then return to their school. System tries to solve discipline issue and assist with graduation. Superintendent Findley
- Are any African-American attorneys are involved in this case locally?
- No. C. Pape
- What is the diversity enrollment of the four magnet programs that were designed to combat the withdrawals from the HCS?
- Magnet schools are helping to desegregate schools. C.Pape
- Student ratio: 40% Caucasian, 40% African-American, 20% Other. Delta +/-15%. C. Pape
- It appears that DAC meetings have been poorly attended by parents, citizens, etc. Are they effective in providing input to DOJ and HCS?
- Desegregation Advisory Community (DAC) is volunteer group which includes 10 parents, 6 students. The meeting notes are provided to the judge. C.Pape
- Is HCS really an equal partner in this process as directed by the judge?
- Yes. C. Pape
- What are differences between security contractors and HSV Police in the school?
- Security contractors can’t arrest like SRO’s which is the primary difference. C.Pape
- Is there a status posted to HSC website to keep public informed of the progress and monies spent? If no, can that be implemented?
- Superintendent stated that they would provide transparency on legal costs and green factor (goals) status in the future. W. McGinnis wants this information provided at every Board meeting. How/when will this be addressed?
- When the Desg Order process began in 2015, there were meetings and a HCS board member told the audience it would take 10 years to get out from under the DOJ. Fast forward to 2019 and at the last DAC meeting on March 12th, it was stated that only one area “Transportation” was close to being completed as Unitary Status. At this rate it will take 25 years. Does HSC have the budget to gain Unitary Status given the current $5-$8M deficit?
- What can the public do to enhance this process? The monies spent on legal fees has been born by the HCS...money that can be spent on students' educations. Our street has 12 homes on it and in the last 2 years, 7 of those homes have sold to younger families. But only 2 of those families have placed their children in HCS. There appears to be a lack of resources due to budgetary constraints due to the monies being spent on the deseg order? Is that true?
- Superintendent stated that HSV schools has relationship with Army ARMDEC and Auburn University..
- Superintendent: Classrooms are a priority in dealing with the deficit.
- Speakers Provided Opportunity to Provide Comments Before Meeting Ends:
- Superintendent: Public is invited to visit schools and volunteer.
- JR Brooks: Judge makes ultimate decision on unitary status
- E. Ferrell stated that there are too many rumors and the system needs good things stated.
- B. Wilder said that many students need a champion.
- J. Robinson said that in the long run unitary status will save money and improve schools.
- Mayor said to right-size the number of schools to save money.
- Action Item: Keith Ward stated that he would provide HSV South a copy of charts presented by attorneys. No response at this time.
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