A federal judge in Tyler last week lifted a 39-year-old statewide school desegregation order from all but nine rural Texas public school systems. Those nine had been consolidated with districts that were original parties to a 1970 U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit. The judge said he had not determined whether the freed districts were fully desegregated, but he said the federal government agreed they should no longer be covered by a statewide decree. The order means the Texas Education Agency will no longer have to monitor the freed districts transportation, extracurricular activities, or staff and student assignments.
A version of this article appeared in the October 06, 2010 edition of Education Week as Texas Desegregation Order Lifted
